(By Alistair Begg, The Gospel Coalition). I used to be dismissive of nativity scenes. You know the sort—the perfect arrangements of little figurines that start popping up in mall displays and outside churches this time of year. First, who can relate to this unrealistic depiction? Mary always looks remarkably unexhausted for someone who’s just given birth, and the…
Unless Christianity updates its doctrine and adapts to a changing world, it’s destined for irrelevancy! A century ago, many church leaders made this sort of claim about God’s supernatural intervention in human affairs. The Bible’s miracle stories were simply unbelievable for modern people in a world steeped in the discoveries of science. As a result,…
By Trevin Wax, The Gospel Coalition. The biggest issue confronting evangelicalism today is not over homosexuality and marriage, but whether or not these are “agree-to-disagree” issues. The question takes various forms: Can progressive evangelicals who advocate same-sex marriage share a measure of unity with the rest of the global church? Is it possible to see…
By Tim Keller, The Gospel Coalition. Western society used to be basically divided between people who (1) respected the Bible as “the truth” but didn’t follow it, (2) believed and followed it devotedly, or (3) rejected it as simply a book of legends and myths. Things are changing. To begin with, the first group is rapidly…
By Tim Chester, The Gospel Coalition. Lose weight. Learn a new language. Remain calm with the kids. Go to the gym. Watch less television. Read the classics. Spend more time in prayer. What’s your new year’s resolution going to be? There’s nothing wrong with resolutions. A young Jonathan Edwards famously made a list of 70. Most…
By Russell Moore, The Gospel Coalition. It’s rather common in headlines and news articles these days to see “religious freedom” placed in scare quotes. Many seem to think religious liberty is just a Religious Right Trojan horse for Christian privilege. Here are four popular myths about religious liberty I commonly encounter. Myth #1: Religious freedom is about ending…
By Joe Carter, The Gospel Coalition. How diverse are America’s religious groups and denominations? Pew Research recently attempted to answer that question and provides the data in a handy infographic: The graphic seems to show at a glance that some denominations, such as the Seventh-Day Adventist, include a relatively balanced mix of racial and ethnic…
By Daniel S. McConchie, The Gospel Coalition. As recent attacks against religious liberty have demonstrated, it is increasingly difficult for Christians to speak truth in the public square. The temptation is to respond by withdrawing, turning your faith inward, and warming yourself in quiet communion with like-minded faithful. However, even if this were a legitimate…
By Christiana Holcomb, The Gospel Coalition. More than 35 states now issue same-sex marriage licenses. An increasing number of scholars and judges insist that the First Amendment only protects the freedom to believe—not the freedom to live out those beliefs. At least one state now compels employers to provide insurance coverage for elective abortions. Many cities…
By Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, posted on The Gospel Coalition Editors’ note: Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, delivered the following address to a worldwide gathering of religious leaders at the Vatican on the necessity of complementarity and the importance…