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A subversive approach to a subversive parable [From Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43] On the surface, the story reads quite clearly—maybe a little too clearly. If you’re a regular church attendee…
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Why the Grammys' Macklemore Weddings Were a Good Thing
Lots of folks have been chattering about the mass wedding that took place in the middle of Macklemore’s “Same Love” performance at the Grammys this past week. The lighting-quick ceremony…
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The Early Church on Killing by Ron Sider
By RLC Editor
Ron Sider’s newest publication, The Early Church on Killing, is, as the subtitle suggests, a fairly comprehensive source book for anyone who is investigating what early Christians had to…
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Reflections on Ron Sider's Newest Book, The Church on Killing
By Tony Campolo
Ron Sider’s newest publication, The Early Church on Killing, is, as the subtitle suggests, a fairly comprehensive source book for anyone who is investigating what early Christians had to say…
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Theological Reflections on Thailand and Prevention
By Brian White
It’s my second night in Bangkok and I find myself with a few of my friends having a drink at a bar in Soi Cowboy. I have found myself in…
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Creation Care Literally Stinks
By Ed Cyzewski
Our house rabbits play a significant role in one of our contributions to creation care. In fact, their contribution is tied my second least favorite chore: cleaning out the rabbits’…
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Kill or Be Killed? The Cost of Nonviolent Resistance
“He who says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.” – John 2:6 I honestly cannot remember ever hearing a sermon preached…
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Human Trafficking and the Super Bowl: "It’s a Huge Problem"
Today I’m asking Shayne Moore & Kimberly Yim, authors of Refuse to Do Nothing: Finding Your Power to Abolish Modern Day Slavery, how Christians can respond when human trafficking…
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War is the Ultimate Guy-Fun
By Morf Morford
It is well that war is so terrible. We should grow too fond of it. When I was a kid, my favorite activity, by far, was playing war. On rainy…
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Boundary Issues
By Micah Bales
What is the basic message of the gospel? Is there a core essence that can be extracted from all the stories, traditions, rituals, and writings of our faith? To ask…
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… You've Done It Unto Me: What if the eyes of the naked were the eyes of Jesus?
By Tony Kriz
I recently taught a class on a Theology of Evangelism at a local conservative seminary. It was a most enjoyable class (and one of my favorite topics) full of significant…
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Jesus, Class Warrior?
Was Jesus a class warrior? The very question will no doubt cause many to answer with an instinctive and emphatic, “No!” Clearly that was the answer given recently by Bill…
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Richard Sherman and Black Male Achievement
On Sunday after the Seattle Seahawks beat the 49ers advancing to the Super Bowl, you could not scroll through your Twitter feed or Facebook or any other form of social…
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Shane Claiborne reflects on the Anniversary of Roe v. Wade
On January 22, 1973, the US Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade that a mother has the legal right to end her pregnancy up until the point at which…
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The Death of a Dynasty
A couple of weeks ago, at the height of the Duck Dynasty controversy, as conservative evangelicals sparred with both progressive Christians and the secular Left regarding Phil Robertson’s cherry picked…
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Dr. King and Our Children: How to talk about and model his dream
As we celebrate the impact of Dr. King, I’ve seen many links to posts about how to talk to kids about Dr. King. I’ve seen resources to books and movies…
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What Folks Who Live Outside Do Not Need: Hugh Hollowell is on the Red Carpet
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Love Wins Ministries tackles the problems of homelessness by focusing on relationships. Today I ask founder and director Hugh Hollowell about engaging with folks who…
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Stop Celebrating Martin Luther King
By Matt Rindge
Today, America engages in its annual ritual of misremembering Martin Luther King, Jr. Although Rev. Dr. King often indicted what he called the “triple evils of racism, economic exploitation and…
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Smoking What We’re Growing: 8 Things That Happen When We Live (or Don’t Live) What We Talk About
By Jon Huckins
I was down in Mexico a few years ago for a gathering of peers who are leading faith communities around the world. It was a rich time of conversation, encouragement…
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Dear Christians, Before You Attack Someone’s Beliefs, Think About This…
In an individualistic society that thrives upon creating conflict, voicing opinions, and being obsessed with moral superiority, there are plenty of platforms that allow us to attack other people’s beliefs.…
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Walmart Joins the Fair Food Program with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Above photo: Walmart representatives John Amaya (left), Tom Leech (center) and CIW’s Lucas Benitez look on as CIW’s Gerardo Reyes Chavez (far right) signs historic agreement at a Lipman Produce…
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God and Country? Or A King and A Kingdom
Story is the currency of human contact. We tell stories about ourselves that reveal a great deal about what we as a people believe and value. If you want to understand…
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What We Should Learn From the LGBT Struggle
By Yaholo Hoyt
The world is often a mirror to the individual. What we see and react to in the world is often the best way to see our own soul reflected back…
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One Look at American Christians and I Figure Jesus Must Have Hated Women– Right?
