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1-25 of 1145 « ‹ Page 1 of 46 › »
  • The Imagination Must Come Before the Implementation

    Column by Brian McLaren on July, 10 2025

    One of my favorite songwriters happens to be my daughter, Jodi McLaren. (Yes, I’m biased, but yes, she’s amazing!) She recently wrote and recorded a powerful song as a way of dealing with her grief, outrage, and moral agony about what has been unfolding in and around Gaza. Of course, I share her grief, outrage, and moral agony.

    Is it really true that only Christians go to heaven? I'm trying to reconcile the idea that only those who believe in Christ go to heaven. …

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Frantz
  • Pope Leo XIV: A Beacon of Hope in a Suffering World

    Column by Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Frantz on July, 3 2025

    Known as a deeply humble man, a man of high moral principle, Pope Leo XIV could not have come along at a better time.  Given the endless evil of Trumpism and Trump’s ruthless buddy, Vladimir Putin in Russia, the world is desperate for a moral voice to speak out.  From what we have seen of Pope Leo so far, he can be that voice.  Indeed, he can be a beacon of hope in a suffering world.   

    What does salvation mean in a progressive Christian context?

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin
  • When Faith Becomes a Weapon: The Oldest Lie in the Book

    Column by Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin on June, 26 2025

    For as long as folks have been swinging swords, they’ve been etching God’s name on the blade to make themselves feel better about it. It’s one of humanity’s oldest bad habits: turning the God of Love into the god of conquest, oppression, and holy war.

    Since Jesus was a man (albeit fully human, and therefore divine), can we turn to him in prayer today? Or can we …

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers
  • As My Father Lay Dying

    Column by Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers on June, 19 2025

    For as long as I can remember, my father talked about God all the time—at least from the pulpit. At home, he acted more like an agnostic, reluctant even to pray before a meal, unless it was the required offering at Thanksgiving.

    I don’t believe in an afterlife, and am struggling to find words to explain to my Christian …

    Answered by Rev. Brandan Robertson
  • Taking Back the Bible

    Column by Rev. Brandan Robertson on June, 12 2025

    We’re told that “God is love” (1 John 4:16), which means that wherever the God who is love is present, fear cannot exist. This is a beautiful and liberating truth. Yet far too often, as a queer person seeking God, I’ve experienced a tremendous amount of fear.

    How do I remain open and affirming to Republicans who voted for Trump, and continue to support him, while they themselves are, in fact, good people who are …

    Answered by Rev. David M. Felten
  • Abundant Lives: A Progressive Christian Ethic of Flourishing A Conversation with Dr. Amanda Udis-Kessler

    Column by Rev. David M. Felten on June, 5 2025

    Dr. Amanda Udis-Kessler is a writer, musician, sociologist, composer, hymn writer, trainer, and consultant — each of which she says she pursues with the intention “of making the world a more joyful, gracious, and less painful place.”

    What I find most terrifying about current events in America and elsewhere is when evil seems to get a foothold into a religion (any religion) and starts …

    Answered by Rev. Irene Monroe
  • Who celebrates our trans service members on Memorial Day?

    Column by Rev. Irene Monroe on May, 29 2025

    There are parades all across the country on Memorial Day commemorating our U.S. service members who died while in the military. But not all service members are honored for their acts of service, bravery, and patriotism.

    In John …

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox
  • Christianity 2.0: Come Join Us

    Column by Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox on May, 22 2025

    Carl Jung makes the point when talking about his four “personality types” that a healthy person goes out of his or her way to make up for the weaker dimensions of their type. Thus an introvert practices some extrovert dimensions, or an intuitive person schools himself or herself in some missing sense of structure and form.

    Should we worship Jesus – or God?

    Answered by Rev. Roger Wolsey
  • The Politics of Happiness: The Least Christian Countries are the Most Christian – Part II

    Column by Rev. Roger Wolsey on May, 15 2025

    Addressing my fellow citizens of the United States: Let’s consider how our founding fathers understood happiness and the purpose and role of the federal government. And as we do, also consider how well the societies of the top 11 happiest nations correlate with the happiness understood by those founding fathers.

