by John Ellis I speak from experience. As a pastor, I elevated unity above honesty, courage, and integrity. Because therein lies the path of least resistance with a biblically seeming justification, to boot. For a brief time, I was a pastor in a reformed Southern Baptist affiliated church. And I’ve observed in other pastors what … Continue reading The Idol of Unity Is Undermining the Evangelical Witness
Systemic Racism Is a Millstone Around Our Collective Necks
by John Ellis Many white evangelicals in America approach systemic racism with the perspective of innocent until proven guilty. For them, 21st century America cannot be condemned a priori without evidence that systemic racism is codified in the here and now. For the record, I believe that that evidence exists; many others have written eloquent … Continue reading Systemic Racism Is a Millstone Around Our Collective Necks
The Anti-Gospel of ‘The Matrix’
by John Ellis In the spring of 1999, while sitting in Greenville, SC’s now extinct Haywood Road Cinemas, I contemplated the meaning of the red pill and the blue pill. In the weeks and months to follow, The Matrix’s philosophical puzzles posed interesting avenues that my burgeoning atheism was happy to travail. Vague and sophomoric … Continue reading The Anti-Gospel of ‘The Matrix’
With Your Vote, Are You Worshipping Religious Liberty or Are You Worshipping Jesus?
by John Ellis “There remains a fundamental tension in Christianity. Flourishing is good, nevertheless seeking it is not our ultimate goal.” Charles Taylor[1] Voting can be a sticky wicket for Christians. Rarely, at least on the national stage, are we presented with options that align comfortably with a conscience informed by the Holy Spirit, God’s … Continue reading With Your Vote, Are You Worshipping Religious Liberty or Are You Worshipping Jesus?
A Concise (short) and Cogent Reason for Not Voting for Donald Trump
by John Ellis A little over a month ago, a good friend posed a scenario to me: “If a family member or friend asks why you won’t be voting for Trump, how will you succinctly answer them?” Oddly enough, I had begun thinking about that very scenario a few weeks before our conversation and had … Continue reading A Concise (short) and Cogent Reason for Not Voting for Donald Trump
As In Heaven: A New Podcast on Christian Conversations on Race and Justice
by John Ellis Not only are race and justice topics that are intertwined, they're topics that are on the forefront of many conversations happening online, in person, and in our local churches. Questions about racism, social justice, Black Lives Matter, and how Christians are to respond to these discussions and, more importantly, how we can … Continue reading As In Heaven: A New Podcast on Christian Conversations on Race and Justice
Fifteen Years
by John Ellis (for my bride, my love) Fifteen years is a life; a short life Of hurts and hopes, of longings and loving. Our age is older than it is young; yet, Our age is only now seasoning into understanding. Fifteen years is not an eternity Even if our life is grappling with bottomlessness. … Continue reading Fifteen Years
A Tribute to My Mom
My mom with her her precious grandkids a few weeks before she met Jesus face-to-face. by John Ellis Years before the most recent financial crisis turned “staycation” into a buzzword, my mom was planning our family’s staycations. As a Christian schoolteacher married to an independent, fundamentalist Baptist pastor, she turned resourcefulness into a finely honed … Continue reading A Tribute to My Mom
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
Hydroxychloroquine, Gish Gallops, and Ignoring Thesis Statements
by John Ellis I understand that online comment sections often devolve into a form of the Gish gallop, but my cognitive acceptance doesn’t necessarily require my existential acceptance. In fact, my irritation over this phenomenon is one of the variables that drove me from Facebook and will likely drive me from Twitter once this pandemic … Continue reading Hydroxychloroquine, Gish Gallops, and Ignoring Thesis Statements
Practically Known Theology 