by John Ellis (As a head’s up: The footnotes in this article are important. You don’t want to skip them.) When 17 Kids and Counting – eventually 18 Kids and then 19 Kids and Counting – first began airing on TLC in 2008, it quickly became a hit in white evangelical circles. It was embraced … Continue reading ‘Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets’ Exposes the Darkness of Christian Fundamentalism (and Provides a Warning to All White Evangelicals)
Category: Fundamentalism
The Coup at Bob Jones University Isn’t Over
by John Ellis “The current direction is not sustainable. I am walking down a dark road with no light ahead. The future of BJU requires the Chairman and the President to work together. It is not happening now, and I can’t see it happening in the future.” BJU President and CEO Steve Pettit in a … Continue reading The Coup at Bob Jones University Isn’t Over
Up Next at Bob Jones University: Casting Crowns Playing the FMA Stage?
by John Ellis (edit 3/30/23: This article appears to be short-lived wishful thinking, I guess. With Pettit's "forced" resignation by the duplicitous board, it seems clear that Bob Jones III and his cronies have figured out how to circumvent Pettit and bite down on that poison pill after all. Who knows, maybe a powerful alumni … Continue reading Up Next at Bob Jones University: Casting Crowns Playing the FMA Stage?
The (Possible) Slow, Strange Suicide of Bob Jones University
by John Ellis (Edit on 3/30/23: Me: "Why are so many people clicking on a months old article that is really no longer relevant?" Friends later text me about the news that Steve Pettit has resigned as president of BJU, stating that he can no longer serve as long as John Lewis remains chairman of … Continue reading The (Possible) Slow, Strange Suicide of Bob Jones University
Claiming Rock Music is the Devil’s Music Is, In Fact, a Devilish Claim
by John Ellis My pastor, while quoting a Nirvana lyric during a sermon, accidentally got the number of years that have passed since the song’s release wrong, and then looked at me in way that even my non-Nirvana fan wife picked up on. After the service, he made a beeline to me – well, as … Continue reading Claiming Rock Music is the Devil’s Music Is, In Fact, a Devilish Claim
Conspiracy Theories Are Part of the DNA of Evangelicalism
by John Ellis I’ve stopped being surprised when new acquaintances[1] steel their gaze, purse their lips, and then begin their forthcoming monologue with, “Did you know ….?” Those monologues have “taught” me all kinds of things about Dr. Fauci, the Clintons, sex trafficking of children, the global elite and their place in the “swamp,” CRT, … Continue reading Conspiracy Theories Are Part of the DNA of Evangelicalism
Rules Do Not a Good Boy Make: My Year as a Sixth-Grade Terrorist
by John Ellis Spelling is not a forte of mine. As a writer, red squiggly lines are my friend. Words like “Wednesday,” “indubitably,” and “cornucopia” are beyond my ability to remember how to spell correctly. One word I’ll never misspell, though, is obedience. The spelling of that word was drilled into me via multiple performances … Continue reading Rules Do Not a Good Boy Make: My Year as a Sixth-Grade Terrorist
A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 18 “Saved by Grace”
(The previous chapters can be found by clicking on A Godless Fundamentalist under Topics on the right hand side of this page. To receive email notifications whenever subsequent chapters are published, hit the follow button.) by John Ellis Minus a rudely interrupted nap under a tree at a rest area in Nebraska, a couple hours … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 18 “Saved by Grace”
A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 17 “California”
(The previous chapters can be found by clicking on A Godless Fundamentalist under Topics on the right hand side of this page. To receive email notifications whenever subsequent chapters are published, hit the follow button.) by John Ellis It didn’t take long for my reason for moving to San Francisco to morph into my theatre … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 17 “California”
A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 16 “The Pigsty Part 2”
(The previous chapters can be found by clicking on A Godless Fundamentalist under Topics on the right hand side of this page. To receive email notifications whenever subsequent chapters are published, hit the follow button.) by John Ellis The apartment was unusually dark and quiet when I opened the door. No low hum from the … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 16 “The Pigsty Part 2”
Practically Known Theology 