Invitation to a Conversation about the #NextMethodism

Recently there has been considerable interest in the blogosphere around the idea of the “Next Methodism.” This idea has elicited a spate of criticism and the predictable conspiracy posts. There is, however, no “Next Methodism” conspiracy. The Next Methodism is an idea. It is an amorphous concept that will become whatever we make it. Anyone can…

Christians as Peculiar People

You’ve probably seen the much-ballyhooed PRRI survey, a segment of which indicates that white evangelical Christians feel that Christians are more discriminated against than Muslims in the United States. (If you haven’t, you have to scroll down for a while to get to this table.) Other groups interviewed for the survey disagree. I was intrigued by…

The True Meaning of Christmas, According to the Wesleys

This year we will likely hear (or preach ourselves) sermons on the “true meaning of Christmas.” If contemporary Protestantism holds true to form, in many cases this will mean exhortations to be kind, give of ourselves, and do unto others as we would have them do unto us. From a Wesleyan perspective, however, such interpretations of…

Theological Anthropology, FTW

So, it turns out that human beings aren’t simply–to use Stephen Hawking’s term–“chemical scum” after all. A recent article in The Washington Post by Harvard University’s Howard A. Smith argues that human beings are, in fact, “cosmically special.”  According to the article, The universe, far from being a collection of random accidents, appears to be stupendously…

Ten Years with Sean

Today is a momentous day in the Watson household. On this very day, the youngest member of our family, Sean David Watson, turns ten years old. We will have a grand celebration for the ages at none other than Chuck E. Cheese’s. Sean will hop from game to game like a jumping bean and we…

What Happens on Wednesday?

You don’t have to be a political pundit to predict a few things about Tuesday’s presidential election. Once the dust settles and we have a new president, some people will experience emotions that will range from relief to elation. Others will feel angry, disenfranchised, and perhaps even heartbroken. Facebook and Twitter will be buzzing with celebration,…

Christians and the “Alt-Right”

There’s a passage of Scripture that has been weighing on me. It is James 4:17: “Anyone who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it commits sin.” It’s been bothering me because I don’t like to write about contemporary politics. I like to write about the Bible, Christian theology, and the church.…

Immigration, the “Great Wall,” and Christian Virtue

This year’s presidential election has highlighted concerns over illegal immigration. According to the Pew Research Center, there were about 11.3 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. in 2014. About half of these were Mexican. While Mexicans make up the highest number, however, in many parts of Latin America people are fleeing their homes, attempting to…