The Church in Dark Ages - A Call to Dissent and Nonconformity (II)

Medieval Romanism formulated its notions of law and justice in terms of a fusion between old Roman jurisprudence and the tribal codes and customs coming out of the Germanic world. Over time this would be re-tooled by other influences. The point being - Scripture had little to do with it.

A Snap-shot of Dominionism in Rural Pennsylvania

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/06/christian-movement-new-apostolic-reformation-politics-trump/674320/

This story received some press in rural Pennsylvania. It certainly caught my eye as I'm very familiar with the area, located near the Venango County airport and the small community of Franklin. And as expected the reporting is somewhat sketchy on the exact theology of these people. But in truth Christo-Trumpism, the growing hybrid religion (of Right-wing Trumpite extremism with elements of Christianity) is able to both defy and transcend traditional labels and categories. Whether Catholic or Charismatic, Confessional, Evangelical or something else, it doesn't matter all that much. The religion is (in the end) a form of hyper-nationalism with a mythology and messiah to accompany it. We've seen this sort of thing before - these monsters are born of collapsing societies.

Christmas 2021: AOC Shames the Evangelicals

https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/us-news/2021/12/09/ocasio-cortez-slams-republicans-over-gun-toting-christmas-photos/

What a sad moment. Ocasio-Cortez the much vilified Democratic representative from New York and member of the hated 'Squad' has spoken truth – and a truth that puts Evangelicals to shame.

The Christian-Right and the Rittenhouse Acquittal

Kyle Rittenhouse is the product of a generation brought up in the midst of social turmoil, economic decline, and endless war. It's evident that to Rittenhouse life is cheap and he speaks casually (in almost video game terms) of shooting people. They're not human beings, they're objects. He's the classic 'angry young man' and while he's a murderer, he does deserve a degree of sympathy.

The Trumpite Schism and the Storming of the US Capitol (Part 1)

I've been struck by the number of Trumpites and Republicans that seem genuinely shocked at the 6 January storming of the Capitol. 'That's not us' they insist. 'Those people don't represent us.' It only shows that these same folks not only do not understand what has happened in American society, they don't understand their own movement, the people they've allied themselves with and what Donald Trump's presidency means.

High Place Hermeneutics – The Spirit of Balaam-Hananiah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtdPoLDl5jU

At 4:44, Jordan Hall engages in a classic syncretistic move of bait and switch. Juxtaposing the holy covenantal inheritance due to Esau and the inheritance gained and earned by American patriots who through work and war built the nation Hall has sold his soul to – he engages in a basic hermeneutical and theological fallacy and yet one well known to students of the Scripture and those who continue to watch American Evangelicalism with a wary eye.

The Covid-19 Protests (III) – Why Christians Need to Pay Attention

While all of this is certainly concerning I was far more troubled when I watched the protest videos closely and spent some time examining the signage. A lot of it has a 'Christian' theme to it.

The Covid-19 Protests (II) – Trumpism and Trump Country

These protests express militancy and an insurrectionist character. Not everyone is carrying a gun to be sure but there are large numbers of armed men dressed in military fashion and many are organised, part of paramilitary organisations. While some people are scared of the state power grab in shutting down and heavily regulating the economy, others are expressing fears of a growing fascist movement and the potential for paramilitary violence. They see a parallel state developing, centered around the leadership and personality of Trump.

The Covid-19 Protests (I) – The Dangers to Society

Over the past week or so there has been a rash of protests, groups of people congregating outside government buildings and in violation of the current rules regarding 'distancing' and 'mass gatherings'. They gather to publicly resist US and state policy with regard to the economic shutdown and the various guidelines surrounding 'stay at home' policies and the like.

Wal-Mart and the Library of Sodom

Once again I recently found myself in a Wal-Mart and as usual I perused the book section. It's instructive because of the fact that Wal-Mart is only interested in carrying a relatively small number of books that are guaranteed to sell. In other words Wal-Mart carries the best-selling books within certain categories and of course it also targets its demographics, the types of people that shop in its store.

Bad Analogies of Masculinity: The Warrior Ethos vs. New Testament Manliness (Part 2)

I live in an area that is renowned for hunting. People come from cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland, from Eastern Ohio and from Southwestern Pennsylvania to come and hunt deer, bear, turkey, coyote, bobcat and other small game. I watch the men arrive on the big hunting weekends. They're often away from their wives and you can see that many of them are acting foolish as a result.