On the Conservative Movement and Evangelical Spin Doctoring: A Response to A. J. Nolte

The Big Picture: The Power of Denial in the Conservative Movement If there's one consistent thing that many #NeverTrump conservatives have tried to get the American public to believe, it's that the only problem in the conservative movement and the current iteration of the Republican Party is Donald J. Trump. If we could just get … Continue reading On the Conservative Movement and Evangelical Spin Doctoring: A Response to A. J. Nolte

Talking Back to Conservative Christians as They Attempt to Appropriate #ChurchToo. A Day of Action on Thursday, December 13

This coming Thursday, December 13, Wheaton College's Billy Graham Center will host its third "GC2" Summit, this time focusing on #ChurchToo and the epidemic of abuse and sexual assault in evangelical churches and fundamentalist churches. (GC2 stands for Great Commission/Great Commandment, and I suppose the organizers think their abbreviation is hip and clever, when it's … Continue reading Talking Back to Conservative Christians as They Attempt to Appropriate #ChurchToo. A Day of Action on Thursday, December 13

#EvangelicalIntoEnglish, Missionary Edition: Unpacking Ed Stetzer’s Spin on the Death of Radical Missionary John Chau

In my latest for Playboy, "On the Death of John Chau and the Madness of Missionaries," I wrote: That John Chau was a product of the radical apocalyptic evangelical milieu I grew up in, and driven by its approach to missions, thus seems undeniable. Why, then, is the commentary from the most prominent evangelical outlets relatively sparse? … Continue reading #EvangelicalIntoEnglish, Missionary Edition: Unpacking Ed Stetzer’s Spin on the Death of Radical Missionary John Chau

#HowToEvangelical is the Latest Ex-Evangelical Hashtag Craze

If you haven't yet taken notice of the new hashtag #HowToEvangelical on Twitter, head over there and have a look at how it's making waves. I hashtagged the phrase after Twitter user @petuniasfalling used it in a tweet that I found both poignant and funny. Before the day was out, the hashtag had trended steadily and … Continue reading #HowToEvangelical is the Latest Ex-Evangelical Hashtag Craze

A Few Words on #ChurchToo: Evangelical Abuse Scandals, Hashtag Campaigns, and Ex-Evangelicals in the Media

On November 21, Hannah Paasch launched a new hashtag campaign that she and Emily Joy had come up with together. #ChurchToo, as Hannah noted in the first tweet with the hashtag, is about a much needed "day of reckoning for the church." Evangelical Protestantism is, as a rule, intensely patriarchal, and the numerous Evangelical abuse … Continue reading A Few Words on #ChurchToo: Evangelical Abuse Scandals, Hashtag Campaigns, and Ex-Evangelicals in the Media

Journalists Should Stop Scratching their Heads about Evangelical Trumpism, Admit White Evangelicals are Illiberal Christians

A lot of ink has been spilled over the question of why it was white Evangelicals above all who propelled the vulgar and amoral Donald Trump to the presidency in 2016, and why, at 67% according to the Pew Research Center, these Evangelicals remain Trump’s most supportive demographic. Commentators are now expressing similar confusion over … Continue reading Journalists Should Stop Scratching their Heads about Evangelical Trumpism, Admit White Evangelicals are Illiberal Christians

Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Singer-Songwriter David Bazan

David Bazan is a man who needs little introduction in ex-Evangelical circles. In his career as frontman for indie group Pedro the Lion and as a solo artist, Bazan has consistently set strikingly intimate lyrics to haunting melodies, not eschewing doubt and darkness even when he was a Christian artist. Bazan's authenticity was and is … Continue reading Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Singer-Songwriter David Bazan

Patheos is Giving a Platform to Disgraced Pastor Mark Driscoll. Push Back – Tweet #NoDriscoll at @Patheos

Maybe the fact that their tweet with the "really big news" that Patheos would be hosting Mark Driscoll only got one retweet and four likes in more than 24 hours should have been the first clue for the blog site dedicated to "hosting the conversation on faith" that their readers are not excited to see … Continue reading Patheos is Giving a Platform to Disgraced Pastor Mark Driscoll. Push Back – Tweet #NoDriscoll at @Patheos

Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Satanic Panic Abuse Survivor Nancy Hightower

Dr. Nancy Hightower is a writer and literary scholar with a remarkable story of surviving the worst of Evangelicalism. She offers a valuable perspective on the challenges we currently face at a time in which white Evangelical Christians are the single demographic most supportive of #IllegitimatePresident Trump and most responsible for rising American authoritarianism. The … Continue reading Ex-Evangelical Conversations: Satanic Panic Abuse Survivor Nancy Hightower