
To put it as understatedly as possible: conflicts have characterized much of 2020. From the conflicts that have emerged while being cooped up with family during quarantine, to the conflicts with extended family who share their abrasive political opinions on social media, and finally to the massive racial reckoning that has emerged in the aftermath…

Since today is Harry Potter’s birthday (#HBDHP) I thought that I’d invite you all to consider joining us in October for the annual academic Harry Potter Conference at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia. Due to COVID-19, the conference will be held virtually this year. This is a genuine bummer because there are so many fun…

In this episode Amber Bowen and John Anthony Dunne are joined by Dr. Aaron Griffith (Th.D., M.Div., Duke Divinity), who is currently Assistant Professor of History at Sattler College (Boston, MA), to discuss his upcoming book God’s Law and Order: The Politics of Punishment in Evangelical America (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2020). Over the…

Continuing our conversation on Critical Theory and Critical Race Theory (CRT), we conclude our series with some ecclesial reflections as it pertains to pastoral concerns and the nature of Christian engagement with CRT. Along the way we talk about what it means to be a Christian peacemaker, whether evangelical quest for political power is an…

This past Sunday I had the privilege of preaching at my local church here in Minneapolis—Mill City Church. We’ve been reading through and preaching through the New Testament this year as a church, which in hindsight feels really appropriate in 2020. In this sermon I tried to provide a concise overview of the main issue…

Following up on our previous conversation on Critical Theory from last week (“Understanding Critical Theory with Dr. Scott Coley”), in this episode Amber Bowen, John Anthony Dunne, and Logan Williams are joined by ethicist and political theologian, Dr. Matthew Arbo, who is Associate Professor of Theological Studies at Oklahoma Baptist University. Over the course of…

In this episode, Amber Bowen and John Anthony Dunne discuss Critical Theory with special guest Dr. Scott Coley, who is Lecturer in Philosophy and Director of the Global Encounters program at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Over the course of the conversation we address the history and origin of Critical Theory, including its…

During much of quarantine I was helping to co-run an “Equipping Hour” class at my church (our version of Adult Sunday School). The class was called “The Gospel According to Oscar,” which I co-led with my good friend J. D. O’Brien, a filmmaker, documentarian, and videographer (check out his documentary about homelessness in Minneapolis called…

There are many ongoing debates about “Black Lives Matter” v. “All Lives Matter,” though it does seem that, broadly-speaking, people have been coming around to recognizing what the slogan “Black Lives Matter” truly means, and why it’s crucial that we all affirm it without qualification. Yet, some disputes obviously persist. As a possible way forward,…