Over at Christ and Pop Culture, Helen Lee has written an exceptional post that highlights the plight of being an ethnic minority during acts of terrorism. She writes: As I write this, the massive hunt to find the remaining suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings, 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, has just ended. When the Tsarnaev brothers’ photos […]
“What were you doing when you found out about the terror attack on Boston?” That question reminds many of us of a similar question asked about 9/11. These moments stay galvanized in our minds and the emotions remain encapsulated in our memory bank for years to come. When I heard of the Boston attack, I […]
Did you know our world is reimaged in thrice texture? God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one, and this is commonly referred to as the Trinity. God created the world, and his nature has set a Trinitarian P A T T E R N over it. The Trinitarian nature […]
by Dr. Carl and Karen Ellis, Regular Contributors Question: What do you get when you cross one theological nerd who spends hours tweaking his keynote lecture presentations with another theological nerd who spent 8 years as a d.j., creating radio commercials? Give up? Answer: You get The Visual Reasoning Series, Episode 1 – Perspectives on […]
Recently, I did something I often regret. I read the comment section of an article on a secular website discussing Christianity. Most Internet savvy Christians have done it and most, like me, usually leave upset, angry, or rueful. If you follow religious blogs or articles at all, you are aware of the type of people […]
It’s hard to tease fact from fantasy when it comes to St. Patrick. So as I was researching the life of Patrick I was astonished to find that he had been a slave. Not only had he been a slave, but he later returned to the land of his captivity to evangelize his enslavers! The […]
Reformed pastor and author, Doug Wilson, wrote a controversial book called Black and Tan. One of Wilson’s major points in the book is that slavery as practiced in the U.S. was not abolished according to biblical standards. As a result, we continue to experience the ongoing effects of that sin. Wilson states, “That our nation did […]
Though the Bible is the revealed word of God, its meaning is found in its application. Apart from this, the Bible does not say much to us. In this case, it is not that the Bible isn’t communicating; it’s just that we can’t hear. Not only does God speak through words in the Bible, he […]
by Phillip Holmes, Co-Founder Yesterday the New York Times released an article in The Opinions Pages entitled “The Good, Racist People” by Ta-Nehisi Coates that I thought was insightful and telling. Here is the opening paragraph: Last month the actor Forest Whitaker was stopped in a Manhattan delicatessen by an employee. Whitaker is one of […]
By Trillia Newbell My editors are constantly encouraging me to develop a catchy introduction that captures readers’ attention to encourage further reading. When I was thinking about writing about why writing on race and ethnicity can be difficult I literally thought I’d just skip the introduction and get to the facts. Why? Because writing about […]
This is Part 2 of a two-part series by Karen Ellis. Read the first part here. Women of Color and Discipleship In light of the Black woman’s unique history and our culture’s demeaning preconceptions, a key element to discipling women of color must include a plan that integrates the full person, both body and spirit. […]
This article is Part 2 of a two-part series from Dr. Ellis. Read the first article here. Life in the North was distinctly different for African Americans. The issue was not suffering but marginalization. Thus, a theology of empowerment drove the church in the North. To nullify the effects of marginalization a theology of empowerment […]
Editor’s Note: This is Part One of a two-part series by Karen Ellis. Stayed tuned for Part Two, “Women of Color and Discipleship.” Don’t tell my husband’s mom, but I bought her one of those giant boxed hearts full of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. I really can’t think of anyone who enjoys chocolates more than […]
by Dr. Carl F. Ellis, Jr. In the antebellum South, oppression of Black folks was the order of the day. But when a people are subjected to such oppression, they are driven inward, to the depths of the very humanity the oppression is trying to negate. Any cultural expressions that emerge from such suffering will […]
by Karen Ellis, Main Contributors In an address to Covenant College students in Honor of Martin Luther King Day 2013, RAAN contributor Karen Angela Ellis discusses: 1. Human rights, which finds its theological underpinnings rooted in the image of God, as the basis for Civil rights. 2. The relationship between the “suppression of truth in […]
by Jemar Tisby, Co-Founder The tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut this past week reminds us of our helplessness. We wonder what we could possibly do to comfort those most severely affected by this incomprehensible trauma. What words, what gestures could bring light to the darkness? I wonder what I would do to serve the afflicted. […]
by Reddit Andrews God’s gospel is a sacred trust. We do not stand, like Paul, at the turning point of redemptive history; yet, we can all echo the deep joy that welled up within him when considering that he had been, “approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel” (1Thess. 2:4). With this entrustment […]
The word “Reformed” means different things to different people. So it’s reasonable to ask, “What does it mean to be Reformed?” The term “reformed” itself means “to shape again”. So at its simplest, to be Reformed means to be forming the Church into the image Christ teaches in the Bible. Basic Christian Beliefs All Christians, […]
by Scott Moore, Main Contributor When we look into the eyes of other individuals, we are supposed to see fellow image bearers. Like us, they are created in the image of God, with knowledge, righteousness, and holiness. We are supposed to see people with intrinsic dignity, liberty, and worth sown into the very fabric of […]
By Trillia Newbell, Main Contributor I remember when I first heard Barack Obama had won the presidency of the United States. I was thrilled. The first Black President of the United States. I thought about how proud my father would have been if he were alive. I thought about the men and women who fought […]
