Posts
About once a month, you will find a new post in this section focusing on the intersection between faith and modern life. If you want email notifications about future posts, stories, articles and books, please go to the contact page and sign up.
Talladega Nights, John Wayne, January 6, and Jesus
/in Featured/by Martin ThielenIf Jesus doesn’t challenge my worldview, values, politics, and daily life, and if he doesn’t make me uncomfortable on a regular basis, I’m probably not taking him seriously.
The Self-Destructive American Church
/in Featured/by Martin ThielenThroughout most of the twentieth century, over 70 percent of Americans held membership in a local church or synagogue. By 2020 that number plummeted to 47 percent.
It’s (Past) Time to Raze Hell
/in Featured, Uncategorized/by Martin ThielenWhat kind of deity would eternally torture people in agonizing flames of hell?
If Faith Were a Movie
/in Featured/by Martin ThielenToday’s religious environment offers Americans a wide variety of faith options. In the spirit of the recent Academy Awards season, this column will focus on five of them, each one illustrated by a movie.
Six Lessons I’ve Learned about Doubt
/in Featured, Uncategorized/by Martin ThielenIn recent decades, tens of millions of Americans have left their churches and other places of worship, and that trend shows no sign of abating.
Do You Have a Biblical Worldview?
/in Featured/by Martin ThielenIt’s time to redefine the meaning of a “biblical worldview.”
The Gospel According to Don Draper
/in Featured/by Martin ThielenAuthentic faith requires less certainty and more ambiguity.
Providence and the Pandemic
/in Featured/by Martin ThielenCan people of faith still see God’s hand in history? Does God really intervene in human and natural affairs? At least three competing answers to that question are possible.
Black Santas and Illuminated Menorahs
/in Featured/by Martin ThielenChristmas 2020 finds America deeply divided in many ways, including politically, racially, and even religiously. And yet stories of Christmas love, hope, peace, and joy still abound.
The Decade of Doubt
/in Featured/by Martin Thielen2011–2020 could easily be designated “the decade of doubt.”