The Church

Masks, Racism and the Gospel of QAnon

Aaron Ross
In light of recent outcries and crises, how should the church uphold its purpose? We confront seemingly new challenges that scream for answers, and a sense of emergency may prompt ill-informed responses. However, through a broadening of perspective, believers may look back in time, drawing upon church history and past obstacles, to advance the kingdom of God through and beyond 2020.... Read More...
4 min read

Moving Past the Church’s Racial Apathy

Robert Crosby
With the mounting racial tensions in today's social, political, and religious climates, the Church needs to function as a facilitator for reconciliation. Unfortunately, Christians have tended to approach the issue of reconciliation with apathy in recent years. How can we as Christians overcome these sentiments and ignite change both within and without the Church? Furthermore, why are churches especially equipped to serve as agents of reconciliation within our society?... Read More...
5 min read

In Whatever Situation I Am

Gordon Miller
How should the Church regard singleness, and how is this position reconciled with one's faith? Offering wisdom and encouragement, Dr. Gordon Miller, Dean of the School of Honors at Southeastern University, draws from personal experience and explores questions surrounding marital status.... Read More...
5 min read

Who Is the Church? Wisdom from Tradition and Scripture

Hanna Larracas
Christians today find themselves navigating the Church’s identity in the midst of prolonged quarantines. In this week's post, Hanna Larracas, Master of Divinity student at Boston University School of Theology and Southeastern University graduate, explores tradition and Scripture to inform the discourse being held by the Christian community through unprecedented times.... Read More...
7 min read

Is Religious Freedom a Privilege or Christian Value?

Daniel Montañez
Jesus and his disciples were not granted religious freedom, nor was that their priority. Regardless of a nation's favor, the primary mission of Jesus was to share the good news of salvation. Join us this week as Daniel Montañez, professor for the Hispanic Ministries Program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, discusses religious freedom in the context of the early church. ... Read More...
6 min read

Lord, This is Your Year

Rebecca Clark
It is a well-intentionedphrase, but one that some fear may cause more harm than good: “This is youryear!” In this week’s post, Rebecca Clark, graduate student at SoutheasternUniversity, discusses this common phrase often encountered in the church and,what instead, believers may celebrate as they ring in 2020. ... Read More...
7 min read

The Church and the Other

Jenna MacFarlane
The language we as the church often embody conveys that we have blocked those outside the faith versus inside the church by constructing unseen walls. How can this be so, if we claim to welcome all? In this week’s post, Jenna MacFarlane, senior at Southeastern University, addresses this imbalance within communities and how we as the church can develop healthier language in helping the Other feel authentic belonging. ... Read More...
5 min read

John Crist, Sexual Harassment, and the Church

Lauren Raley
The current reports of Christian Comedian, Jon Crists’ manipulative behavior towards women has brought to light an important question for the Church: How are we to address situations of abuse and exploitation from within our own faith-learning community? This week Lauren Raley, religion professor at Southeastern University, discusses how we can confront issues of this importance before the entire community becomes affected. ... Read More...
5 min read

Encouraging Education in the Church

Grayson Campbell
An essential need for us as the church is to walk alongside members while they wrestle with theological issues – doing so gently – providing a non-shaming space for them to explore their thoughts, beliefs, and doubts. In this week’s post, undergraduate student William Campbell discusses his personal experience encountering theological misunderstandings in the church and how, through education, the church wields the power to inform its community rather than discourage questioning. ... Read More...
5 min read

The Lord, Alone, is on His Throne

Peter Hartwig
The sudden boom of elevation in leadership materials has begun producing some ministers who know the ‘how’ of leadership, but cannot articulate the ‘why’ of Christian vocation with sufficient theological depth. In this week’s post, Peter Hartwig, theologian in residence at National Community Church and MDiv candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary, addresses the pressing issue to dethrone the study of leadership and, in the process, reconsiders its relationship to theology itself. ... Read More...
10 min read

God’s Care for Creation

Zach Tackett
Some Christians do see environmental issues as deeply imbedded in the Christian mission. Others see ecology as outside the bounds of Christian interests. We find others who take a position somewhere in the middle. In this week's discussion, Dr. Hackett, professor at Southeastern University, will be engaging with how the earliest expressions of the church might contribute to our understanding of the interaction of the mission of God and the nature of the ecology.... Read More...
7 min read

Actuating Environmental Stewardship

Esther Shemeth
Theologically, stewardshipbelieves in humanity having an obligation to our earth; and, thus, expendingfirm energies in caring, protecting, and advocating for it (Gen. 2:15).Considering the dilemma of our current climate’s trajectory, should the church supportenvironmental action? In this week’s discussion, Esther Shemeth, student at SoutheasternUniversity, encourages a rationale that seeks to emphasize the biblical substantiation of sustainability.  ... Read More...
6 min read

Critique and the Church

Aaron Ross
Why does the church fear critique? Why do we seem so afraid of questions? The answers to these questions can be as varied as those who are being asked them. Whether it is the fear of being wrong, the fear that we have established practices or habits that are not healthy, or other inner issues that have not been dealt with, criticism is often deflected in many church settings. Join in this week’s discussion as Southeastern University professor Aaron Ross discusses the crucial element of critique and why it is needed to spark genuine church growth. ... Read More...
4 min read

@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