    For the last few years, I have wondered why “God” needs to be praised. I certainly can understand thanking God for the blessings and lessons in our lives. …

    Answered by Dr. Amanda Udis-Kessler
  • Dumpster Fire Ethics: A Progressive Christian Morality of Flourishing

    Column by Dr. Amanda Udis-Kessler on May, 8 2025

    When those in political power celebrate ignorance, cherish cruelty, and delight in harming those outside their circle of moral care, what are open-hearted Jesus followers to do? When a society built on a social contract is ruled by antisocial people, how are those claimed by the Rabbi of Nazareth to respond?

    Where should churches be investing their resources and members’ time these days? Immigration,  LBGTQ, and other social issues all come to mind; however, the current political climate seems …

    Answered by Rev. Jim Burklo
  • Lost Sandwiches: The Spirituality of Place

    Column by Rev. Jim Burklo on May, 1 2025

    Jesus told his followers that they were citizens of the kingdom of heaven.  But where was this kingdom?  Here, there, inside of them, or all of the above?  He challenged them to expand their definition of “home” to include the whole human family, the whole world, the whole cosmos.

    Is there a model of “church” that can bring people together in community, nourish their souls, and yet rely less on biblical teachings and dogma?

    Answered by Rev. Lauren Van Ham
  • The Medicine of Both/And

    Column by Rev. Lauren Van Ham on April, 24 2025

    Living heaven on Earth means leaving the ways of Empire and embracing the wisdom of Creation, the ways of Kin-dom. 

    All of my friends and I are quite frightened and don’t really know how to respond. How do we connect with people who hate liberals in a …

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines
  • Scarier than Fiction

    Column by Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines on April, 17 2025

    Esther is one of only two books in the Bible to be named after a woman (the other is Ruth).  It is also one of only two books in the Bible not to explicitly mention God (the other is the erotic poetry in the Song of Songs).  Spending a bit of time with Esther helps us to confront unjust leaders, even today.

    Can you compare today’s division of political and moral beliefs to the time of the Civil War when so many “good” people of the …

    Answered by Dr. Carl Krieg
  • Easter 2025: Tears, Goosebumps, Smiles And the Presence of the Universe

    Column by Dr. Carl Krieg on April, 10 2025

    It’s always the same old story. Location and time don’t matter. The greedy, rich, and powerful always take what they can from the rest of us, be they kings, khans, industrialists, or tech bros by the name of Henry, Genghis, Stalin, Hitler, Trump, Vance, or Musk.

    I am fourteen years old and don’t know how to reconcile the Bible and evolution. Could you help me?

    Answered by Brian McLaren
  • Authoritarianism and Progressive Christianity

    Column by Brian McLaren on April, 3 2025

    Many Americans still don’t believe we are in the process of an authoritarian coup. But the more I understand about authoritarianism, the clearer that reality becomes.

    Immigrants founded our country, and yet, today, we are witnessing a decided flip towards the plutocracy our founding fathers were escaping.  How do you explain this switch in …

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Frantz
  • How Suffering Love Reveals the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53

    Column by Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Frantz on March, 27 2025

    Suffering love is the pinnacle value of Christianity.  It is rooted in the suffering of Jesus on the cross–a reality we can never fully fathom: the aching loneliness, the wrenching pain, the sense of total abandonment.  Suffering goes to the core of our human situation.

    Do you believe the Bible is infallible? 

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin
  • When Bad Things Happen, Is God Accountable? Rethinking Providence for a Healthier Faith

    Column by Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin on March, 20 2025

    There’s an old saying that gets thrown around when tragedy strikes: “God has a plan.” I don’t know about you, but when I look at the history of the world and even the current political situation in the U.S., I don’t buy it. Maybe it’s well-meaning, maybe it’s just a knee-jerk response to pain, but let’s be honest—it’s a theological train wreck.

    What sustains your faith during times such as these, with so much negativity and lack of compassion exhibited by so many?

