(ANALYSIS) I’ve been a party to a lot of conversations about being mainline over the last 20 years. And sometimes I get the distinct impression that evangelicals really, really don’t like mainline Protestants. But do prefer nonbelievers to mainline Christians?
Read MoreGiving is down among evangelical Christians, according to a new study by Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter Research. The study — called “The Giving Gap: Changes in Evangelical Generosity” — found that 61% of evangelicals say they gave to their church in the last 12 months. That is down 13 percentage points from 2021, when 74% reported giving to their local congregation.
Read More(OPINION) While political pollsters and the national media tend to lump under one banner those dreaded right-leaning “White evangelical or born-again” Christians, that banner actually includes an anomalous set of people with different belief systems and often competing goals.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I read a story a few weeks ago in the Free Press that had an intriguing title, “Latinos are flocking to evangelical Christianity.” The piece was an excerpt from a book called “Latinoland: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority.” The book is based on over 200 interviews with Hispanics from all facets of American society in order to develop a clearer picture of what Hispanic culture looks like in the United States.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The story of Michael Foster got me thinking about how two concepts (environmentalism and religion) may be deeply intertwined with each other. In the current discourse about religion, climate change has not really taken center stage. It seems the debate is focused on social issues: same-sex marriage, the rights of transgender Americans and abortion.
Read More(OPINION) My issue with Donald Trump supporters is not political at all. It is spiritual. It is prophetic. It is about the honor of the Lord and the reputation of the Spirit. It is about credibility. And if there is a prophetic word that God is speaking now about the 2024 elections, it is simply this: “Enough already with the Donald Trump prophecies!”
Read MoreFlorida-based ministry Cross International has said it’s already pacing ahead of its “Reach25” plan, projecting it will reach more than 65,000 people in its 2022 fiscal year (ending next month). That’s up from 56,000 last year and 47,000 in 2020. It now hopes to reach 80,000 children and families in 2023, then 100,000 in 2024.
Read More(OPINION) American evangelicalism has invested most of its energy into creating a structure of “parallel institutions.” They parallel culture-shaping institutions but function below the level of these institutions’ radar, operating in an evangelical subculture of their own. But the results are often not very flattering.
Read More(REVIEW) Justin Bieber’s newest single “Holy” features Gospel influences and Christian lyrics. It’s been announced as a “new era” in his music. This song isn’t the first time he’s explored faith in his work, but “Holy” does accompany recent proclamations of Bieber’s evangelical Christian faith on social media.
Read More(OPINION) To bring Christianity out of exile in American culture, we should look for innovators among the small percentage of Evangelical Protestants who are both active and influential. Only a few are needed to launch fresh movements that can energize the faith.
Read More(OPINION) The definition of evangelicals as white and Republican is a fairly recent phenomenon in American history.
Read More(OPINION) White evangelical Protestants have a tendency to reject critique and ignore trends. That needs to change if this group is going to remain politically and culturally relevant.
Read MoreThe book Evangelicals and Power in Latin America attempts to explain how the rise in evangelical voters will affect power and politics, human rights and the future of democracy in Latin America.
Read More(COMMENTARY) In his latest book, Soul of a Team, co-written with Nathan Whitaker, the great football coach Tony Dungy asks the question: “What separates the truly great teams from the mediocre ones?” His answer can be found in “four simple yet highly effective principles — selflessness, ownership, unity, and larger purpose.” Those four principles form the acronym S.O.U.L.
Read MoreIt may be the one issue in America capable of uniting Mormons, Native Americans, Roman Catholics and Evangelical Christians. The issue of religious liberty has, in recent years, increasingly galvanized people of many faith traditions in the United States to unite against secular forces. One of its most-vocal backers and eloquent advocates is opinion journalist David French.
Read MoreThese African women’s activists say greater access to safe abortions will save women’s lives—and they believe that’s the most Christian response.
Read More(COMMENTARY) In a society that values scandal and social media transgressions, Tim Tebow is very much a contrarian. He’s a rebel among agnostics and exudes an unusual wholesomeness that appears to be more from the 1950s than the year 2017.
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