Cooling Twilight

Category: Theology

  • Strachan & Fischer’s Big Gay Slip’N Slide

    Strachan & Fischer’s Big Gay Slip’N Slide

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    One of the canards of the anti-LGBT industry is the tired argument that accepting LGBT equality will lead us down the slippery slope of moral corruption. Capitulate when it comes to gay marriage and just around the corner we’ll be facing, in words from the film Ghostbusters, “a disaster of biblical proportions … real wrath of God type stuff … Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! … Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes … The dead rising from the grave! … Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together … mass hysteria!” (more…)

  • Al Mohler, Joshua 6 and Inerrancy

    jericho-mohler

    The hallmark of modern Christian fundamentalism is an unwavering adherence to the notion of Biblical inerrancy. In its most extreme forms, belief in the inerrancy of the Bible stifles inquiry, perpetuates ignorance and glorifies dogmatism. Read more …

  • Review: Prostitutes, Virgins and Mothers

    Review: Prostitutes, Virgins and Mothers

    In Prostitutes, Virgins and Mothers: Questioning Teachings About Biblical Women, Dr. Paula Trimble-Familetti sets out to do nothing less than overturn six thousand years of patriarchy, misogyny, and marginalization of women within Judaism and Christianity. Read more …

  • The murder of James Foley, ISIS, and Religions of Peace

    The death of Foley is deplorable. The actions of ISIS are despicable. But atrocities committed by ISIS are no more representative of Muslim belief than the actions of extremist Christians are representative of mainstream Christianity … Continue reading on Patheos.com →

  • Review: Reoriented by Tyler J. Francke

    Review: Reoriented by Tyler J. Francke

    reoriented

    Tyler Francke’s new novel “Reoriented” tackles the most divisive issue facing modern Christianity: homosexuality. Through the fictional story of a gay student at a Christian college, Francke offers an engaging and thought-provoking exploration of “faith, scripture and sexual identity.” 

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  • The Truth about the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife

    The Truth about the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife

    gjw

    New Testament scholar Candida Moss discusses the current debate surrounding the so-called “Gospel of Jesus’ Wife” (GJW) in a recent article for The Daily Beast. (more…)

  • Link Round-Up: World Vision, Waco, Noah and Lewis!

    I’ve been blogging more and more over at Patheos. I don’t know if I’ll start blogging exclusively over there and abandon this little corner of the internet, or if I’ll split my writing between the two locations or if I’ll arrive at some other arrangement. But for now, here’s a round up of my recent posts:
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  • My review of “Noah”

    My review of “Noah”

    My review of Darren Aronofsky’s film “Noah” is now up on the Patheos Unfundamentalist Christians blog: “Noah” in a nutshell: Watchers lose, love wins.

  • The best Christian book of the year

    The best Christian book of the year

    stream

    Several years ago, I attended a church discussion group on the topic of women in ministry. The pastor leading the group spent the first forty-five minutes forcefully laying out the “biblical” case for why women aren’t allowed to be pastors.

    After his diatribe, I asked him, “if women can’t be pastors, does that mean God withholds gifts of preaching and teaching from them? Or does he bless them with such gifts and then denies them their full use?” He equivocated and rehashed his talking points.

    To me, the answers are clear: God doesn’t withhold these gifts from women. There are many women who have been blessed with gifts of preaching and teaching and leadership and who have been called by God to use these gifts to their fullest potential serving the Church. Any church that refuses to acknowledge, accept and celebrate the blessings that God is offering through these women is refusing God himself. Sadly, this rejection and exclusion continues to stymie the Kingdom of God in many churches. (more…)

  • Book Giveaway: Andy Stanley’s “How To Be Rich”

    Book Giveaway: Andy Stanley’s “How To Be Rich”

    ‏A few months ago, Andy Stanley tweeted about his new book “How To Be Rich,” and I replied with a snarky response:

    @AndyStanley Jan 13
    Just found out some of you haven’t purchased your copy yet. Join the movement. BeRich http://tinyurl.com/mrtmmo2

    ‏@CoolingTwilight Jan 13
    @AndyStanley I understand how me buying your book makes YOU rich. But how do I become rich? Oh wait, I have to buy the book to find that out

    (more…)