My friend’s attitude pissed me off. I shouted, “Are you kidding me? Taking care of my grandchildren is the only thing I’ve ever done I feel entirely happy about! Anyway, Jesus liked…
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Tony Campolo to Close Mission Organization, EAPE
By RLC Editor
Today, Tony Campolo announced that his missionary organization, the Evangelical Association for the Promotion of Education (EAPE), will close on June 30, 2014, after nearly 40 years of ministry. In…
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What Violence Should Feel Like
By John Watson
On the morning of 2 December, armed police went to an apartment on the east side of the city. A man had been reported shooting a shotgun in his apartment,…
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What to Do with Smart-but-Poor Students (Who Mistakenly Believe They Deserve a Good College Education)
Should the poor have a right to a college education in the United States? “Many people in our country no longer believe that college is a privilege to attend, but…
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The Jesus Lens: Can a Red Letter Christian question the "red letters"?
By Derek Flood
Many people have proposed the need to interpret Scripture through a Jesus-shaped lens. In many ways this is a parallel to the idea of being a “red letter Christian” which…
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Alexia Salvatierra Dishes on “The Big Lie” and Peter Heltzel Sings Songs of Freedom
As a Christian who, for decades, has loved Jesus and loved justice, it struck me as odd that Faith-Rooted Organizing—a new book by Alexia Salvatierra and Peter Heltzel—was my…
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What If God is Pragmatic?
By Yaholo Hoyt
If there is anything we resent God for more, it is being outside of our understanding. We want God to be a like an omnipotent train conductor; completely in control…
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The Inexcusable Freedom of Irresponsible Gun Owners
Photo above: The chilling picture released as part of the final police report into the Sandy Hook massacre Where I live in South Florida we don’t see snow. I had…
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Root for Humanity! Why our Messy, Recalcitrant Lives are Better than Robots, Drones, and other Human-replacing Technologies
One of the most fun films I saw this year was World’s End—the final installment of the trilogy that included Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. While the first…
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Tamayo's Execution puts Missionaries Everywhere in Danger
By RLC Editor
Edgar Tamayo Arias is set to be executed by the state of Texas on Wednesday, January 22. Here’s the background from Heather Beaudoin at Equal Justice USA: Tamayo, a Mexican…
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God Beyond the Crisis
By Micah Bales
I’ve heard it said that there are no atheists in foxholes. Whether or not that expression is literally true, I take this to mean that, in the face of imminent death,…
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Three Things I Love (and Hate) About Christians
Christianity is about 2, 000 years old and there are now two billion Christians in the world. We have a track record of doing some very good things, and also…
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Why Hearing, "I'm Gay" Changed My Straight, Christian Life
By Emily Timbol
While driving back from a long, intense weekend retreat with my church, I got a call from my friend Marie. “We need to see you tonight.” “We who?” I didn’t…
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Priming the Pump: Why do we eliminate those unlike us?
