Aaron Ross

@preachersnsneakers (pt.1)

Aaron Ross
Amassing over 120 thousand followers in a three week time span, the instagram account @preachersnsneakers has hit the Christian social media world by storm. In today's feature, Aaron Ross, assistant professor of theological studies at Southeastern University, enters this relevant conversation with a valuable perception that seeks to provide context and answers behind why this new account has escalated so rapidly - even more rapidly than the insta-following of the celebrity pastors themselves.... Read More...
10 min read

Looking Back to Forge Ahead

Aaron Ross
This year ECCLESIAM launches anew seeking to explore larger issues. Quite a few noteworthy things happened within the church and around the world this summer. What methods can the church employ to cultivate an accountability culture and a confessional environment that invites healing? From mental health to creativity to personal temptation from the pedestal of leadership, we seek to cover and provide pensive, theological, and biblical answers forward through the many struggles that currently confront the church.... Read More...
3 min read

Controversy and the Christian Response

Aaron Ross
University campuses are buzzing, students have been moving in and getting settled, parents are either celebrating sending out their child into the wide world of academia or uncontrollably sobbing the inevitable empty nest and how "they grow up so fast". For us here at ECCLESIAM, however, it means that summer break is over, professors are getting back into the swing of their teaching schedules, and quite a lot has happened over the summer that needs to be discussed, dissected, and parsed. With so much going on within the world and the church, what needs to be talked about?... Read More...
4 min read

Stephen Fry, God, and the Church’s Response

Aaron Ross
Many people, especially those who are dealing with loss within their family due to sickness, natural disasters, accidents, and more, are trying to comprehend God in light of their experiences. This is the struggle we find in Fry’s comments. He is trying to take what he has heard from the Church and from Scripture and make sense of it in light of the evil and suffering we see around us all the time. How then can we as Christians respond to those who struggle with the reality of evil in our world today?... Read More...
4 min read

Religious Media and the Christian

Aaron Ross
Media, as of late, has seemed to embrace religious, and sometimes even Christian elements within TV, movies and music. There has been a “resurgence” so to speak of media caring about religious subplots and overtones. However, is it really that media has really embraced religious expression, or is it doing what it has always done, intersect entertainment with life?... Read More...
4 min read

Celebrating Death – Loving our Enemies

Aaron Ross
Recently, on November 25th, Fidel Castro, the revolutionary and long-standing political leader of Cuba, passed away. With such a political history, one that also included much persecution and pain for large groups of people, it should come as no surprise that there are people who are celebrating his death. However, as Christians, how are we supposed to react in times of death? Are we supposed to cheer on the death of those who are persecutors?... Read More...
4 min read

The Madness of Learning

Aaron Ross
There has been somewhat of a stigma that too much theological learning, too much questioning, or too much interaction with those who might question some orthodox beliefs will lead one to lose his/her faith. Sometimes Acts 26:24 is even cited poorly as an attempt to credit those claims. We recently asked Dr. Craig Keener, F. M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary and author of over 20 books ranging from works for the church to dense theological tomes, how he understands the intersection of faith and learning.... Read More...
8 min read

Worth and the Image of God

Aaron Ross
There is a trend within culture that seems to have infiltrated the church. Culture, especially here in the west, tends to equate one’s importance – and therefore their worth – with what they do, who they know, and how much power, money, or influence they may have. To see how this might have influenced the church, how many Christians do you think would rather meet with the Carl Lentz’s, Judah Smith’s, Matt Chandler’s, and Hillsong’s of today than people who are being prostituted, substance abusers, homeless, and those considered “worthless” by society? Don’t get me wrong, the ministries of the aforementioned are amazing and important to bringing people to Christ. But should the influence, ministry, money, or power one has make his/her worth more or less than others?... Read More...
4 min read

I’m Asking you Jesus, Show Yourself

Aaron Ross
What are we as the church doing? We are missing the struggle, the pain, the hurt of those around us. We keep saying “come to my church, you’ll find Jesus”. We keep writing songs on how great God is, and the world keeps writing songs talking about their pain. Could it be that we are hindering people from finding Christ because we are not hurting along side of them (or showing the hurt that we have at least)?... Read More...
5 min read

An Interview with Toby Morrell from Emery and Bad Christian

Aaron Ross
Emery has been a staple in music for many who grew up in the church but wanted music that was outside of the typically accepted realm of what some would call "Christian". Being a Christian in a band that was not quite the accepted medium of art, Toby Morrell offers great insight into the real of music, art, faith, and the church. Toby, while still touring and making music with Emery, is now a worship pastor, blogger, and curates a popular podcast and brand entitled "Bad Christian".... Read More...
20 min read

Dreams and God’s Will

Aaron Ross
Dreams can motivate us, get us out of bed in the morning, push us towards the life we want to see for ourselves or help mold us into who we want to become. But, dreams can also be devastating, disappointing and even lead us away from the life God wants for us. How we understand and shape those dreams in our lives is instrumental to living a fulfilling life that brings us into perfect relationality with God and with others.... Read More...
4 min read

The Holes in our Heart

Aaron Ross
If you grew up in the church, or have been around it at all for any amount of time, you have probably heard a clichéd phrase about God and your heart that goes like: “You have a God shaped hole in your heart” or “That person keeps trying to fill that hole in their heart only God can!”. Well yes…. and no. The problem is that we often use nice and tidy little phrases to explain such complex situations. The church has made Jesus the end all be all answer for every longing or desire to be known in relationship and community that just does not biblically make sense.... Read More...
5 min read

Aaron Ross