G0-GRA - PEOPLE FILES
- David Emmanuel Goatley - Daniel Gokey - Ariel Gold - James Golden - Graeme Goldsworthy - James R Golka - Jose Gomez - Mike Gonzalez - Lydia Goodman - Megan Goodwin - Cary Gordon - Philip Gorski - Chris Gosqami - Giles Gough - Paul M Gould - Amanda Grace - Jack Graham - Michelle Graham - Anthony Granado - Amy Grant - Stan Grant - Ken Graves - Marlena Graves - Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons - Todd Gray- Mark Grayson - Michael Grayston -
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==david emmanuel goatley======
400 Christian leaders urge resistance to Trump administration on Ash Wednesday
Signers include Bishop Vashti McKenzie, president of the National Council of Churches; Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops; the Rev. Jihyun Oh, stated clerk of General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA); Bishop Darin Moore, presiding prelate for the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; David Emmanuel Goatley, president of Fuller Seminary; Jennifer Herdt, senior associate dean for academic affairs at Yale University Divinity School; the Rev. Corey D. B. Walker, dean of Wake Forest University School of Divinity; UMC Bishop Minerva Carcaño; the Rev. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ; David Cortright, professor emeritus at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies; and the Rev. Randall Balmer, who holds the John Phillips Chair in Religion at Dartmouth College. (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>>
Signers include Bishop Vashti McKenzie, president of the National Council of Churches; Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops; the Rev. Jihyun Oh, stated clerk of General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA); Bishop Darin Moore, presiding prelate for the Mid-Atlantic Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; David Emmanuel Goatley, president of Fuller Seminary; Jennifer Herdt, senior associate dean for academic affairs at Yale University Divinity School; the Rev. Corey D. B. Walker, dean of Wake Forest University School of Divinity; UMC Bishop Minerva Carcaño; the Rev. Otis Moss III of Trinity United Church of Christ; David Cortright, professor emeritus at the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies; and the Rev. Randall Balmer, who holds the John Phillips Chair in Religion at Dartmouth College. (Religion News Service 2.13.26) READMORE>>>>>
==danny gokey======
DANNY GOKEY SHARES HOW TO COMBAT ‘HEAVY EMOTIONS’: ‘TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE’
Christian artist Danny Gokey took to Instagram to share an encouraging message in light of Mental Health Awareness Month. “If you struggle with heavy emotions, with depression, oppression, trauma, whatever it might be, there is a solution in God’s word that maybe you haven’t seen before, and I want to share it with you,” the “Stay Strong” singer began. He then read a scripture in the Bible that addresses our minds. “2 Corinthians 10:5 says, ‘We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God and we take every thought captive to obey Christ,’” he read.
(Movie Guide 6/4/24) Movie Guide>>>>>
Christian artist Danny Gokey took to Instagram to share an encouraging message in light of Mental Health Awareness Month. “If you struggle with heavy emotions, with depression, oppression, trauma, whatever it might be, there is a solution in God’s word that maybe you haven’t seen before, and I want to share it with you,” the “Stay Strong” singer began. He then read a scripture in the Bible that addresses our minds. “2 Corinthians 10:5 says, ‘We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God and we take every thought captive to obey Christ,’” he read.
(Movie Guide 6/4/24) Movie Guide>>>>>
==ariel gold======
Ariel Gold is Executive Director, Fellowship of Reconciliation | Middle East Policy Analyst | Social Justice Advocate, Specialization in Israel/Palestine. Holds a Bachelors in Policy Analysis and Management from Cornell University and a master’s degree in Social Work from Binghamton University.
Ariel Gold Files
Christian nationalism is the belief that America is blessed by God to be a Christian nation, as it was founded, and that civic life and Christianity should be fused together. Connected to white supremacy, nativism, patriarchy and the like, it envisions Jesus not as the humble Semitic man who turned the other cheek and washed his disciples’ feet, but a broad-shouldered, white man with thick biceps and a sword (or if one had been available at the time, an AR-15) at his hip..........Aside from white militia groups and the extremists who led the Jan. 6 insurrection, some gun manufacturers appear to be among the most out front proponents of the connection between guns and Christian nationalism. They see their businesses as both patriotic and the fulfillment of a sacred religious duty.
--Ariel Gold; Waging Nonviolence; 5.1.23
--Ariel Gold; Waging Nonviolence; 5.1.23
May 4, 2023: Word & Way: Faith Leaders Ask Biden to Mark Mother’s Day With Prayer Day Against Gun Violence
“In the wake of mass shootings, the constant refrain from these Christian nationalists is only that Americans need to pray more while acting as though it would be sacrilegious to consider any limitations at all on gun access,” said FOR Executive Director Ariel Gold in a statement. “We have called on religious leaders to sign on to our Mother’s Day initiative, because this melding of Christian faith and white supremacist violence needs to be called out for what it has always been: a perverse manipulation of faith into a form of control, coercion, and domination.”
“In the wake of mass shootings, the constant refrain from these Christian nationalists is only that Americans need to pray more while acting as though it would be sacrilegious to consider any limitations at all on gun access,” said FOR Executive Director Ariel Gold in a statement. “We have called on religious leaders to sign on to our Mother’s Day initiative, because this melding of Christian faith and white supremacist violence needs to be called out for what it has always been: a perverse manipulation of faith into a form of control, coercion, and domination.”
