Good Links

Stretch your mind and heart with this roundup of thought-provoking reads: Hannah Nation addresses the need for older women in churches, especially as guidance for younger women: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/older-women-young-churches/ Alan Noble writes about how the church can step in to help solve a cultural crisis in colleges today:  https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/september-web-only/alan-noble-christian-college-crisis-cccu-church.html Lucas Shaw predicts that Netflix will not […]

Controversy surrounds the new Disney film, Mulan: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/09/07/why-disneys-new-mulan-is-scandal/ Our penchant for spectacle turns to tragedy: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/08/us/el-dorado-fire-gender-reveal-update-trnd/index.html Has the church become anti-male in its view of sin and society, letting women off too easily? https://theopolisinstitute.com/conversations/the-manosphere-and-the-church/ NYT’s readers’ favorite candid photos from weddings beautifully celebrate marriage, family, and memories: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/05/fashion/weddings/readers-share-their-best-unexpected-wedding-photos.html Patricia Raybon reflects on her experience of deep engagement with Scripture […]

It's the final week of the summer season. Here are some thought-provoking links for reflection and conversation: MLK’s young granddaughter speak at rally commemorating the 57th anniversary of the March on Washington: https://www.ajc.com/news/yolanda-king-granddaughter-of-mlk-speaks-at-anniversary-of-march-on-washington/UTG5FMN6JJDHPF5RRLLWGCZ2VU/ “Influencers” come to Christian higher ed: https://annehelen.substack.com/p/welcome-the-covid-influencer Why do so many in Christianity long for power? An interesting look: https://dianabutlerbass.substack.com/p/the-price-of-power?fbclid=IwAR17GYOnZ1y_GcGz-UgqoGXQYTZq8cL_0HJ3mBGTqr5jHHhc6w3See1ypBo. A woman who is the […]

A few thought-provoking links for your next Zoom conversation: James K. A. Smith offers some insight into why reconciliation is more appealing than justice to many: https://religionnews.com/2020/08/06/what-white-evangelical-christians-cant-see-when-they-see-racism/?fbclid=IwAR07XTBo_vj1pa63G8luMuzV4nmGIgdUd-V52qdxBOgPYXzvhvBSIxsHBro Hannah King discusses the why our bodies matter in our worship: https://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2020/august-web-exclusives/preserving-our-body-and-bodies-for-worship.html?fbclid=IwAR3YorrzfjKKa-mt7zAdaXpA5S1_rU2h4hupdVu8mew9pV8Fzpl4p8_qD98 Spreading unfounded conspiracy theories about child sex trafficking doesn’t help—it hurts the cause: https://www.upworthy.com/trafficking-conspiracies?fbclid=IwAR1M6RXNr9d39dca070G8SdGWkTLtbZF13VvaxAlTrchpvTc-_uerRy7rBI Why do some Catholics think […]

Good food for thought, reflection, and conversation: The 88-year-old son of a slave shares his fascinating story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2020/07/27/slave-son-racism-george-floyd/ A New Testament scholar shows how the early church was mocked for being welcoming to women: https://www.michaeljkruger.com/how-early-christianity-was-mocked-for-welcoming-women/ A controversy over Catholic writer Flannery O’Connor’s racism erupts: https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/cancelling-flannery-oconnor Nostalgic for nostalgia: people used to pine for a simpler life. Now they’ve […]

Kathryn Freeman draws attention to hidden heroines of the faith: “In the proportion of evangelical lessons that reference women at all, we are more likely to hear about the faith of Elisabeth Elliot, Corrie ten Boom, Hannah More, or Ruth Graham than Jo Ann Robinson, Autherine Lucy, Ida B. Wells, or Fannie Lou Hamer. Even […]

Karen Swallow Prior reviews a documentary: “Such luminaries are indicative of the film’s high production quality. And indeed, Flannery serves up a feast for the ears and eyes, featuring original and traditional music on the soundtrack, archival film clips and photographs, and sumptuous camera shots of O’Connor’s rural home and personal possessions. The original animated segments that […]

Daniel Burke wonders about the coming election: “That's especially true of those like Newbell who have spent significant time in predominantly White spaces. Many said they are bracing for a ‘whitelash’ -- the moment White Christians tire of talking about race and bristle when Black pastors or congregants want to continue the conversation. Newbell said she is […]

Kristen Rudd has a terrible nightmare: “We are all going to die, but we are all also going to do a lot of living in the meantime, God-willing. I have a greater likelihood of lying awake for hours at night—with or without nightmares—than I do of being shot in the neck by a random stranger. […]