Resident Theologian
About the Blog
How many American churches are screen-free?
A brief little wondering out-loud about church buildings and their sanctuaries in America.
Intentionality
Some thoughts on the role of “intentionality discourse” in the Christian life.
My (two) latest: reviews of Morell and Huerter, in CT
Links to my two latest reviews in CT.
My latest: why baptism isn’t optional, in CT
A link to my latest CT column on the sacrament of baptism.
My latest: a plea for screen-free church, in CT
A link to my new piece on screen-free worship for Christianity Today.
More screens, more distractions; fewer screens, fewer distractions
A vision for the design of our shared spaces, especially public worship.
The Eucharist: ceremony, doctrine, and the real presence
Further reflections on the Eucharist and its celebration across different Christian traditions.
The unspoken Name
Kendall Soulen on the New Testament’s conspicuous silence surrounding, yet ubiquitous allusions to, the holy Name of Israel’s God.
My latest: on lights and liturgy, in CT
A link to my latest article for Christianity Today, on lights, liturgy, and American practices of worship in contemporary evangelicalism.
Jenson on catechesis for our time
Excerpts from a 1999 essay by Robert Jenson on catechesis for our time.
A loosening
Reflections on trends in low-church Protestant settings regarding such things as tattoos, alcohol, charismatic gifts, feast days, and more.
The tech-church show
A reflection on two issues raised by the recent viral clip of a prominent pastor lecturing his listeners not to treat public worship as a “show.”
I’m in Mere O on streaming worship
Should churches continue live-streaming worship? In a new essay for Mere Orthodoxy, I make the case that the answer is no.
Church on Christmas Day
A response to the responses to Ruth Graham’s piece in the New York Times on American evangelicals staying home on Christmas Day. A sympathetic defense of the normies, in other words.
Sin, preaching, and the therapeutic gospel
Where is sin in contemporary preaching? What are ways to resist reducing the gospel to therapy? Some reflections.
CoC: catholic, not evangelical
For the whole of my academic career, it has been difficult to explain to friends and colleagues who have no prior knowledge of the Stone-Campbell Movement why churches of Christ are not best understood as “evangelical,” that is to say, as part of that rambunctious and dysfunctional family called “American evangelicalism.”
Sermon length
A friend mentioned that there was recently (is currently?) a vigorous conversation on Twitter about the ideal, or proper, or fitting, sermon length. Since I’m off Twitter I barely have access to people’s most recent two or three tweets; I definitely can’t go perusing anyone’s account for extended back-and-forth replies and RTs. But the mention piqued my interest.
Double literacy loss, 2
A few more reflections following my previous post on the double loss of literacy in young people today: that is, the loss of ambient or default biblical literacy together with the loss of literal literacy, by which I mean the well-developed habits, eager interest, and requisite attention for sustained personal reading—of anything at all.
Double literacy loss
Last week I was asked by a graduate student the following question: In today’s culture, what is the biggest challenge for Christians in attempting to steward and share the scriptures with the next generation—whether within the church or without?