Category: politics

Evangelical Confession 2024

September 26, 2024

I want to commend to you the “Evangelical Confession 2024” as a helpful guide for Christians this election season. It emphasizes allegiance to Jesus over political ideologies while encouraging love, truth, unity, and recognition of every individual’s worth. It outlines Biblical principles that reject fear, division, and manipulation in political discourse, aiming to position the Church as a prophetic witness of God’s reconciliation and love in a divisive world. … More Evangelical Confession 2024

To Hell With the Election (by Russell Moore)

September 12, 2024

A family I know and love was rattled recently to get a note from someone they considered a longtime friend suggesting that the family was going to hell. The cause for the impending brimstone was not that the family denied the faith, embraced some heresy, or adopted some unrepentant life of immorality. At issue was that the family did not support a presidential candidate.
… More To Hell With the Election (by Russell Moore)

Join us for The After Party!

September 4, 2024

Christians have lost their way when it comes to the intersection of faith & politics. It’s time to reframe our political identity as we take the lead in healing what’s broken. Jesus’ call is clear: We are to be salt and light in this world. Come be equipped and encouraged in this 6-week series as we prepare for the true party to come. We’ve saved a seat for you! … More Join us for The After Party!

A Prisoner of Hope

July 9, 2024

A quote attributed to Cornel West sums up my feelings in this current political season, “I cannot be an optimist but I am a prisoner of hope.” I skipped watching the national debate, knowing that my social media feeds would be flooded with “highlights.” It turns out I didn’t miss much, and I spent the next several days afterward lamenting, with many others, that these two men were our only choices.  … More A Prisoner of Hope

Should Christians be Patriotic?

July 6, 2024

In this 4th of July episode of Theology in the Raw podcast (which was recorded on May 1st), Preston Sprinkle talks with Shane Claiborne about the conflict in Israel-Palestine, student protests on U.S. university campuses, and various things related to patriotism, nationalism, and the gospel. Good food for thought for Christians trying to keep their allegiances straight. … More Should Christians be Patriotic?

Immigration, Dreamers & Moving Mountains

June 3, 2024

When I graduated from high school someone gave me a copy of Dr. Seuss’ Oh the Places You’ll Go! The optimism of that coming-of-age moment was wrapped up in the promise near the end of that book: “And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed.) KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!” This graduation season, I’ve been thinking and praying about a group of graduates for whom success seems a lot less certain than Dr. Seuss’ appraisal. … More Immigration, Dreamers & Moving Mountains

Exiles: The Book We’ve Needed

May 30, 2024

Politics are dividing our churches like never before. Preston Sprinkle’s new book reminds us that the first-century church was not an apolitical gathering, where Christians left their Roman politics at the door. It also wasn’t a place where Christians mounted a Roman flag next to—or above—a Christian one. Church was a place where God’s plan for governing the world was revealed, where one could witness what it means to follow the Creator’s design for human flourishing. … More Exiles: The Book We’ve Needed

Fallen Birds & Politics

May 24, 2024

These are the ridiculous, tongue-in-cheek thoughts of a person foolish enough to bring the noise and rancor of human politics with him on his walk into the quiet and peaceful world of nature. The main lesson to glean from this is to not repeat my mistake and let nature be a temporary respite from the politics of the City of Man.  … More Fallen Birds & Politics

The Israel-Palestinian Conflict with Preston Sprinkle

May 21, 2024

Mainstream media fails to depict the true reality of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a Christian perspective. The “Theology in the Raw” podcast features diverse viewpoints, including a Gazan Christian theologian advocating for nonviolent resistance, an Orthodox Jewish Zionist working for reconciliation, and a scholar questioning blind support for Israel from a New Testament perspective. The media coverage’s failure to capture the complexity of the conflict is also highlighted. … More The Israel-Palestinian Conflict with Preston Sprinkle

An Appeal for a Clear Conscience

February 16, 2024

This exposition of 1 Peter 3:18-22 emphasizes a spiritual battle between good and evil forces, urging Christians to be aware of this cosmic struggle. It highlights the role of Jesus in overcoming evil and calls for believers to resist being manipulated by worldly powers. The text also stresses the importance of having a clear conscience before God, rather than pursuing selfish desires or political victories. … More An Appeal for a Clear Conscience

Split Screen Lives

August 24, 2023

Let everyone around us fawn at the big-budget political mayhem swirling continuously around us. Let us keep our focus on the little pop-out window on the screen of history that bows humbly before the manger and stands in awe with lowly shepherds. Let worldly politics be a little side hobby (though I don’t recommend it!), and let King Jesus and his upside-down politics rule in our hearts and minds continuously. … More Split Screen Lives

Shut Up & Build Up: Healing Our Divisions

August 23, 2023

Why was the creation of the universe described in 9 verses in Genesis, whereas the building of the tabernacle is detailed in hundreds of verses over many chapters Exodus? Moses was working with a fractious bunch divided into twelve tribes, and one of the best ways to unite a people is by joining them together in a common project. … More Shut Up & Build Up: Healing Our Divisions

Fighting (the Culture War) Like the Devil

March 16, 2023

BY RUSSELL MOORE We Lose Culture Wars by Prosecuting Them “Why are we on defense,” one frustrated culture warrior asked me, referring to some religious freedom issue, “when we should be on offense?” As I’ve writtenelsewhere, I find this metaphor telling. It assumes that what really matters is the church’s state rather than its mission.  The more I’ve … More Fighting (the Culture War) Like the Devil

January 6: A ‘Christian’ Insurrection?

September 12, 2022

The problem wasn’t simply that the mob displayed Christian symbols, but that they saw no contradiction between those symbols and their actions. The cross is a symbol of surrender and self-sacrifice; it represents Jesus’ relinquishing of power and his refusal to retaliate against his enemies. At the Capitol, however, the cross was erected next to a gallows and carried by those calling for their political enemies to be executed. … More January 6: A ‘Christian’ Insurrection?

Neither Liberal nor Conservative: Systemic Racism, White Privilege, and Christian Nationalism, Oh My!

March 23, 2022

Carl Ellis knows what it’s like to get flack from both left and right because he’s navigating a “third way” as a Jesus follower. Systemic racism is a problem, but critical race theory is also problematic. White privilege is a reality to be aware of, but should not lead to white guilt. Dive into wisdom in this nuanced conversation with Preston Sprinkle. … More Neither Liberal nor Conservative: Systemic Racism, White Privilege, and Christian Nationalism, Oh My!