“What began as a quiet rebellion of mourners soon grew into a movement that inspired collective, ‘embodied’ noncompliance with the status quo,” said Robin Meyers, author of Spiritual Defiance and CBF Podcast guest. He added, “Vertical and hierarchical religion was ‘flattened’ by a horizontal and democratic egalitarianism: woman speak and lead, half-breeds finding a place at the table…Tribalism was trumped by joy.” Read more
By Terrell Carter The author of John 3:1-21 records a conversation that occurred between Jesus and Nicodemus. Nicodemus visited Jesus at night when he hoped no one would see what he was doing. He did this because the religious sect that he belonged to, the Pharisees, was regularly at odds with Jesus and his interpretations of their holy texts. In practice, the Pharisees considered themselves morally and spiritually superior to most other people. They prided themselves on being spiritually and... Read more
So how do we bring about social, political and theological transformation in a healthy way? How do we maintain the passion of our cause without mistreating those that have opposing views? We sat down with Daniel José Camacho to discuss the art of transformational. Camacho is a writer for The Guardian, with his work appearing in Christian Century, Religion Dispatches, Sojourners, Duke Magazine, ABC Religion & Ethics, TIME, The Washington Post and the New York Times. Read more
In Bri McKoy’s book, “Come and Eat: A Celebration of Love and Grace Around the Everyday Table,” the author provides the theological framework of the transforming power of sharing a meal with others. It provides beautiful receipts to share with others and conversation starters to share life. We sat down with the author to discuss her book and beginning the art of cooking with zero experience. Read more
God is neither male nor female, of course. God is not confined by sex, gender, or any physical attributes. We use these descriptions because they are things we know. We use sex, gender, and other physical attributes and relationships as analogies to help us understand and relate to God. Read more
Evidence of congregations ratcheting up the political rhetoric is not just anecdotal. Polling shows that 14% of church attendees report being encouraged to vote for or against a specific candidate during the 2016 election, while a Wall Street Journal headline earlier this month declared that “Anti-Trump activism is reviving protestant churches.” Read more
We sat down with the New York Times bestselling author, Rachel Held Evans, to discuss writing in this tumultuous era of religion and her upcoming book, “Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water, and Loving the Bible Again.” For a snapshot of the book, as well as Rachel’s vision for it, be sure to check out this episode. Read more
This is not the first time a generation of clergy, nor will we certainly be the last, have faced the challenge of navigating a difficult climate of politics with convey the way of Jesus from the pulpit. Read more
The way forward is to root the long-term advocacy priorities of our congregations and of CBF in the mission work of the local church and that of our field personnel. Rather than taking our cues from cable news commentators, let’s move closer to our neighbors. Rather than aligning our priorities with the current president, or any president, let’s consider how the voices of those within the church might better the lives of those whom we encounter in our missions and ministry. A congregation oriented outward and engaged in the community will find no shortage of issues to be addressed or needed changes to systems that would make their city or town a more just place for all. Read more
The podcast creates a new community for youth ministers that allows them to exchange their stories—the stories are the key. It’s not just an academic or theoretical look at youth ministry. It’s real ministers talking about real joys and challenges. In a world that is inundated with visual messages, the podcast transports us back to a time of oral history. Somehow in the telling and hearing of stories, they interweave with our own. They provide new hope, support, encouragement, and fellowship. Read more
Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
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