Meet an early evangelist, an education reformer, and a preacher who held Bible studies with the royal family. Christianity arrived in Japan in 1549 through Jesuit missionaries and challenged the dominant Confucian view on the hierarchical position of women in society. The Confucian instructional book Onna Daigaku (School of Women) instructed parents to raise their…
The former president’s potential arrest shows that character does matter. This piece was adapted from Russell Moore’s newsletter. Subscribe here. As I write this, I have no idea if or when we will see something no generation of Americans has ever witnessed: a mug shot of a former president of the United States. What I…
In an age of functional atheism, ‘tis the season for traditional fasting and prayer. “I’m giving up God for Lent,” said the post on my social media feed. I had to reread the line again while my brain did a bit of reorienting. Wasn’t the person who posted this a Christian? For some believers, the…
After leaving Maverick City Music, the singer is launching his own label focused on authenticity in a field increasingly crowded by celebrity. Grammy Award–winning worship artist Dante Bowe is starting a new chapter. After years with some of today’s most influential worship music collectives, Bethel Music and Maverick City Music, Bowe has launched TRUE Music,…
Anonymous Christmas condemnation of invasion offers insight into antiwar movement as it seeks reconciliation with Ukrainian believers—who want names. On an Advent Sunday in a small Protestant church in St. Petersburg, a Russian pastor nervously approached the pulpit. While his senior leadership was publicly neutral about the war, he was about to preach from the…
The former pastor of ex-SBC Saddleback shares why his views on women changed. Last week, Russell Moore interviewed the recently retired pastor Rick Warren—author of The Purpose Driven Life—on his show. They discussed his pastoral transition and plans for the future, as well as the disfellowshipping of Saddleback Church from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)…
Instead of prosecutors trying to win arguments, we’re supposed to be defending what actually matters. This piece was adapted from Russell Moore’s newsletter. Subscribe here. “Why are we on defense,” one frustrated culture warrior asked me, referring to some religious freedom issue, “when we should be on offense?” As I’ve written elsewhere, I find this…
And among the worst-rated by everybody else. When asked about their views of the country’s biggest religious groups, most Americans don’t have strong feelings either way—except when it comes to evangelical Christians. In a Pew Research Center report released Wednesday, 27 percent of Americans expressed an unfavorable view of evangelicals, compared to 10 percent who…
We need fresh eyes for our faith’s basic teachings, no matter how long we’ve studied the Bible. In this Close Reading series, biblical scholars reflect on a passage in their area of expertise that has been formational in their own discipleship and continues to speak to them today. One warm April night, my high school…
How to find freedom from cycles of navel-gazing and self-loathing. Jasmine L. Holmes is not a licensed counselor or psychologist. But she is a Christian woman who actively struggles with shame. In her newest book, Never Cast Out: How the Gospel Puts an End to the Story of Shame, she shares candid accounts of dealing…
