Refresh: When Faith is Aspirational…
The old quip goes, “When all is said and done, far more is said than done.” It’s true. sometimes it works that way in faith as well. We claim huge things… we are set to change the world. But back at the ranch things are a little different. Sometimes faith is more about our aspirations than the reality. What happens then? This refresh post from August 2022 explores this dilemma. Refresh: When Faith is Aspirational… Have you ever asked if we do what we believe, believe what we do, or sit in an uncomfortable space of a bit of both, with belief and action sometimes...
Read MoreFormed, forming, reforming and deforming…
One of the hats I wear is as “Pastor at Large” of the Carey Group. While the title sounds exotic, I’m not sure any of us really know what it means, but in practice I get to speak into and participate in the life of Carey at a meaningful level. It’s an enormous privilege. We usually choose a theme for each year – something that identifies where we will place special attention, and this year the focus is on formation. It’s a choice that delights me. Why? Well, it’s not claiming a static “formed” – as though we have arrived and now...
Read MoreExtrinsic, Intrinsic and Quest forms of faith…
OK, so this topic might not sound compelling. What’s this about extrinsic, intrinsic and quest forms of faith, and does it have any relevance? Actually, I think it does. It helps to explain why faith works it way out one way in some people, and so very differently in others. But let me be a little more systematic. It’s a topic I explore in my recently published book When Faith Turns Ugly (Paternoster, 2016). I start by talking about some of the pioneering work done by Gordon Allport in the field of personality theory, and do so in a chapter which explores Freud’s accusation...
Read MoreWhat about fundamentalism…
Fundamentalism has become a dirty word in our day. It’s not hard to understand why. With ISIS and other Islamic extremist groups spreading terror and creating havoc, being in any way associated with extremism becomes something to avoid. Not that fundamentalism has to be viewed as bad. In the early part of the 20th century a version of Christian fundamentalism arose that initially simply wanted to defend the fundamentals of the Christian faith. In the wake of increasingly liberal interpretations of Christianity that increasingly denied orthodox Christian truths, the original authors of...
Read MoreWhat about other religions? In conversation with Lloyd Porter
In my latest book, When Faith Turns Ugly one of the topics discussed is that of other religions. It is clearly a controversial subject, and some who oppose Christianity, and indeed any form of religion, often point to inter-faith conflict and see it as the source of much of the world’s division. They are consequently suspicious of anything that is seen as missionary activity or the attempt to convert people to faith – be it a conversion to the Christian faith or any other. Chapter 2 of When Faith Turns Ugly explores both intra-faith dialogue (discussion between different versions...
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