Christian Piatt's Blog, page 4

Why Losing the Election is a Win for Trump

It’s increasingly clear that Donald Trump is likely to lose the presidential election on November 8th. But that would be the best thing that could happen for him. I’ve written before about his private desire not to win from the outset, which is no headline-grabber by now. The reason is, in part, because of rumors about [Read More...]

Tom Krattenmaker, Secular Jesus Follower

Can you be a Christian and not believe in God? Tom Krattenmaker thinks so. We talk about his new book, “Confessions of a Secular Jesus Follower,” and why he feels like Jesus has a path that makes his life – and those of others, if they’ll be open to it – more rich and meaningful, regardless of theological [Read More...]

Crisis: Saving Only What Matters

My recent trip to the middle east – specifically the Kingdom of Jordan – was themed “Strong in the Broken Places.” In a region surrounded by such conflict, violence and division, how does Jordan remain a safe haven for citizens, immigrants and pilgrims alike? In the midst of brokenness, from where do they find their strength? [Read More...]

Trump’s Biggest Liability: He’s Getting Boring

All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances… -William Shakespeare, “As You Like It” Before anything else, Donald Trump is an entertainer. He knows how to build a brand: in this case, his own name. To his credit he has kept his name – and [Read More...]

All Water is Holy: When I Visited the Site of Jesus’ Baptism

Following is part of a series of essays from my press tour to Jordan, sponsored by the Jordan Tourism Board and Phillips Theological Seminary.  As we neared the Jordan River, we came across Elijah’s Hill, the site where many believe the prophet ascended to heaven. Such ascension stories are found in many of the world’s [Read More...]

Jake Morrill on the Future of Church

Slim Moon sits down with Jake Morrill, head of the Christian Universalist Church, for the second part of their chat: this time about the future of the institutional church as a whole. Does it have a chance at survival? What will change, and what will remain? Do we need organized religion to pursue an authentic [Read More...]

Looking for Healing in the Jordanian Ruins (Strong in the Broken Places)

Following is from a press tour sponsored by the Jordan Tourism Board and through the generosity of Phillips Theological Seminary.  The theme of my trip is “Strong in the Broken Places.”  Two years ago, I was working on the couch in our living room when I noticed a weird chemical smell, like acetone, filled my sinuses. [Read More...]

Bully Karma and Church as Sanctuary

We had our friend, Rev. Aaron Metcalf, on the CultureCast this week to share his amazing story about his childhood. He went from being a relative pariah and the subject of relentless bullying to being the one who shoved others outside the circle. But it turns out that, at least in this case, karma is real, [Read More...]

Alan Chambers’ Exodus from Religious Slavery

Alan Chambers, former long-time Director of Exodus International, speaks in this episode about his struggle with his own sexual orientation, a love-hate relationship with church and his eventual closure of the once-notorious “Conversion Therapy” organization. Chambers headed the Christian-based conversion group for years, having gone through the program himself. But after much prayerful contemplation and [Read More...]

SULLY Screenwriter Todd Komarnicki

In this CultureCast mini-sode, I chat with Todd Komarnicki, screenwriter for the new Clint Eastwood/Tom Hanks flick, SULLY. The movie focuses on Chelsey Sullenberger, captain of the US Air flight that he landed in the middle of the Hudson River after engine failures, saving all 155 people on board. Turns out there was more controversy around [Read More...]