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
Category: Theology
Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
by John Ellis Michael Emerson and Christian Smith’s book Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America is one of the seminal books in the conversation about race and evangelicalism in this country. Published in 2000, some would argue that the two sociologists’ book is the genesis for the current iteration … Continue reading Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America
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
Can God Create a Rock too Big for Him to Lift?
by John Ellis There’s only been one time in my life when I’ve been legitimately asked “how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?”. By legitimately, I mean it wasn’t asked by a buddy goofing around. The question was condescendingly posed to me by a smirking college kid who overheard me and … Continue reading Can God Create a Rock too Big for Him to Lift?
Sunday Morning is the Most Segregated Hour in America for a Reason, but Probably Not for the Reason You Think
by John Ellis Much is made of Sunday morning containing the most segregated hour in American culture. The handwringing isn’t necessarily based on a falsity. It’s true that church services, by and large, are segregated. Ironically, many of the white evangelicals lamenting this state of affairs fail to understand the reason for the segregation in … Continue reading Sunday Morning is the Most Segregated Hour in America for a Reason, but Probably Not for the Reason You Think
Kingdom Ethics: The American Dream versus God’s Definition of Flourishing
by John Ellis When we think of idols, our first thoughts likely go to examples like Dagon in his temple as described in 1 Samuel 5, the golden calf Aaron made for the impatient and rebellious Israelites while Moses was on the mountain meeting with God, or the altar to Baal that Gideon destroyed in … Continue reading Kingdom Ethics: The American Dream versus God’s Definition of Flourishing
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
Biblical Critical Theory: The Enlightenment Tempts Us to Eat from The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
by John Ellis “Therefore, no doubt, the sovereignty of man lieth hid in knowledge.” Francis Bacon[1] The masterful book The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by anthropologist David Graeber and comparative archaeologist David Wengrow challenges the prevailing Western story about human progress. The first chapter, “Farewell to Humanity’s Childhood,” wonders, “why the … Continue reading Biblical Critical Theory: The Enlightenment Tempts Us to Eat from The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil
‘Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets’ Exposes the Darkness of Christian Fundamentalism (and Provides a Warning to All White Evangelicals)
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)
Critical Race Theory and Christianity Are Not at Odds
by John Ellis As I’ve continued to study Critical Race Theory (CRT), my appreciation and respect for the complex system of theories has deepened. As a Christian who believes in the Fall and the subsequent Curse, I understand that relationships between humans are now a gross perversion of God’s original design. Sin is malignant, and … Continue reading Critical Race Theory and Christianity Are Not at Odds
Practically Known Theology 