Author Archives: Chaplainmike

The Post-Evangelical Bookshelf: A Beginner’s Reading List For Finding Your Way In The Evangelical Wilderness

I’ve been doing an interview on “Post-Evangelicalism,” and I thought it would be a good time to list some of the books that define post-evangelicalism for me. First of all, a brief definition: Post-evangelicalism is a way of relating to the present seriously compromised, perhaps terminal, condition of evangelicalism by accessing the resources of theContinue reading “The Post-Evangelical Bookshelf: A Beginner’s Reading List For Finding Your Way In The Evangelical Wilderness”

New Posts at Jesus Shaped Spirituality

I have two new posts at JSS in a series called “Where’s Jesus?” (And Part two. Part three is on the way.) It’s some of the exegetical material I’ll be using in my message Sunday a.m. at church. Be sure and add Jesus Shaped Spirituality to your readers, and let others know that I amContinue reading “New Posts at Jesus Shaped Spirituality”

Open Thread: Panera Ecclesiology

Andy Naselli recounts a conversation his wife overheard at Panera Bread between two men a) griping abut a woman who wouldn’t sleep with them and b) discussing their church preferences. Maybe you’ve heard Michael Horton and the White Horse Inn guys talk about how the modern seeker/church growth churches are generally proclaiming law and notContinue reading “Open Thread: Panera Ecclesiology”

They Bought Me, and I’m Glad

Ordination: I was ordained to the Gospel ministry by a Southern Baptist congregation in 1980, but you won’t hear me have a lot to say about ordination. I believe in it, but in a minimalist kind of way. I don’t believe in titles. (Not calling someone Father or Reverend seems like a can’t-miss teaching ofContinue reading “They Bought Me, and I’m Glad”

What Will It Be For The Institution? Blind Loyalty or Naive Criticism?

This may be one of those posts that ought to appear over at JSS, because it has a lot to do with what Jesus was doing when he was on earth and how it continues today. BTW, I’m not criticizing the defenders of institutions. I love mine and defend it all the time, but IContinue reading “What Will It Be For The Institution? Blind Loyalty or Naive Criticism?”

Tom Schwegler: Why Contemporary Music Makes Congregational Singing Difficult.

IM reader Tom sent me some responses to the Riff on “The Slow Death of Congregational Singing.” I thought his comments were well worth posting here for your reading and discussion. Thanks Tom. Michael, I don’t read your work as much as I used to, but I caught and appreciated your excellent post on congregationalContinue reading “Tom Schwegler: Why Contemporary Music Makes Congregational Singing Difficult.”

Ben Witherington Reviews “The Shack”

I’m very glad that Dr. Ben Witherington has gotten around to reviewing William P Young’s The Shack on his blog, and has given a very balanced, critical and generous review. This is exactly what we need, as opposed to what we got from some of the reformed reviewers who found Young guilty of “goddess worship”Continue reading “Ben Witherington Reviews “The Shack””

Recommendation: Is Christianity Good for the World? and A Primer on Worship and Reformation, both by Douglas Wilson

I quit calling myself a Calvinist in 2006, and I really moved theologically to other theological convictions in the following months. Today I love my Calvinist friends, but I’m not one of them. One of the primary reasons for my shift was my inability to identify my own experience of Jesus as the same asContinue reading “Recommendation: Is Christianity Good for the World? and A Primer on Worship and Reformation, both by Douglas Wilson”