by John Ellis In Rogues, his last book published during his lifetime, Derrida prophesied that his matrix of deconstruction requires of humanity “a certain unconditional renunciation of sovereignty.” It’s an opaque statement delivered by an intentionally opaque man. Demonized by many, atheist and Christian alike, Derrida remains a modern-day Gideon of sorts. The opaqueness of … Continue reading Our Gods Are Alive, and We Should Kill Them
Category: White Evangelicalism
It’s Time for Christians to Actually Meet Critical Race Theory
by John Ellis Critical Race Theory (CRT) is currently one of the hottest of the hot button issues boiling within evangelicalism. I first became acquainted with it in 2017 when a man in our church began warning the elders (and anyone else who would listen) about its presence in some of the seminaries and para-church … Continue reading It’s Time for Christians to Actually Meet Critical Race Theory
Are You Allying with America’s Cows of Bashan?
“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?
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
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
Claiming that Africa Shares Responsibility for the Transatlantic Slave Trade Is Historically Deceptive (Not to Mention Racist)
by John Ellis I met Patrick Buchanan in 1996. He was in Greenville, SC, wooing voters for his bid to become the Republican nominee for the presidential election later that year.[1] A friend and fellow student at Bob Jones University had scored an invitation to a private reception for the paleoconservative stalwart. I tagged along. … Continue reading Claiming that Africa Shares Responsibility for the Transatlantic Slave Trade Is Historically Deceptive (Not to Mention Racist)
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
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
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
Practically Known Theology 