By Morf Morford
Virtually every generation in human history – until this one apparently – has understood the principle of priming the pump. It’s very simple, but if you have never experienced it,…
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Epiphany’s Counter-Cultural Breakthrough: From Wise Men to Prostitutes
By Tony Campolo
January 6 has long been celebrated as the traditional day of Epiphany, the day the wise men came to worship Jesus. Need I say more? We all know the story,…
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Now on the Red Carpet: Rachel Goble
In recognition of this Saturday, January 11, being National Human Trafficking Day, I’m talking to Rachel Goble, President of , an international organization dedicated to providing education to children…
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6 Bad Prayer Habits We're All (Mostly) Guilty Of
Many people are afraid to pray and assume it’s a complicated science. But trying to pray is better than not praying at all. The following is meant to encourage and…
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Sex, Pills and the Image of God
I grew up along the beaches of Florida and couldn’t get enough of the pounding waves on the sand. I swam against the tide and rolled with the force of…
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Some New Year's Resolutions are only 12 Steps Away
Three years ago I walked into my first 12 Step meeting to deal with my drinking. I was terrified, and ashamed, but I believed they may have something to offer…
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Why I Finally Wear TOMS Shoes
By Peter Greer
For years, I’ve resisted the TOMS Shoes craze. It wasn’t just because the early shoes look like slippers, but because it seemed to perpetuate an out-of-style paradigm of charity. But today, the…
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14 Hopes for 2014
Each year (2012 and 2013) I remix some of my hopes and dreams for the New Year, bringing some of last year along, and adding a few new ones… I…
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5 Things You Don't Want to Miss from 2013
By RLC Editor
2013 was a record year for Red Letter Christians! We received over 2.1 million pageviews (nearly double 2012: 1.08 million pageviews). Included over 75 authors from 7 different countries on…
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Bono, Kensington, and the Caroling Angels
In case you missed it… For the 5th consecutive year, Bono hit the streets of Dublin singing Christmas carols (on Christmas Eve). Don’t miss the magical rendition of “O Come Let Us…
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Now on the Red Carpet: Leroy Barber
Because the incarnational ministry of Word Made Flesh is one worth learning from, I’m chatting today with Leroy Barber, Global Executive Director of this international organization that works among…
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Oh Popularity, I Love Being Loved
By Mimi Haddad
I love seeing my name in headlines. I suppose that makes me well, decidedly human. I love being loved. I relish being included, mentioned, cited, and most of all, seeing me everywhere!…
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The Power to Forgive
“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” These are the words of Jesus as he asks God to forgive the people who are killing Him. This is…
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Let's Stop Empowering and Start Inspiring
By Rachel Goble
I’ve been using the word ’empower’ for years. It’s a great word – one that implies giving dignity to others; the whole ‘give a man a fish and he eats…
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The Nativity, The Incarnate God, and Why I Am A Christian
By Yaholo Hoyt
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born…
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Five Ways to De-Commercialize Christmas
We’ve created a Christmas monster: a grotesque assemblage of pagan, Christian and capitalist symbolism into something that resembles something we’re both attracted to and repulsed by at the same time.…
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Peace for the Little Town of Bethlehem
By Jim Hooker
As Christmas nears and I hear all the traditional music, I think back to this past August when my wife, Susan, and I ventured off to Bethlehem on the West…
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Now on the Red Carpet: Jack Heller
When Jesus said that those who visit prisoners are actually visiting him, he made no mention of how to get behind bars. Jack Heller, who teaches at Huntington University,…
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My One (and Only) Duck Dynasty Post
I’ve never watched Duck Dynasty. I didn’t even know Phil Robertson’s name until the whole media melodrama unfolded recently. The most I knew about him was that he bore a…
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Six Things I Wish Christians Would Stop Doing
Christians have some annoying habits. Here are six things I wish they would stop doing: Arguing: Instead of having a reputation as being peacemakers, promoting reconciliation, and working towards unity,…
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Schaefer and Robertson, A Tale of Two Men: An Invitation to Dialogue
By Neely Baugh
In a day’s time, two men have been turned out of institutions they have long been a part of. The star of A&E’s Duck Dynasty was suspended indefinitely after making a…
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Quack, Quack.
What a dynasty. You’ve probably heard by now that the fully-bearded Duck Commander Phil Robertson had some choice things to say about his personal views regarding faith and sexuality –…
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Duck Dynasty, first amendment rights, and Christian values
My feed has been lit up with people responding to the suspension of Phil, the patriarch of A&E’s popular Duck Dynasty reality show. For full disclosure . . . I watch…
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Duck Hunting, Defrocking a Minister, and Other Gay Tidings
By Kathy Vestal
All in the same day, New Mexico became the 17th state to legalize gay marriage, Olympic figure skating gold medalist Brian Boitano came out as gay, the United Methodist Church…
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Wanna Save Marriage? Stop Patronizing Women
By Yaholo Hoyt
“Getting married? Just learn to say ‘I’m sorry’ a lot.” That line sums up what most young men hear as they are preparing to get married, throughout their reception, and…
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Is It Possible to Celebrate Christmas and the Birth of Jesus on the Same Day?
