Thoughts on ethics, society, politics, religion, philosophy, theology, and everything in between
Most modern Western Christians are enthusiastic about the idea of human rights. For who can deny that the modern idea of universal, inalienable human rights has brought about much good in the world? Despite some problems and ambiguities with the discourse of human rights, the concept of human rights has provided a common ethical discourse … Read more
Discipline in the Christian Community The church is the community of Jesus’s disciples. Every community is a group of people who gather around a set of shared values and/or goals. The values and goals of the church are proclaiming the gospel, being conformed to the image of Christ, and advancing God’s Kingdom. At the practical … Read more
Personal Relationship and Individualism Evangelicals emphasize that being a Christian means having a personal relationship with God. We define conversion to Christianity as “accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior.” There is nothing wrong with this per se. There is certainly a sense in which the Christian’s relationship with God is personal. However, … Read more
“Do not judge,” said Jesus, “or you too will be judged” (Matt 7:1). For many American Christians, this saying of Jesus encompasses all that needs to be said about judging others in a nutshell. Instead of ever judging others, we should instead always show them tolerance, understanding, and grace. Instead of rebuking others for their … Read more
For most American Christians today, the idea that the church and those in positions of church leadership have real authority over the lives of individual Christians has to a large extent been forgotten. If, as many Christians think, Christianity is about having a personal, individual relationship with Jesus, then the idea of the church having … Read more
One of the major principles of Protestantism is sola scriptura, that is, “Scripture alone.”[1]The other two Protestant solas are sola fide (“faith alone”) and sola gratia (“grace alone”). Many Protestants take this to mean that we can safely ignore and discard all church tradition. After all, if Scripture “alone” is our theological authority, then doesn’t … Read more
A Christian Nation? As American Christians consider the relationship of Christianity to American politics, one popular approach has been to identify the United States of America as a “Christian nation.” According to this idea, America is founded on Christian principles, has a Christian heritage, and should continue to have Christianity be dominant in shaping its … Read more
Most American Christians find their political and national identity in the nation of the United States of America. They then find their religious identity in being a Christian. From this perspective, the Christian Church is a religious institution or community. It is there to help facilitate people’s religious or spiritual experiences and to provide for … Read more
The New Testament and Politics When discussing a Biblical view of the state, it is very common for people to turn immediately to Romans 13:1-7 (“Everyone must submit to the governing authorities. . .”), as if this provides the basic and central summary of a New Testament view of politics. However, this is a mistake. … Read more
During this period of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have enforced orders of “social distancing,” requiring people to stay home and only to interact with others if absolutely necessary, in order to help prevent the spread of the virus. As a result, many businesses and organizations have been required to close, or at least to stop … Read more