It’s not every day that a Century article feels like it was written just for me, like a soft whisper in my ear or a punch to my gut. But this week we have an article from Nijay Gupta about loving and praying for enemies. While “enemies” is so strong a word that it doesn’t usually resonate with me, some years ago there was a church and there were some individuals in it who created a living hell for me and my wife. What does it mean for me to love those folks? This article has a lot to say on that difficult question.
There’s more great new content too, and perhaps some of it will feel like it’s meant for you. Jonathan Tran provides an honest and insightful reflection on the importance of disappointment in our faith and in our lives. A book review on Love Sechrest’s approach to the Bible highlights some of the scholar’s innovative ways of integrating race into readings of the New Testament.
Speaking of book reviews—we have a great new video with Emily McGinley based on her review of Gaslighted by God. To come full circle in this email blurb, Emily and I discuss the phenomenon of people leaving conservative evangelicalism!
Email me: Have you come across a sermon or article that seemed to be just for you?
“Steve Bannon’s use of the phrase piqued my interest because he uttered it like something you might hear as the battle cry before launching a holy war. But what exactly did Jesus mean when he taught about loving enemies?”
Jon chats with pastor Emily McGinley about the book Gaslighted by God, ex-evangelical content culture, and the ministry of repairing and rebuilding faith.
“Love Sechrest introduces a distinctive proposal for biblical interpretation—associative hermeneutics—a model she develops through critical race theory and womanist sensibilities.”
“Based on real historical events, Olga Tokarczuk’s magnum opus revolves around Jacob Frank (1726–1791), an 18th-century Jewish leader who declared himself to be the Messiah.”