"Whatever the temptations may be for the dominant nation at any point in world history to identify its mission with the mission of God, such temptations must be resisted at all costs; God's providential dealings with people (the Church, not any particular nation) are too mysterious to be reducible to simplistic nationalism; and the gospel … Continue reading Quote of Note #35: Nationalism and the Mission of God in the World
"Fear was a profound motivator for evangelicals. We carried a vestigial memory of being the little ramshackle clapboard church from across the tracks whose congregation couldn't pay its minister. We collectively carried a chip on our shoulders for being marginalized. Fear and revenge were far from the teachings of Christ, but we had practiced them … Continue reading Quote of Note #33: Evangelical Fear
"Something had gone terribly wrong with American evangelicalism, or, perhaps, I thought, it had always been wrong and I was simply seeing the problem only now. Over the forty-three years I had been a Christian, the orientation of American evangelicals had shifted from what many theologians call the ultimate to the penultimate. We had descended … Continue reading Quote of Note #30: American Evangelicalism and Tribal Deities
"As people whose prophetic paradigm is shaped by the radical hope of the gospel, they would reject conspiracy theories, sensationalism, and fear-mongers." Mark Chironna, The Dead Prophets Society: The Significance of Prophetic Function in the 21st Century. Self-published, 2018, page 40.
"Rather than becoming chaplains or enablers of political idolatry, the faith community should confront it. The idols of politics are legion: the idol of money over democracy, the idol of winning over governing, the idol of celebrity over leadership, the idol of individualism over community, and the idol of ideology over civility -- just to … Continue reading Quote of Note #28: Political Idolatries vs. the Common Good
"When peace is the agreed-upon value of a community of believers who are contending for 'on earth as it is in heaven,' they will not use fear to control or influence others. This is so deeply rooted in our culture that people often seem unaware of using this tool to manipulate others to their need … Continue reading Quote of Note #27: Fear-mongering and Christian Engagement
"This most fundamental teaching of faith flies right in the face of all selfish personal and political ethics that put myself always before all others: my concerns first, my rights first, my freedoms first, my interests first, my tribe first, and even my country first -- ahead of everybody else. Self-concern is the personal and … Continue reading Quote of Note #26: Politics of Loving My Neighbor
"As the Left adopted such concerns as gay rights and abortion as touchstone issues, those of us with strong religious convictions on these matters found ourselves essentially alienated from the parties to which our allegiance would naturally be given. The parties of the Right, while representing to an extent, and at least on paper, positions … Continue reading Quotes of Note #25: Political Homelessness
I am a Christian who happens to be an American. I am not an American who happens to be a Christian. For me the distinction drawn in those two statements is very important. My commitment and submission to the Lord Jesus Christ is sovereign over all other commitments and relationships in my life. My identity … Continue reading Pastor Note #76: Citizenship in the Only Christian Nation on Earth
What is the goal for the Pro-Life movement in America? Is the goal that we should strive to make abortion illegal? Or is the goal that we should strive to end abortion? It’s very important that we should recognize that those two are not the same goal. I will assert that those who believe that … Continue reading Pastor Note #75: Abortion: Not Just a Legal Issue
