On the Virginal Conception and Birth of Christ (Advent, Christmas, and the Miraculous, Part 2)

There are some Christian beliefs that through the centuries the Church has left broadly open for debate. For example, there is no single canonical doctrine of atonement. Rather, Christians through the centuries have affirmed that while Christ did atone for our sins, we have a range of options for understanding this truth. We have remained…

On Sin in the Church

The recent Roman Catholic sexual abuse scandal brings to mind a question I have heard many people ask over the years: If Christians believe what they claim to believe, why do all of these scandals keep taking place? The Church and Moral Failings To be perfectly clear, Roman Catholics certainly aren’t the only Christians who…

Introducing a Brand New Podcast: Plain Truth

Scott Kisker, Maggie Ulmer, and I have launched a brand new podcast called “Plain Truth: A Holy-Spirited Podcast.” We’re going to talk about all things Christian, and probably quite a few things related to the Wesleyan/Methodist/EUB world. In our first episode, we talk about Scripture. What is it? What does it do? How can we…

The Innate Generosity of Orthodoxy

Years ago I read Brian McLaren’s book, A Generous Orthodoxy. I really liked it at the time. I thought he made a good case. In subsequent years, however, I’ve become increasingly less comfortable with the term “generous orthodoxy.” I believe it is redundant. Orthodoxy is an expression of the generosity of God. Thus to say “generous…