“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?
Tag: Bible
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
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
Why I Write About/To White Evangelicals
by John Ellis I almost titled this article “You’re so Vain, You Think this Article Is about You,” but decided against it. I don’t mind being provocative if it serves my thesis, but I’ve been writing long enough to know that tongue-in-cheek titles rarely land the way I intend. At best, they come across as … Continue reading Why I Write About/To White Evangelicals
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
Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?
by John Ellis July 4th is upon us. For many Americans, it’s a High Holy Day complete with a baptism of cheap beer, communion with hotdogs, and a doxology of fireworks as they celebrate the founding of what they believe is the greatest nation on earth. There is a large subset within those celebrants who … Continue reading Was America Founded as a Christian Nation?
Eschatological Ecclesiology: Christ’s Bride
by John Ellis (This the manuscript for the Equipping Hour - Sunday school - class I taught this morning. Normally, before posting these manuscripts here on this blog, I rewrite it a little bit. Not this time.) Good morning. Welcome to the last class in our series on Ecclesiology. Normally, during our series on topics … Continue reading Eschatological Ecclesiology: Christ’s Bride
Ecclesiology: Polity, Church Offices, and Church and State
by John Ellis (This is the slightly edited manuscript for the Equipping Hour – Sunday school – class I taught last week. It was written with the intention of being spoken and heard. Also, as I told the class last Sunday, I didn’t say everything that could be said about these topics. I was strategic … Continue reading Ecclesiology: Polity, Church Offices, and Church and State
Psalms: The Script for Our Journey of Faith
by John Ellis This is the slightly edited manuscript for an Equipping Hour (Sunday school) class I taught a few weeks ago. I edited it to make it a little easier to read. For those who attended the Church History class this past fall, you’ll remember that at the beginning of each class, we went … Continue reading Psalms: The Script for Our Journey of Faith
Practically Known Theology 