    Answered by Rev. Brandan Robertson
  • The Hostility Between Us

    Column by Rev. Brandan Robertson on March, 13 2025

    Over the past decade, our polarization—political, racial, religious—has grown exponentially. Vanderbilt University conducts surveys on American polarization, and in 2024, they released a study showing that both the right and the left continue to increasingly identify as “strongly” left or “strongly” right. Roughly 28% on both sides now identify as either “strongly” or “far” right or left.

    Regardless of denomination, what advice do you have for churches that are still not open-affirming and yet call themselves progressive?

    Answered by Rev. Roger Wolsey
  • The Politics of Happiness: The Least Christian Countries are the Most Christian – Part 1

    Column by Rev. Roger Wolsey on March, 6 2025

    Addressing my fellow citizens of the United States: Let’s consider how our founding fathers understood happiness and the purpose and role of the federal government. And as we do, also consider how well the societies of the top 11 happiest nations correlate with the happiness understood by those founding fathers.

    Have you considered that the changes to Twitter (X), META, etc., are deliberate efforts to get us to abandon the communities we have cultivated? As various communities and …

    Answered by Rev. David M. Felten
  • Illegitimi non carborundum!

    Column by Rev. David M. Felten on February, 27 2025

    As the actions of the Trump administration continue to generate waves of fear, uncertainty, and disbelief… it’s precisely in these kinds of moments when our every action becomes critical. History shows that over and over again, the most transformative changes come from those who are willing, as Robin Meyers implored last week, to stand up and say, “Excuse me?!” — especially when it feels like the world is pushing back.

    What one piece of advice can you give those of us who need to be spurred to do even a small amount of action versus the continued lethargy …

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers
  • Excuse Me?

    Column by Rev. Dr. Robin Meyers on February, 20 2025

    What is essential for civilization, and in particular for democracy, is not just slipping away.  It is imploding.  The plutocratic autocracy has arrived in the form of billionaires who eliminate programs that feed poor children while stuffing their pockets with billions in government subsidies.

    When you wake up feeling the pressures of the world (family, work, etc) do you have a routine to reset your attitude for the day?

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox
  • The Big Hole in the Nicene Creed

    Column by Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox on February, 13 2025

    The “Nicene Creed” has been a foundation for Christian unity for a long time.  But the occasion raises some serious questions as well.  Does the Creed represent the marriage of empire and religion, Constantine and Christianity, that created a detour from the authentic teachings of Jesus for 1600 subsequent years? 

    What is the role of miracles in the Christian religion?

    Answered by Rev. Jim Burklo
  • Embodying MLK’s Dream Today

    Column by Rev. Irene Monroe on February, 6 2025

    King would remind us that we cannot heal the world without healing ourselves. In light of King’s teachings, healing ourselves is the greatest task and the most difficult work we must do. This work must be done in relation to our justice work in the world.

    How can we reclaim Christianity, or at least the teachings of Jesus, from the alt-right?

    Answered by Rev. Deshna Charron Shine
  • The Emergent Bible

    Column by Rev. Jim Burklo on January, 30 2025

    it should be no surprise that the library of 66 books known to us as the Bible does not conform to current distinctions between fact and fable.  What opens to us between its covers is a window into eras long past and into the depths of our own souls in the present. A strong hint of the Bible’s nature is the uncertainty of the identities of its many authors. 

    In this present administration, I worry about an escalation of hate speech. However, it is protected under free speech. Will the f-word and n-word or antisemitic remarks now …

    Answered by Rev. Irene Monroe
  • Surviving the Terrifying Future

    Column by Rev. Deshna Charron Shine on January, 23 2025

    Sometimes, it feels like the whole world is burning, flooding, warring, and dying. Personally, these times are very ungrounding and fear-provoking.

    Don’t progressives cherry-pick verses just like conservatives?  What keeps progressives from doing the same thing as conservatives on the other side of the issue?

    Answered by Rev. Dr. Caleb J. Lines
1-25 of 1145 « ‹ Page 1 of 46 › »

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