John G. Stackhouse Jr.'s Blog, page 27

What to Do about SOGI in School

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) laws are being passed in various countries and jurisdictions, and entire school curricula are already in place in British Columbia and Alberta. Some Christian conservatives are sounding alarms south of the border about these … Continued

Why It’s Not Just Nominal Evangelicals Supporting Donald Trump

(RNS) — Since Donald Trump became president, many of us have wondered: Why would reasonable, mainstream evangelicals support him? Until now, we’ve tried to answer that question by analyzing it politically. But looking outside politics might actually provide the clue. … Continued

And Having Said That about Seminaries…

I promised to represent people who responded to the previous post about seminary education, and I’m glad to do so. As one might have expected, comments ranged across a spectrum. But the spectrum wasn’t as wide as it might have … Continued

Ahead of Schedule…

Just in time for Black Friday binge-purchasing (get a box!), the new book is out. Here’s what completely unbiased, if well paid, blurbers say about it (these were shortened for the book jacket): “With extraordinary single-mindedness, John Stackhouse’s discussion in … Continued

Seminary Self-Importance and the Fiction of the “Master” of Divinity

Teaching as I am, once again, at the undergraduate level, and encouraging bright students to go on to graduate work, I have encountered through their frustration the Dirty Little Secret of most seminary education: It purports to be at the … Continued

Is the Term “Evangelical” Over?

The media are full of anguished testimonies of people formerly identified as “evangelical” declaring that it has been irrevocably spoiled. It won’t disappear because, for scholarship, it’s too useful. But that doesn’t mean everybody has to keep it.   There is a difference, that is, between … Continued

What the Governor-General Got Right

I was a bit hard on Her Majesty’s representative last week as I encouraged her to stick to what she knows and what her office allows…instead of taking swipes at people’s religious beliefs in the name of science. My main … Continued

The Governor-General and Good Government

The furore continues over Governor-General Julie Payette’s attempt to solve several outstanding problems in one speech. She’s only one month into her new job, so she has started small: sorting out global climate change and the origin of life on … Continued

What to Do about Martin Luther?

Reformation Day (October 31) is upon us. This 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s nailing up the 95 theses on the castle church door in Wittenberg, commentators have been looking for interesting things to say. Luther gives them no end of … Continued

Write It Out and Write It Down

“So why didn’t you get the job? I thought you were the clear favourite?” “The president said that I was too ‘feisty.’” “What in the world did he mean by that?” What, indeed? One can speak complimentarily of a young … Continued