The Theologian's Table

The Mirror In the last post, which you can read here , I discussed having a dream about why Christians might treat the Bible like a spare tire. I concluded with one idea that the content can be challenging to read and come to terms with, but through a lifetime of wrestling with Scripture, God will bless us for our struggle. I'd like to continue with the same theme today but in a different way.  Aside from what critics of the Bible might interpret as divinely ordained violence, the Bible is just plain violent in many places, even in the New Testament, with the persecution of the Church. In fact, many who oppose Christianity being presented within the public school system have highlighted specific examples of biblical passages that might catch young readers off guard. The latest attempt, albeit tongue-in-cheek, came from a Florida man who opposed the Florida government removing books with questionable content, suggesting the new state standards were inconsistent. Even so, his commen...

Unless you have lived under a rock for the past week then you are probably aware of the hashtag #metoo that went viral recently. Triggered by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's deplorable practice of sexual assault and harassment, the hashtag is meant to shine a light on those issues as well as unite women who've been the target of that behavior. The movement has since sparked a conversation of how widespread the issues are and why they seem to persist even in places that seem, for the most part, egalitarian.* There are some corners of thought that have dismissed the whole thing as some kind of liberal slacktivism, but scrolling through my social media feeds and seeing women I trust post #metoo.... I have to say that I was deeply disturbed. Disturbed by the fact it happened to them and disturbed that people would be dismissive of it. Sexual Ethics in Christian Ministry The history of Christian ministry is littered with stories of sexual misconduct by people in positions of aut...