By Jon Huckins
There is certainly a warm, nostalgic feeling about the Christmas season. Social media fills up with pictures of Starbucks holiday cups and we get the play-by-play of Christmas trees being…
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Missing the Message
By Kathy Vestal
“I hope you’re well. Any chance I’ll see you during the holidays?” That was all the email said. Really? During the holidays? I have a semester to close, I thought, exams…
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The Slow Motion Lynching of President Barack Obama
I’ve watched liberal and right wing commentators alike blame the president for being lynched. They say “he’s not reaching out enough” or “he’s too cold.” It’s the equivalent of assuming that the black…
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Now on the Red Carpet: Nikole Lim
You’re on a mission trip and you want to snap some good pictures for a slideshow at church. Or, if you’re being honest, to post to facebook. But pointing…
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Mandela Is Dead
By Morf Morford
Mandela is dead, and I don’t know about anyone else, but I feel a cold, dark shadow saturating the space he filled. I see a blundering, incoherent, and yes, blatantly…
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5 Reasons We Should Personally Help the Poor
Tis the Season for charity, where every non-profit organization is seeking donations in order to help a variety of wonderful causes. But this year, try cutting out the middleman and…
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Now on the Red Carpet: Alberto Vega
Alberto Vega was born and raised in Camden, New Jersey, one of the most dangerous cities in America. Some would call Al’s journey, graduating from Eastern University, a “success…
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After 3 Years Here are the Most Read and Discussed Articles
Three years ago today, Red Letter Christians went live! As I’ve written the past two days (Friday and Saturday), many individuals and articles have led to our success and we…
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Three Years of Red Letter Christians: the Authors Who Made it Happen
By RLC Editor
As you read yesterday, this weekend marks three years since Red Letter Christians went live on the World Wide Web. Tomorrow, December 8 is the specific date back in…
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Come Celebrate: Red Letter Christians' 3 Year Anniversary
This weekend marks the three-year anniversary of the beginning of Red Letter Christians. To be exact we went live on December 8, 2010 with five pieces, all of which were…
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Frank Schaeffer on Why He is Not an Atheist
Is atheism a belief system in itself? Frank Schaeffer, author most recently of And God Said, Billy!, says yes indeed! In fact, Frank says it is one of the great world…
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Love Isn’t Enough: some things you need to know about adoption
By Ben Corey
Adoption is a hot issue in American Evangelicalism, and while rates of international adoption have drastically declined recently, I don’t think a culture of adoption is going anywhere, anytime soon.…
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Now on the Red Carpet: David Montague
A few weeks ago a friend was raving about the impact the Memphis Teacher Residency was having in Memphis schools by recruiting, training and supporting effective teachers. Wanting to…
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The Fantasy of the Ideal
By Micah Bales
More often than I would care to admit, I have allowed my personal fantasies about the perfect community to distract me from the beautiful, real-life community that is right in front…
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The Power and Relevance of Thankfulness in a Driven World
By Yaholo Hoyt
Thankfulness is one of those words which suffers from its own popularity. Having a holiday dedicated to it, and being a “go to” virtue in the Christian community means that…
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Shane Claiborne Celebrates Buy Nothing Day
Today seems like a good time to say: ENOUGH. One of the great memories I have from our Buy Nothing Day circus outside the Gallery mall here in Philly was…
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Mark Driscoll’s Plagiarism Witch Hunt
Yes, I know it is Thanksgiving. So maybe I am feeling a little bit more generous than usual. But even I am not beyond offering some grace and compassion toward…
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Support the Boring this Holiday Season
By Roy Goble
“….in this age of elites who delight in such phrases as “out of the box” and “killer app”, arguably the most coveted status symbol isn’t a yacht, a racehorse, or…
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New U2 Song Inspired by Nelson Mandela: "Ordinary Love"
By RLC Editor
The legendary Irish rock band U2 recently released a new track entitled, Ordinary Love. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, lead singer Bono described it as a “really…
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How the Christian orphan care movement may be enabling child abandonment
A few months ago I got to speak at Idea Camp about orphan care. I shared my concerns about the trend of churches opening orphanages in third world countries instead of working…
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Now on the Red Carpet: Robert Gelinas
As National Adoption month comes to a close, I’m chatting with Robert Gelinas. Gelinas is father to six children—five of whom he and his wife welcomed through adoption. The…
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Two Dozen Evangelical Christian Leaders: "Stop Duane Buck's Execution"
Join the movement to stop the execution of Duane Buck in Texas. Over 80, 000 folks putting our voices together — we need yours too. Here’s all the info: Over…
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"What Church do you go to?" Why Jay Bakker is my (virtual) pastor
By Derek Flood
I often get emails from people, stuck in dogmatic churches, who are hungry for grace. They hear the message of the cross expressed in terms of God’s restorative justice, rather…
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Christianity, Empire, and a USS Mother Teresa?
