Recently Curated Content

LEARNING CAPSULE: Halloween

Most Christians reject or accept Halloween without much thought. Those who don’t like the holiday assume satanic origins while those who like the holiday celebrate with no critical thought. Before deciding whether to celebrate or not, please take the time to learn about the complex history of the holiday and the many ways Christians can redeem it.

FIVE QUESTIONS: Halloween

In a nutshell, what are Halloween’s roots and origins? What is one reason to celebrate Halloween? What is one reason not to celebrate Halloween? Should Christians celebrate Halloween? What are some ways to redeem Halloween?

BOOK: The Faithful Spy

John Hendrix’s The Faithful Spy is an engrossing and visually arresting account of Dietrich Bonhoeffer—a German pastor whose fierce moral clarity led him into the heart of a conspiracy to resist, and ultimately assassinate, Adolf Hitler.

BOOK: The Ragamuffin Gospel

The Ragamuffin Gospel is not so much a theological treatise as it is a wake-up call—one delivered gently but insistently to the soul that keeps trying to earn what Christ has already given. Manning’s premise is simple: most Christians do not actually believe in the incomprehensible, unearnable grace of God. We nod politely at grace in our Sunday best, but spend the rest of the week anxiously polishing our halos.

Quotes

"The church is not a soul-rescue depot that leaves us to muddle through the regrettable earthly burden of 'politics' in the meantime; the church is a body politic that invites us to imagine how politics might be otherwise."

James K.A. Smith, Canadian-American philosopher

“If you’re willing to sin to obtain your goal or if you sin when you don’t get what you want, then your desire has taken God’s place and you’re functioning as an idolater.”

Elyse Fitzpatrick, author

“Being in proximity makes a difference. Relationships make issues real and complicated and personal. Relationships move us from ideology to compassion. We can't love our neighbor if we don't know them. And once we are proximate, love requires us to take action, to stand up for life in tangible ways.”

Shane Claiborne, activist

"We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure, but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world. To make injustice the only measure of our attention is to praise the Devil."

Jack Gilbert, American poet

"History and Scripture teaches us that there can be no reconciliation without repentance. There can be no repentance without confession. And there can be no confession without truth."

Jemar Tisby, historian/American author