American Christianity

In John’s Latitudinarian Garage

by on September 19, 2025 | 146 Comments
garage

I do not know what is in your garage, but from time to time mine has become pretty cluttered, and stuff has to be pitched. What we keep and what we pitch says something about us. People have theological garages, too, in . . . Continue reading →

Review: The Search For Christian America By Mark A. Noll, Nathan O. Hatch, And George M. Marsden

by on September 18, 2025 | 5 Comments

Christians often mimic the tactics of non-Christians in the social and political realms. For example, the “cancel culture” found in legacy media and social media is also found in evangelical media and Christian social media. American politicians and pundits use scare tactics, . . . Continue reading →

Semper Reformanda: Apply Liberally

by on September 8, 2025 | 1 Comment

The Latin expression semper reformanda is frequently invoked but rarely understood. Baptists and Pentecostals invoke it to say that Reformed Christians should continue their journey to their traditions. That application reflects a misunderstanding of the original and true sense of semper reformanda. . . . Continue reading →

What Happens When You Don’t Have A Category For Wisdom Or Nature (Part 2)

by on August 22, 2025

Last time we looked through the lens of nature to help us settle the case of whether it is wrong for a boy to wrestle a girl. This time we will look through the lens of wisdom, beginning with an examination of . . . Continue reading →

What Happens When You Don’t Have A Category For Wisdom Or Nature (Part 1)

by on August 15, 2025

When Andy Kaufman wrestled women in the late 70s and early 80s it was a gag; it was outrageous because, until he did it, it was unthinkable. Why? Because there is such a thing as nature (i.e., the way things are) and Kaufman was being provocative by doing something contrary to the nature of things. Continue reading →

Anglicanism True And False

by on August 8, 2025 | 2 Comments

Significant numbers of American evangelicals have come to find ancient liturgical forms meaningful, a welcome alternative to the folksy informality typical of many Protestant churches today, especially ‘big-box’ nondenominational congregations. In liturgical churches, these seekers find a stronger historical consciousness and a . . . Continue reading →

When Community Isn’t

by on July 16, 2025 | 5 Comments
cut out paper men

The contemporary use of the word community has troubled me for some time. I could not put my finger on it until today. It came to me during a drive across the vast wasteland that is Nevada. People routinely speak about the . . . Continue reading →

Toward A Confessional CRC: Synod 2025

by on June 25, 2025 | 5 Comments
crc synod 2025

The 2025 Synod of the Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRC) met from June 13–19 at Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ontario, Canada. The 49 Classes of the denomination sent 176 delegates to deliberate on important matters of the church. The headline . . . Continue reading →