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
Tag: Jesus
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
‘Sound of Freedom’: Smuggling QAnon Conspiracies into Our Churches
by John Ellis What do you get when you cross a QAnon promoting, MAGA actor with a glory hound who uses a very real and devastating issue as a tool for self-promotion? You get Sound of Freedom, the movie currently capturing the hearts of minds of white evangelicals near you. With a production budget just … Continue reading ‘Sound of Freedom’: Smuggling QAnon Conspiracies into Our Churches
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?
Did the Train Switch Problem Go to Sea? Rich Adventure Tourists Versus Poor, Oppressed Migrants
by John Ellis The train switch problem (or Trolley Problem) is a well-known ethics thought experiment created by the philosopher Philippa Foot. The problem operates as an exploration of the Doctrine of Double Effect and was formulated as part of the abortion debate of the late 1960s. Since then, it’s been largely reduced to a … Continue reading Did the Train Switch Problem Go to Sea? Rich Adventure Tourists Versus Poor, Oppressed Migrants
‘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
Ron DeSantis: Christian Nationalism’s Desired Prince for Their Faux New Jerusalem?
by John Ellis Are you familiar with The Turner Diaries by William Luther Pierce? For those old enough to remember the Oklahoma City bombing, muted memory bells may be sounding in your head. The book was published in 1978 and quickly became the bible for the growing white nationalist movement, including serving as inspiration (and … Continue reading Ron DeSantis: Christian Nationalism’s Desired Prince for Their Faux New Jerusalem?
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
Practically Known Theology 