Many scholars, pastors, and church leaders teach that the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation is all about God’s plan to save humankind from their sins. But if the whole Bible is about how God rescues human beings, doesn’t that make it all about us? [Tweet “If the whole Bible is about how God rescues […]
There’s been a lot of focus in media on the prosperity gospel lately. A lament from a brother concerned about church perspectives. The pulpit. A sacred space. The preacher’s domain. I am a young, Black, Christian male seminary graduate—a dangerous thing to say these days. The evolution of the African American pastor has caused many […]
Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Proverbs 11:14 Proverbs 11:14 speaks volumes in the context of the black community. It is no secret that African American communities tend to be plagued with poor school systems, poor medical access, high incarceration rates, broken families, and of […]
Every now and then I run across a series of studies that makes me wonder if white progressives are among the most narcissistic cohort of professionals in America. There seems to be this pervasive myth that simply being around white people adds value to the flourishing of blacks in America. This myth often extends to interpreting data […]
In one of my favorite scenes in The Return of the King, Gandalf and Pippin are defending Minas Tirith. The battle rages all around them. In a stolen moment of calm before the next onslaught of the enemy—with the thudding of a monstrous troll breaking down the door in the background—Pippin says, “I didn’t think […]
The University of Alabama usually makes national headlines for winning football championships, but this week’s news brought more humbling attention to the institution. The U of A Greek system has remained a “bastion of segregation” throughout the university’s history until the present day. A story broke in the campus newspaper, Crimson and White, detailing the denial of an […]
American Christians have a tendency to see their own denomination, local church, association of partner churches, and so on, as “the church.” With this reduction comes a number of blind spots about what the church looks like around the world. [Tweet “American Christians have a tendency to see their own denom, church or network as “the […]
There are two prominent schools of thought within conservative Protestant circles that continue to clash over what Christianity is about because their starting points comprise different biblical theological visions. I use the word “prominent” here because I fully recognize that there are other more nuanced voices in the Christian diaspora. No “binaries” or “false dichotomies” […]
Pastor H.B. Charles Jr. challenges the “office” of Armor Bearer in a recent article. He writes: He picked me up from the airport. We headed straight to the church. I wanted to look over my manuscript once more before I preached. But I took a few minutes to chat with my driver. I asked my […]
Editor’s Note: This is an unofficial addition to a much needed conversation taking place at christenacleveland.com entitled “Black to School: African-American Voices at Christian University”, a 7-part series that aims “to affirm and give voice to the long-silenced stories of black students.” As an alumnus of a Christian University, I thought it might be helpful to […]
Smoke & Mirrors As an avid sports fan, I tend to keep current with the events of the sporting world. From baseball to football, hockey to English Premier League Soccer, I try to catch it all. Even with all of that, my favorite sport is and forever will be basketball. I love the highs and […]
For the past decade or so, there has been a philosophical principle masquerading as the central point of Christianity and the M.O. for God’s blessings, and it has captivated a good number of Christians. This philosophy has infiltrated sermons, books and whole churches and is promoted as normative for the Christian life. Genesis 8:22 has […]
Today, my daughter Amber broke her glasses. It was not something she had intended to experience, or even thought would be possible. It just happened. Immediately, she began to cry and ran to me to comfort her. She did not try to fix her glasses, blame someone, or hide what happened. Amber just ran to […]
My father once shared a quote with me: “Some start early and finish late, and others start late and finish early.” This quote essentially embodies development, growth, success, and many other aspects of life. It conveys the truth that the sun may shine on some earlier than others, but it will most certainly shine on […]
The opening plenary session of the November 2012 Facing Race conference reveals the danger of seeking racial justice without first seeking God. The opening speaker, Rinku Sen, is the publisher for Colorlines.com, “a daily news site where race matters.” I stumbled across the website and the Facing Race conference they host because I’m interested in what people […]
The Prosperity Call Let me give you some backstory. I grew up in Detroit, Michigan, and even though there is a church on literally every corner, I was not raised as a Christian. Being young, angry and Black allowed me to fully embrace my disdain for the church. God saved me the summer before my […]
by Dr. Anthony Bradley I’m returning to a question I asked last summer but with a slightly different angle. Last summer, I asked what happened to popular Presbyterianism in a world where the Calvinist resurgence is almost entirely Baptist and non-denominational. In the 1980s and 1990s when I was first introduced to Reformed theology three names dominated […]
Since 2002, Jim Ward has been the Director of Music at New City Fellowship, a Reformed, multicultural congregation in Chattanooga Tennessee. Ward is a highly skilled musician with a love for God, a passion for sound theology, and a great respect for the musical expressions of other cultures. Add to that mix the chops to […]
All of Us, Not Just You and Me Dr. Anthony Bradley tackles: What does it mean to be made in the image of God? Who is made in the image of God? Is the image of God fully realized in one human being? INTERESTED IN MORE FROM DR. BRADLEY? WE RECOMMEND: Aliens in the […]
Seven years ago I walked onto the campus at Fuller Theological Seminary completely unaware of what to expect. I’d already gotten some ill-fated advice from others about my decision to attend seminary for my formal theological education. A black pastor who’d earned his Master of Divinity (M. Div.) told me, “I wouldn’t suggest you go […]
