Rachel Held Evans | Tag Landing

I Could Have Used This Book Twelve Years Ago: A Review of “The Evolution of Adam” by Peter Enns

Within the first week of my freshman year of college, my Introduction to World Literature class included a reading of Gilgamesh, an ancient Mesopotamian myth about a hero who is described as 1/3 man and 2/3 god. As we read the text together in class, I couldn't help but notice some striking similarities between this text and the familiar texts of Genesis and Ecclesiastes, but when we got to the part where Gilgamesh speaks with Utnapishtim, a survivor of the Great Flood, I disintegrated into a ... read more

They Were Right (And Wrong) About the Slippery Slope

They said that if I questioned a 6,000-year-old earth, I would question whether other parts of Scripture should be read scientifically and historically. They were right. I did. They said that if I entertained the hope that those without access to the gospel might still be loved and saved by God, I would fall prey to the dangerous idea that God loves everyone, that there is nothing God won’t do to reconcile all things to Himself. They were right. I h... read more

Hey Pastors, Don't be afraid to use the f-word

It's back! The second Epic Fail Pastors Conference is scheduled for March 22-24, 2012. I’m a fan of this conference for a couple of reasons: 1. When I wrote a post entitled “Dear Pastors – Tell Us the Truth,” I was overwhelmed with responses from pastors who felt that the Church was no place to openly discuss their fears, their failures, their hopes, and their dreams. This conference creates a safe place for those sort of conversations to happen. ... read more

2 Reasons Mark Driscoll’s popularity doesn’t discourage me

So I spent the last four days in Tempe, Arizona, hanging out with the good folks from the Arizona Foundation for Contemporary Theology, Tempe First United Methodist Church, and Christians for Biblical Equality. I even got to try an In-And-Out burger while I was there! (It was good and all, but I confess I did not have the religious experience for which so many In-And-Out fans had prepared me.) What surprised me on this trip was that at every single event, one or two people would pull me a... read more

Two questions for Millennials and Gen X-ers

This weekend I’ll be speaking to the Arizona Foundation for Contemporary Theology about how my generation of Christians is evolving. And because the comment section consistently proves that my readers are smarter than me, I’d love to get your input on two points I’ll be addressing: 1. What made you leave, or consider leaving, the Church? (or, What made you stay?) 2. In what practical ways would you like to see folks from older generations come alongside us as... read more

Evangelicalism, neo-fundamentalism, and the next generation

Three articles caught my eye today: The first comes from Frank Viola, who argues that there are now four major streams within evangelicalism, particularly among Christians in their 20s, 30s, and 40s: 1. The Systematizers2. The Activists3. The Emoters4. The Beyond Evangelicals Based on this previous post, I suspect I fall into that fourth stream, mainly because I’m tired of fighting over labels. The second is an excellent essay from Mike Clawson, shared by Roger Olson... read more

A Different Wisdom: Reflections on "Evangelical Celebrity"

“…There are times when good words are to be left unsaid out of esteem for silence.” - Holy Rule of St. Benedict It’s one thing to be silenced, quite another to silence yourself before God. Too often, in my passion to speak out about the former, I neglect the latter. I want so badly to stop the systematic silencing of women in the Church that I allow myself to grow impatient, angry, unkind. I get entitled. I get arrogant. I get busy,... read more

An Open Letter to Scot McKnight

So y’all know I’m not a big fan of open letters. I’ve even written an open letter to the open letter, bidding it farewell. I don’t like open letters because, in the blogging world, they’re typically employed to issue one-way rants against people we don’t like, all while maintaining the appearance of a conversation. That’s not really my style, so I try to avoid reading and writing them. But yesterday I got to thinking that, just because open lette... read more

David Nilsen: On Leaving – And Finding – Church

David Nilsen is a writer from Greenville, Ohio. He loves good coffee and beer, deep talks that keep him up too late, books and snobby films. He’s been married to Lyndie for ten years this January, and has a four year old daughter who is already asking questions about God he doesn’t know how to answer. He blogs at homekettle.wordpress.com and you can follow him on Twitter at @DNilsenKettle. *** My wife and I attended Grace Church for ten years. Then we left. Finding a new chu... read more

Alise Wright: The Day Nothing Changed

I’m closing in on the final three chapters of the book and working long hours to get them finished by deadline. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to mean silence on the blog. For the next few weeks, I’ll be getting by with a little help from my friends – specifically, some of my favorite bloggers, who have contributed challenging, thoughtful, and beautifully-written posts. Today’s comes to us from my friend Alise Wright, who I am convinced is a sister separated ... read more

When I get discouraged…

When it seems like the loudest voices are the ones screaming, “God hates you!” When it seems like the most popular blogs are the ones that turn grace into a doctrine and the gospel into a coalition, When I am told in no uncertain terms that I have no right to speak about faith because I am a woman, When I find myself fueled by anger and ambition, desperate to beat these guys at their own game, I stop. And I remind myself that it is not my job to fix all o... read more

Teresa of Avila on Blogging

Okay, so she wasn’t speaking specifically about blogging, having lived four centuries before Al Gore invented the internet and all, but this poem by St. Teresa of Avila is one I return to time and again when the task of keeping up with the pace of the blogosphere and subjecting myself to the criticism it incurs just seems to be too much: Let nothing upset you,Let nothing startle you.All things pass;God does not change.Patience wins all it seeks.Whoever has God lac... read more

