Evangelical discomfort with uncertainty has become clearer to me in the few months that Covid-19 has ravaged the planet. For a community of people that are supposed to be "set apart" from the world -- that is, to exercise discernment and caution in all things -- it is evangelical Christians that are the most likely… Continue reading Coronavirus and evangelical fear of uncertainty
Tag: bible study
Faith and intellectual curiosity
Growing up Jewish, you can imagine the many hurdles I had to jump through in order to grow comfortable enough with the Christian faith to start considering myself one (see my memoir). Contending with Jesus being more than just a prophet was one thing; contending with certain Christian subcultures was something else altogether. In my… Continue reading Faith and intellectual curiosity
The way we talk about Pharisees, and why it matters
With the Lenten season coming up, it's time to discuss something that's been on my mind for a while: Pharisees. Odd, I know -- that's not something that normal people think about, except perhaps how not to be one of them: those hostile, unbending, legalistic Jews of the 1st century. The ones who scolded Jesus… Continue reading The way we talk about Pharisees, and why it matters
For the Christian whose testimony is “different”
There are a lot of articles out there for Christians whose testimonies are too "bland." For the person who grew up in a Christian home and answered an altar call at the age of four, who can't remember a time in their lives when they weren't Christian, they often wonder: how can I make an… Continue reading For the Christian whose testimony is “different”
Potiphar’s wife and #MeToo
After my Episcopal church service I went to my husband’s evangelical church to wait for him in the cafe like I usually do. When I stepped out to use the restroom, I heard the sermon topic introduced. It was about Potiphar’s wife. The one who falsely accused Joseph of rape. THIS weekend of all weekends.… Continue reading Potiphar’s wife and #MeToo
Is Jesus found in the Old Testament?
I remember sitting in Bible studies in which the Hebrew Scriptures were studied – usually the prophets. Without fail, someone would mention where they could find Jesus in those verses, but especially in Isaiah 53. That passage in particular was just so “obvious” that Jesus’ life was planned from the beginning of creation. This is… Continue reading Is Jesus found in the Old Testament?
How Some Christians Mistake Honoring Jewish Culture With Appropriating It
This week I had an article published on Sojourners: When I was studying biblical counseling at a conservative Baptist seminary five years ago, a student invited me to a Passover Seder on campus. I was reluctant to respond because the student was a Messianic Judaism major and the Seder was being hosted by his department.… Continue reading How Some Christians Mistake Honoring Jewish Culture With Appropriating It