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An Evangelical Black Theology of Liberation
Read more: An Evangelical Black Theology of LiberationIn James Cone’s revolutionary work, Black Theology & Black Power, Cone depicts a theological system that is truly black in its methodology and biblical in its exegetical foundation. Prior to his work, there was no theology by and for black people, and the prevailing theology of the day, a burgeoning evangelical theology, was decidedly white…
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A Word on Character
Read more: A Word on CharacterSelf-mastery, ordered love, and self-examination are key elements to a life of character and virtue. In this post, I will unpack the myths and kernels of truth in each of these elements. Self-Mastery Self-Mastery is not akin to “finding oneself.” I heard a story of a young woman who was headed to medical school but deviated…
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Fundamentalism and Recent Trends in Evangelicalism
Read more: Fundamentalism and Recent Trends in EvangelicalismWhat is Fundamentalism? Christian fundamentalists (think R.A. Torrey, A.C. Dixon, or recently, John Piper, Norman Geisler, Paul Washer, John MacArthur, Wayne Grudem, etc.) are part of the movement in Evangelicalism that originated in 1910s America. This phrase has been used to connote religious bigotry, abuse, and close-mindedness, but fundamentalists are merely Evangelicals with a complex (we…
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Is Evangelical Theology Toxic?
Read more: Is Evangelical Theology Toxic?The Question With the ex-vangelical movement on the rise and evangelical church attendance in decline, the question is often raised: Is evangelical theology, particularly the conservative evangelical theology that drives writers like Wayne Grudem to write articles like “Why voting for Donald Trump is a morally good choice,” and “Why Building a Border Wall is a Morally Good action,” toxic?…
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The Ideology of Love and the Garden of Eden
Read more: The Ideology of Love and the Garden of EdenThe Ideology of Love in Film We have all seen it; a film wherein a lover pursues another for the duration of the movie, creating tension and perpetuating the feeling of an unattainable partner. This is necessary for the plot and for the ideology of love to function. If the lover’s partner is obtained in…
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Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
Read more: Black Dignity in a World Made for WhitenessWhite Space Maintaining black dignity in white space is the name of the game of life for a black person in the Anglo-American realm. Conversational and cultural norms are undoubtedly white in this realm. This can be brutal in its exhaustion and confusion and can be seriously disorienting for black folk working and living in this space….
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Christianity, Intersectionality, and the Law
Read more: Christianity, Intersectionality, and the LawPicture Cassandra: a black woman of low income working three jobs to make ends meet. Her supervisor has a negative disposition toward black women of a lower financial caste, believing them lazy and entitled—“welfare Queens,” if you will—with poor attitudes. In accordance with this disposition, he assigns her more work than other associates to supposedly…
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Theological Ethics and Self-Help Books
Read more: Theological Ethics and Self-Help BooksIf I have learned anything from my four years at university, it would be that most things which are written and published are merely variations on pure BS. I use a scale of BS in cultural criticism that ranges from Pure BS (10) to Moderate BS (5) to Tactful BS (1). The higher something falls on…
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How to Succeed After College
Read more: How to Succeed After CollegeThree years ago today, I envisioned that 2018 would consist of finishing a Master’s degree and beginning a Ph.D. program in Theology and Christian Ethics en route to becoming a professor of Christian Ethics at a prestigious university’s divinity school. Two months ago, I envisioned that 2018 and the few years following would consist of a…
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Advent and the Meaning of Life
Read more: Advent and the Meaning of LifeChristmas and the days leading up to it, otherwise known as advent, have profound implications for our everyday experience. The incarnation infuses meaning into a humanity lost in a void of meaninglessness. It has certain clear ethical implications, as well as direction for reflections on place and vocation. Lastly, it musters up an incarnational ideology…