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 […]
After five days away from family and a 10 hours of airplanes, layovers, and delays, I’m finally back from the TGC Conference ’13 in Orlando. I could not have predicted the grace God would show us through RAAN and the blessings with which He would shower us. I’d like to share a recap of the event […]
In a previous article I talked about some lessons I’ve learned during my short tenure of being a white church planter in an all black ‘hood. My wife and I are taking this thing one day at a time, taking each learning experience as it comes. There have been many glorious days, like when a […]
Art is the arrangement of material, concepts, or ideas with the intention of objectifying beauty. Even when we see something artistic as ugly, the one who created the art saw significance in that thing which they have arranged. Art is the projection of beauty from inside the mind of the artist and is never neutral. […]
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 […]
Old Discussion, New Faces There is no way to introduce this blog without sounding a bit monotonous- it is a blog about “Christian Rap”, “Rappers that happen to be Christians” and various positions on “engaging culture”. We’ve heard all of those phrases before and to some ears it’s lost its freshness. Nonetheless, the discussion still […]
I am excited to share with the RAANetwork family the release of #Bricks by my friend and brother, D-FLow. I met the Nigerian born producer back in 2007 and we have continued to build ever since. He has worked with Lecrae, Flame, Trip Lee, Thisl, Andy Mineo, KB, and Alex Faith just to name a […]
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 […]
by Jemar Tisby Since the inception of RAAN, we have seen God use this ministry to encourage all kinds of people. Many supporters are grateful for a site that offers trustworthy, biblical teaching. Others have enjoyed reading content from new voices, and still others simply appreciate having a place on the web to dialogue and […]
Five Lessons from the Field by Rev. Scott Moore I am a white guy planting a PCA church in an all-Black, impoverished neighborhood. I understand this is not a novel effort. Many people from many denominations are reaching across cultural and racial lines to advance the Kingdom of God. And I’m not a veteran. I’m […]
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 […]
Last night at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards Lecrae Moore won “Best Gospel Album” for “Gravity” released on September 4, 2012. While many other artists earned awards last night, Lecrae’s win is a departure from the norm. Few other Christian Hip Hop (CHH) artists have been honored with a Grammy, and never has such an artist gained […]
RAAN had the opportunity to interview Rev. H.B. Charles, Jr., pastor of Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL. Pastor Charles shares his thoughts on Black preaching, Reformed teaching, and transformation in the African American church. What does H.B. stand for? H.B. stands for absolutely nothing. The initials are my name. It’s a long story. […]
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 […]