I don't want an easy faith

Some like to say that the bravest thing Christians can do is defend their faith, to stand their ground and refuse to change. But it’s easier to defend our faith than to subject it to scrutiny.It’s easier to dig in our heels than to go exploring. It’s easier to regurgitate answers than to ask good questions. It’s easier cling to our beliefs than to hold them with open hands.It’s easier to assume we’re always right than to acknowledge we may be... read more

Do We Have the Gospel Wrong? (Review: "The King Jesus Gospel")

“I am perfectly comfortable with what people normally mean when they say ‘the gospel.’ I just don’t think it is what Paul means.”- N.T. Wright The guy next to me on my flight from Chicago to Santa Ana last week was the perfect seatmate—chatty during takeoff and landing, asleep for the rest of the flight. I was thankful for the quiet time because I got to spend the four-hour flight completely engrossed in a book that revolutionized my perspe... read more

Our little systems...

I’m in sunny California this week speaking to the very bright students at Hope International University. I really loved this group, and hope to return again someday. Several students approached me after my chapel talk to ask for copies of some of the quotes I used. I figured everyone could benefit from these inspiring words, so here they are: “Our little systems have their day:They have their day and cease to be;They are but broken lights of thee And thou, O Lord, ar... read more

Surrounded by a Puff of Witnesses

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” – Hebrews 12:1 One thing I appreciated during my visit with the monks of St. Benard Abbey was the way in which we were constantly reminded of the great cloud of witnesses surrounding us. Watchi... read more

Journeys of a Religious Misfit, Part 2: Accidental Fences

See Journeys of a Religious Misfit, Part 1: Wayside Shrines. “When all my hopes in [the religious leaders] and in men were gone, so that I had nothing outwardly to help me, nor could I tell what to do, then, oh then, I heard a voice.” – George Fox Quakers are pretty much the opposite of Catholics. Or at least that’s what I thought when I first walked through the meetinghouse door to join the West Knoxville Society of Friends for First Day wor... read more

Journeys of a Religious Misfit, Part 1: Wayside Shrines

“When I’m asked about the situation—Of where it is I’ve been and where I’m bound—I’ve got no home....but I’ve got a destination.”Thad Cockrell, “A Country of My Own” My inner voice is a royal pain in the ass. It’s an obstreperous child impatient with questions and eager for attention. It shouts to me from the future (the next prayer, the next hour, the next blog post, the next book), thereby commanding my pr... read more

Influential Christian Women?

So earlier this week on twitter I asked, “Who are some female evangelical leaders you admire?” I received so many responses that several of you asked for a complete list. Below are (most of) the names I received via tweets, but I’d certainly like to add more. I’d also like to get rid of the word “evangelical” since that seems to confuse a lot of people…(myself included). So my question for today is: Who are some in... read more

My story is more interesting than that

Photo by Matthew Paul Turner "Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story" - Psalm 107:2 I am not a supporting character in a story that a man is writing. My story is more interesting than that. I am not defined by my sexuality, my past, my marital status, or my body. My story is more interesting than that. I have not cried into my pillow waiting for someone else to give me purpose and direction in life. My story is more interesting than that.... read more

When God Chooses Your Logo

Let me start off by saying that I’ve got absolutely no problem with Campus Crusade for Christ changing its name to Cru. Sure it’s a little vague, but I think most people would agree that the old name and logo had to go. “Crusade” sounds like a declaration of war. “Cru” sounds like the name of a clothing retailer at the mall. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather meet Jesus at the mall. But I have to admit I sighed a few times as I watc... read more

On Growing Thick(er) Skin

It’s no secret that blogging requires thick skin. Each post subjects your ideas, interests, and feelings to the scrutiny of other people, who through the anonymity of the internet are more likely to tell you exactly what they think. A single post might lead some to call you a hero and others to question your humanity, when the rather unglamorous truth of the matter is, like everyone else, you’re a fallen image-bearer just trying to make sense of the world. I used to be ... read more

Masculinity at the foot of the cross

photo © 2008 MAMJODH | more info (via: Wylio) “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” – I Corinthians 1:18 The disciples never liked the idea of the cross. Peter, a former zealot, especially hated the suggestion that Jesus would suffer at the hands of the Roman Empire and the Jewish religious leaders Peter so detested. When Jesus predicted his impending suffering, Pet... read more

Mark Driscoll responds

Today Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church responded to the public outcry against his bullying in a blog post entitled “Gender - Is it a socially constructed reality or a God-given identity?” As the title suggests, Mark seems to miss the point a bit, but I am grateful that the elders at Mars Hill held him accountable and asked him to “do better” in speaking about these issues with decorum and respect. That means that our messages were heard and that something was do... read more

Ask a Catholic…(Response)

I must say I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the popularity of our summer interview series! We had over 200 questions roll in after I introduced Devin Rose as this week’s guest and invited you to ask him your most pressing questions about Catholicism. I hope you will be as impressed with Devin’s response to these “top 10” as I was. He did a remarkably thorough and thoughtful job of explaining his positions, and I’m so grateful for the time he spent... read more

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