By Morf Morford
Since the First Century, if not before, the choice of people of faith has been between empire approved institutions or the individual or tiny group quest for peace, justice and…
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Women, Child Birth and What it Means to be Fully Human Again
By Jon Huckins
My wife, Jan, was 8 days past her due date when the first signs of labor finally kicked in about 5am. Being past your due date is no fun (keep…
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I No Longer Care What Kind of Christian You Are—As Long As You’re Christian
In a Westernized culture obsessed with consumerism, we crave options and the ability to choose the best possible products—even when it relates to our personal faith. We’ve been trained through…
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The Greatest Heresy
By Derek Flood
Many pastors fear that if they were honest with their congregations about their doubts they would be fired, and the sad fact is: They probably would be. Not fired for some…
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I Tithe…but should it go to my local church?
By Kathy Vestal
I have always given a tenth of my income “back to God, ” mostly through my local church, although my reasons have changed over the years. As a child, it…
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An Honest, "F@#! You" is Better than a False, "I Love You"
I wrote this as much to myself as anyone else, so do not take offense, I am not targeting anyone. The title of this article is from a man whose…
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Now on the Red Carpet: Sarah Bessey
Like many RLC readers, blogger Sarah Bessey believes in the full inclusion of women in the life of the church. Because many women around the globe are not yet…
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Adoption and Hospitality Should Replace "Evangelism"
By Yaholo Hoyt
Evangelism is a term very similar to “Jihad” in terms of public relations. It is a term cherished by those of us “inside” Christianity, but despised by those on the…
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Strangers At My Door by Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove
By RLC Editor
Jesus Told Us Where to Find Him. Just Look for an Outcast. His first followers knew that Jesus could be found with the fatherless, the widows, and the hungry…
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The Good News in Every Story (Book Review)
By Tony Campolo
The importance of Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove’s new book, Strangers at My Door, cannot be overstated. It’s a call to live out and remember those red letters of Jesus, “Truly…
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Q&A with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, author of Strangers at My Door
By RLC Editor
Editor’s Note: This post is part of the Red Letter Book Club. It is an interview with Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove about his new book, “Strangers at My Door.” One…
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Review: Strangers at My Door: An Experiment in Radical Hospitality
Editor’s Note: This post is part of the Red Letter Book Club. It is a review of Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove’s new book, “Strangers at My Door: A True Story…
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Excerpt: Knock, knock. Welcome Everything
Editor’s Note: This post is part of the Red Letter Book Club. It is an excerpt from Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove’s new book, “Strangers at My Door: A True Story…
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Kenneth Copeland and David Barton’s Detrimental Guidance for Veterans
A member of a nearby congregation enlisted in the army several years ago and was sent to Iraq. When he returned home others in church joyfully welcomed him back, pouring…
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My Response to the Typhoon in the Philippines
By Tony Campolo
The super-storm typhoon that devastated the Philippines last Friday left an unconfirmed estimate of 10, 000 people dead and hundreds of thousands more without a home. In the audio clip…
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Five Traits of a False Prophet
Somehow I’ve had the good fortune until recently not to know who Theresa Caputo, (AKA the Long Island Medium) was. The long and short of it, in case you’ve been similarly privileged,…
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From “Good News” to FOX News: How Franklin Graham Is Using His Aging Father
We all can recall the scene: Shepherds in a field watching over their flocks of sheep at night. Suddenly, a trumpet sounds and an army of angels appear in the…