No topic is more fraught in American life than the relationship between religion and politics. Someone’s understanding of the American experiment often hinges upon their understanding of how the two relate: Is America a mostly secular nation that should eschew religious influence? Or, does religion play an important role in America’s legacy in terms of …
Continue...Read part 1 here. Like an outwardly working concentric circle, religious liberty hinges upon an understanding of (1) individual assent, (2) group association, and (3) institutional distinction. These are reflected in the practices of individual conversion and regenerate church membership, which entails a distinction between membership in the church and membership in society, and the …
Continue...I’m a little embarrassed to admit this considering I’m a professor at a Baptist seminary, but how I came to be a passionate Baptist was not because I thought baptism by immersion was the most compelling foundation. In a roundabout way, I became the convictional Baptist I am today because Baptist ecclesiology was the natural …
Continue...Like many around me, I have thought about what is required of the Christian in a time of national crisis, much like the one presented to us with COVID-19. I recalled an essay in the collected works of Martin Luther titled, “Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague” that aims at just this question. …
Continue...Recently in an ethics class I teach, a student raised their hand and asked me, “What’s the relationship between ethics and evangelism?” That’s a good question. I had never formally explored their direct relationship. It turns out that ethics is inseparable from how we understand the task of evangelism. How so? Because wrongdoing, or sinning, …
Continue...Mayor Pete Buttigieg, a Democratic nominee for president of the United States, has an impressive resume. He’s a polyglot, military veteran, ex-corporate consultant, Harvard graduate, and the mayor of a recognized city at a very young age. More than that, he has positioned himself as one of the seemingly moderate candidates in the Democratic field. …
Continue...One of the most noticeable effects of Kanye West’s highly publicized conversion to Christianity has been his newfound dedication to his family. This has been observable in a number of ways: In his new Jesus Is King album, songs are liberally accented with a pro-family message. He told late-night interviewer James Corden that at night, …
Continue...While we await the official release, anticipation surrounds Kanye West’s first Christian album, “Jesus is King." A lot of news has circulated around Kanye West’s very public conversion to Christianity. Though we should be overjoyed at the news that Kanye West has become a born-again Christian, history should tell us that we should be cautious …
Continue...An equally heartbreaking and morally revolting story is happening in Texas, where a court has severed the custody of a father from his 7-year-old son in order to allow the mother to oversee the child’s transition to living as a girl. The boy’s father is objecting to the child’s transition, believing that the child is …
Continue...It might surprise you to learn that one of the most consistent questions I get emails about at the ERLC is whether it is ethical or biblical for pastors to officiate religious wedding ceremonies or “commitment ceremonies” for widowed or widower church members who do not want to get legally remarried for fear it would …
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