“They trample on the heads of the poor as on the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed.” Amos 2:7 by John Ellis The elegance and dignity with which she entered my car stood in stark contrast to our surroundings. The difference was so pronounced, I found it jarring, unexpected.[1] The way … Continue reading Are You Allying with America’s Cows of Bashan?
Category: Current Events
More on Tim Ballard, Operation Underground Railroad, and ‘Sound of Freedom’
by John Ellis Sex trafficking is a serious issue. An issue that followers of Jesus should mourn while seeking justice for the victims. Unfortunately, it's an issue that is wildly misunderstood and that has been co-opted by self-serving, glory-seeking individuals and organizations. This past summer, the surprise hit movie Sound of Freedom propelled one such … Continue reading More on Tim Ballard, Operation Underground Railroad, and ‘Sound of Freedom’
A Post-Evangelical Journey of Faith, Doubt, and Shalom
by John Ellis Almost exactly four years ago, I shuttered my previous blog A Day in His Court. Over the upcoming weeks and months, I’m planning on writing more about what led me to transition away from my previous blog and start Practically Known Theology. For now, I simply want to note that by the … Continue reading A Post-Evangelical Journey of Faith, Doubt, and Shalom
Pastoring in the Trump Era
Trump as the one promised in Genesis 3:15. by John Ellis Not long into 2020, I observed to a friend that COVID, Trump, BLM, CRT, etc. haven't created divisions among us; they've revealed the divisions that were already there. Two summers earlier, I had begun to become aware of the deep divisions within our churches … Continue reading Pastoring in the Trump Era
A Modern-Day Parable
by John Ellis Interestingly, when his disciples asked Jesus why he often spoke in parables he replied, “The secret of the Kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that they may ever be seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never … Continue reading A Modern-Day Parable
Kingdom Ethics: Escaping the Trap of Poverty
by John Ellis (Note: While combing through old files in search of something else, I stumbled across this article. I remember writing it but don’t remember if I ever published it. It was written right around the time I deleted my previous blog A Day In His Court and about two months before starting this … Continue reading Kingdom Ethics: Escaping the Trap of Poverty
The Republican Party Is Neither Pro-Life Nor Pro-Family
by John Ellis In 1954, the CIA initiated and supported a coup to remove Jacobo Arbenz from the office of President of Guatemala, an office to which he had been democratically elected in 1951. President Arbenz’s crime? He was in the process of nationalizing large tracts of rich farmland. Here’s the backstory: Going all the … Continue reading The Republican Party Is Neither Pro-Life Nor Pro-Family
Florida: “There’s No Such Thing as Structural Racism!” Also Florida: Codifies Structural Racism
by John Ellis One of the sleights-of-hand utilized by the anti-CRT crowd involves crowing that racism is no longer codified in America. They point to the Civil Rights Acts and SCOTUS decisions of the mid-twentieth century (even while attempting to reverse those Acts and decisions) and huff, “See, racism is now illegal in this country. … Continue reading Florida: “There’s No Such Thing as Structural Racism!” Also Florida: Codifies Structural Racism
John Fea Takes on Jack Hibbs Claim that George Washington Would be Included in the Bible if It Were Written Today
by John Ellis John Fea is an evangelical historian who is professor of history and chair of the history department at Messiah University in Pennsylvania. As an evangelical scholar, he takes flak from both his right and his left. I don't agree with everything he says (which is true of every historian I read) but … Continue reading John Fea Takes on Jack Hibbs Claim that George Washington Would be Included in the Bible if It Were Written Today
‘Sound of Freedom’: Smuggling QAnon Conspiracies into Our Churches
by John Ellis What do you get when you cross a QAnon promoting, MAGA actor with a glory hound who uses a very real and devastating issue as a tool for self-promotion? You get Sound of Freedom, the movie currently capturing the hearts of minds of white evangelicals near you. With a production budget just … Continue reading ‘Sound of Freedom’: Smuggling QAnon Conspiracies into Our Churches
Practically Known Theology 