Sarahbeth Caplin's Blog, page 10

A time for unifying, a time for dividing

I’m torn between two types of people I want to be: one who shows grace to those with differing opinions, and one who is firm in both conviction and setting healthy emotional boundaries. How can one be both in this era? Yet Another Identity Crisis For me, this is another Jewish-versus-Christian issue, where both sides… Continue reading A time for unifying, a time for dividing

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RBG and Spiritual Dysphoria

Every now and then, there is an event or a season in which I hearken back to my Jewish roots. It’s not that I shut down my Christian identity, but rather allow a part of me that normally lies dormant to temporarily take the stage. The High Holy Days in Judaism are one such season.… Continue reading RBG and Spiritual Dysphoria

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Yes, Theology Matters

My “Theology Matters” shirt never fails to spark conversation or earn me funny looks. But I’m sure it’s frequently misunderstood. I’ll give you a hint: “Theology matters” is not making a statement about Christian supremacy. Religion News Service has an article describing how many American Christians are ambivalent about social justice. Their faith doesn’t motivate… Continue reading Yes, Theology Matters

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Grace for the fascist and the baby killer

I was talking to a friend recently about whether it’s right to avoid people in my life who still ardently support Donald Trump, as a grown-up way of following the rule we all learned in kindergarten: “If you have nothing nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” For me, the best way to… Continue reading Grace for the fascist and the baby killer

“Christian privilege” is about culture, not discipleship

Wikipedia defines “Christian privilege” as follows: Christian privilege is any social advantage that is perceived to be bestowed upon Christians in few societies. This arises out of the presumption that Christian belief is a social norm, that leads to the marginalization of the nonreligious and members of other religions through institutional religious discrimination or religious… Continue reading “Christian privilege” is about culture, not discipleship

Coronavirus and evangelical fear of uncertainty

Evangelical discomfort with uncertainty has become clearer to me in the few months that Covid-19 has ravaged the planet. For a community of people that are supposed to be “set apart” from the world — that is, to exercise discernment and caution in all things — it is evangelical Christians that are the most likely… Continue reading Coronavirus and evangelical fear of uncertainty

Theologically conservative, politically progressive

I recently asked my followers on Twitter who else considers themselves theologically conservative and politically progressive. The number of people who identify this way is validating. Typically, we expect people to believe and act like single tickets all the way down: theological conservatism equals political conservatism, and likewise for more liberal Christians. I have never… Continue reading Theologically conservative, politically progressive

The hard but necessary conversations we should be having

A college friend recently posted on Facebook that while she doesn’t limit her friendships to people who view the world exactly as she does, she will cut people off who are intolerant or outright hateful (basically, she’s describing the same boundaries that I outlined in this post). At the time we met, she was (and… Continue reading The hard but necessary conversations we should be having

The intersection of faith and colonialism

I’ve been rereading Mark Noll’s The Civil War as a Theological Crisis. It’s a relatively short book, but packed with information that all Christians should be educated about. The “theological crisis” in the title that led to civil war was, obviously, about slavery — and whether or not the Bible justified the slave trade. Christians… Continue reading The intersection of faith and colonialism

Racism and the importance of communal repentance

One Jewish concept that carried over into Christianity is that of communal repentance. In ancient times, the sins of a community were atoned for with blood sacrifices. Today, communal repentance takes place one day a year on Yom Kippur, where Jews gather in synagogue to recognize the sins that were committed during the past year.… Continue reading Racism and the importance of communal repentance