This is part 11 of the Early Church History class. Have you heard of the Roman emperor Constantine? He had a massive impact on Christianity. Not only did he end the brutal persecutions of his predecessors, but he also used the Roman government to actively support the Church. However, his involvement also resulted in significant Read more about 493 Early Church History 11: The Constantinian Shift[…]
Although many throughout the Western world are quick to criticize Christianity, Jesus remains well-liked. In fact, one of the most obvious answers to the question, “Why Christianity?” is “Jesus.” To this day, reading the Gospels draws the reader to Jesus’ magnetic and compelling way of life. What’s more, the less satisfied we are with our Read more about 402 Why Christianity 15: Jesus the Revolutionary (Daniel Fitzsimmons)[…]
Last Saturday while I was attending a Christian festival in Ohio, a 21 year-old man entered a Walmart in El Paso, TX and murdered 22 people, injuring 24 more, making it the 7th deadliest shooting in modern US history. What’s so crazy about this, is that walking into a huge store like Walmart and shooting Read more about Interview 54 Beating Guns (Shane Claiborne and Mike Martin)[…]
Finally, we arrive at practical theology or Christian ethics. Although, we could easily spend fifteen lectures together building up a full edifice of how God wants us to live, in this episode we’ll simply lay the foundation stones of following Jesus. What I mean by follow is to read his words and do them, especially Read more about Theology 20 — Follow Jesus[…]
Countless hospitals across the nation bear the name “Good Samaritan,” all a tribute to Jesus’ masterful parable about the injured traveler. So ubiquitous is this story that it has become a cliché to call someone who helps another “a good Samaritan.” Yet, as with so many sayings of Jesus, the more popular it became, the Read more about Good Samaritan[…]
Outside of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12 is the most direct teaching on how we as Christians should treat our enemies. Romans 12.14-21 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony Read more about Paul’s Teaching on Enemies[…]
This is our second answer in our series on responding to your questions and comments. In Off Script 38: Killing in War: A Christian View of Violence, we discussed whether it is appropriate for Christians to participate in war, concluding that Jesus’ command to love our enemies means that Christians should not kill others. Read more about Off Script 43: Can Christians Use Non-Lethal Violence? (Q&A)[…]
Welcome to our series answering your questions and responding to some of your comments. We’ve been saving these up and over the next few weeks, we’ll address a number of them. We’ve decided to do these in individual episodes, so if you’re not interested in the topic, you can just skip it and listen to Read more about Off Script 42: Hillary Clinton, a Dead Moose, and Christians Discussing Politics (Q&A)[…]
How do you deal with difficult people? Jesus teaches us that there’s nothing noteworthy about showing love to those who love us. Rather, he says we are to be like God who sends rain on the just and the wicked. He calls us to love annoying people, boring people, monopolizing people, vengeful people, shallow people, Read more about 131 Love without Limits (Victor Gluckin)[…]
On January 5-7, seventy-five of us gathered to spend a weekend focused on the theme “Glorious Love.” We sang, we cried, we laughed, we played hungry hungry hippos, we played floor hockey, we had a panel discussion, we warmed ourselves by a fire, we renewed old friendships and made new friends, and we heard Read more about Revive 2018 Sermons[…]
Is war ever justified? If so, can Christians participate in killing? In this episode we delve into a sensitive and controversial subject to figure out what the bible has to teach us about how we should treat our enemies. Our aim here is not be provocative, but faithful to what our lord taught us. Here Read more about Off Script 38: Killing in War: A Christian View of Violence[…]
On January 27, 2017, President Trump issued Executive Order 13769, called “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” in which he banned immigration from seven countries, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. This unpopular order caused much controversy throughout the US and led to significant litigation, delaying it’s Read more about Off Script 28: Seeking a Christian View on Refugees and Immigrants[…]
Martin Luther King Jr. day is on Monday, so I thought this would be a good time to replay a phenomenal debate on the question of whether or not Christians should use violence or participate in the military. Peter Kreeft and J. Daryl Charles defend the classic just war position while David Bercot and Dean Read more about Podcast 67: It’s Just War (Debate)[…]
Here’s the original paper in pdf form. I presented this talk at the 18th Theological Conference held near Atlanta, GA. In it I present a case for the radical practice of loving our enemies. Whether you believe Christians can and should use violence to defend themselves or others or if you think more along the Read more about Podcast 15: A Theology of Nonviolence (Sean Finnegan)[…]