Consumerism’s Vise Grip on White Evangelicalism (and All Americans)

by John Ellis Over the last two months I’ve been working on a larger project – a series of six articles – that delves into the question, “is white evangelicalism a false religion?”. I’m coming to the end of the research phase and have already done quite a bit of writing on the first three … Continue reading Consumerism’s Vise Grip on White Evangelicalism (and All Americans)

MAGA Silence in the Face of Donald Trump’s Threatened War Crimes Equals Complicity

by John Ellis President Donald Trump is petulantly (and wickedly) threatening that “a whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran doesn’t capitulate to his demands.[1] Openly declaring war crimes as part of his strategy reeks of Trump’s narcissism and childish incompetence. To be fair, if “fair” is the right word here, Donald Trump isn’t (won’t … Continue reading MAGA Silence in the Face of Donald Trump’s Threatened War Crimes Equals Complicity

Christians Should Do More than Pray for Peace; Christians Should Also Denounce Trump’s War in Iran

by John Ellis One of history’s ironies sits in the United Nations’ art garden at their New York City headquarters. Titled Let Us Beat Swords into Ploughshares, the Soviet Union gifted the U.N. the sculpture referencing Isaiah 2:4 by famed Soviet sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich on December 4, 1959. Obviously, the Soviet Union had zero intention … Continue reading Christians Should Do More than Pray for Peace; Christians Should Also Denounce Trump’s War in Iran

Donald Trump, ICE, and the Muzzling of the Church’s Prophetic Voice

by John Ellis It’s rare that a conversation with an Uber passenger catches me by surprise. One such conversation happened on a Sunday morning several months ago while giving a ride to a man on his way to church. Per my usual with any Uber passenger on the way to church, I asked questions about … Continue reading Donald Trump, ICE, and the Muzzling of the Church’s Prophetic Voice

The Petty Meanness of the Trump Administration Is a Sinister Warning to Christians (fonts are the new front in MAGA’s War on Wokeness)

by John Ellis Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered the State Department to revert to the Times New Roman font in all official documents. His order reverses one his predecessor, Secretary Antony Blinken, made in 2023 requiring all official State Department documents be typed using the Calibri font. Secretary Rubio’s reason, as explained in … Continue reading The Petty Meanness of the Trump Administration Is a Sinister Warning to Christians (fonts are the new front in MAGA’s War on Wokeness)

Knowledge Is Not Neutral: or, How ‘Data Over Dogma’ Is Idolatrous

by John Ellis I’m currently reading – working through – Frederic Jameson’s A Singular Modernity. Jameson is probably best known as a Marxist literary critic, but his work crosses multiple avenues, notably political theory and cultural/societal criticism. I’ve been exposed to Jameson via various books by other authors, articles, and lectures[1], but A Singular Modernity … Continue reading Knowledge Is Not Neutral: or, How ‘Data Over Dogma’ Is Idolatrous

The Syncretism of American Mythologies and White Evangelicalism

by John Ellis Several years ago, while living in Arlington, VA, a church member approached me with a concern about my use of the title king for Jesus. It wasn’t so much the title as my near constant use of it. Whenever I prayed publicly, preached, taught Sunday school, etc., I made it a point … Continue reading The Syncretism of American Mythologies and White Evangelicalism

Constantine’s Christendom and Transhumanism Are on a Collision Course. I Don’t Think the Church Is Ready.

by John Ellis Prompted by a conversation about transhumanism with a friend yesterday, I revisited some of the books in my library by the likes of Nick Bostrom and William MacAskill. As I was rereading this morning, it hit me that the transhumanist/longtermist[1] agenda eerily parallels an anthropocentric reading of the Biblical creation story. In … Continue reading Constantine’s Christendom and Transhumanism Are on a Collision Course. I Don’t Think the Church Is Ready.

Our Gods Are Alive, and We Should Kill Them

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

Palestine and Israel, Introduction: Justice Is Rarely a Two-Way Street

by John Ellis On April 29, 1956, Ro’i Rotberg, regional commander of the security forces for the kibbutz Nahal Oz, was killed in a planned ambush. On horseback, Rotberg attempted to chase off a group of Palestinians from Gaza who were reaping wheat from the kibbutz’s field. He was shot by hidden assailants and then … Continue reading Palestine and Israel, Introduction: Justice Is Rarely a Two-Way Street