==james golden======
May 16, 2023:
National and state Christian leaders spoke out against the white supremacist ideology espoused during two recent Christian nationalist rallies in South Florida. Christians Against Christian Nationalism and Faithful America organized a livestreamed event as a counter perspective to the May 11 “Pastors for Trump” reception and the May 12 ReAwaken America Tour rally, both held at the Trump Doral resort in Miami. “We are here today as Christians who are horrified to see the faith we hold dear being used to spread lies, violence and authoritarian theocracy,” said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Tyler was joined at All Angels Episcopal Church in Miami Springs by Nathan Empsall of Faithful America, Russell Meyer of the Florida Council of Churches, Jennifer Butler of Faith in Public Life Action, James Golden of Pastors for Florida Children and Charles Toy of The Christian Left. More at Baptist News Global
National and state Christian leaders spoke out against the white supremacist ideology espoused during two recent Christian nationalist rallies in South Florida. Christians Against Christian Nationalism and Faithful America organized a livestreamed event as a counter perspective to the May 11 “Pastors for Trump” reception and the May 12 ReAwaken America Tour rally, both held at the Trump Doral resort in Miami. “We are here today as Christians who are horrified to see the faith we hold dear being used to spread lies, violence and authoritarian theocracy,” said Amanda Tyler, executive director of Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty and lead organizer of Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Tyler was joined at All Angels Episcopal Church in Miami Springs by Nathan Empsall of Faithful America, Russell Meyer of the Florida Council of Churches, Jennifer Butler of Faith in Public Life Action, James Golden of Pastors for Florida Children and Charles Toy of The Christian Left. More at Baptist News Global
==graeme goldsworthy======
The Book of Revelation is about the gospel. The gospel is its central theme. Above all it is speaking of the coming kingdom of God through the victory of Christ at Calvary.
(Graeme Goldsworthy, The Gospel in Revelation, in The Goldsworthy Trilogy, p. 205)
(Graeme Goldsworthy, The Gospel in Revelation, in The Goldsworthy Trilogy, p. 205)
==james r golka======
Pope appoints James Golka as new Archbishop of Denver, Colorado
Pope Leo XIV accepts the resignation of Bishop Samuel Joseph Aquila and appoints James R. Golka as the new Archbishop of Denver, Colorado in the United States.” Born in Grand Island, Nebraska in the United States on September 22, 1966, Golka earned a degree in Philosophy from the Creighton University. After completing his time at Saint Paul Seminary in Minnesota with a Master of Divinity, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1994. He has held the following offices: Parish Vicar of Saint James in Kearney (1994-2000) and Holy Rosary in Alliance (2000-2001), Parish Priest of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Scottsbluff (2001-2006) and Saint Patrick in North Platte (2006-2016); Vicar General (2018-2021) and Rector of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2016-2021). He was appointed Bishop of Colorado Springs on April 30, 2021 and received episcopal consecration on June 29, 2021. (Vatican News; 2.7.26) READMORE>>>>>
Pope Leo XIV accepts the resignation of Bishop Samuel Joseph Aquila and appoints James R. Golka as the new Archbishop of Denver, Colorado in the United States.” Born in Grand Island, Nebraska in the United States on September 22, 1966, Golka earned a degree in Philosophy from the Creighton University. After completing his time at Saint Paul Seminary in Minnesota with a Master of Divinity, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1994. He has held the following offices: Parish Vicar of Saint James in Kearney (1994-2000) and Holy Rosary in Alliance (2000-2001), Parish Priest of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Scottsbluff (2001-2006) and Saint Patrick in North Platte (2006-2016); Vicar General (2018-2021) and Rector of the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (2016-2021). He was appointed Bishop of Colorado Springs on April 30, 2021 and received episcopal consecration on June 29, 2021. (Vatican News; 2.7.26) READMORE>>>>>
==jose gomez======
Pope assures spiritual closeness to LA fire victims
In a message sent through his Secretary of State to the archbishop of Los Angeles, José Gómez, Pope Francis assures his "spiritual closeness" to all those affected by the fires. "Entrusting the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, His Holiness sends heartfelt condolences to those who mourn their loss. He likewise prays for the relief efforts of the emergency service personnel and imparts his blessing to all as a pledge of consolation and strength in the Lord." Some 180,000 people have been evacuated. The death toll is currently limited to 11 though it is thought it could rise as more victims are discovered. The disaster caused the cancellation of US President Joe Biden's visit to Rome, where he was due to meet Pope Francis on January 10. President Biden, 82, will hand over power to Donald Trump on January 20.
. (Aleteia 1/11/25) READ MORE>>>>>
In a message sent through his Secretary of State to the archbishop of Los Angeles, José Gómez, Pope Francis assures his "spiritual closeness" to all those affected by the fires. "Entrusting the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of Almighty God, His Holiness sends heartfelt condolences to those who mourn their loss. He likewise prays for the relief efforts of the emergency service personnel and imparts his blessing to all as a pledge of consolation and strength in the Lord." Some 180,000 people have been evacuated. The death toll is currently limited to 11 though it is thought it could rise as more victims are discovered. The disaster caused the cancellation of US President Joe Biden's visit to Rome, where he was due to meet Pope Francis on January 10. President Biden, 82, will hand over power to Donald Trump on January 20.
. (Aleteia 1/11/25) READ MORE>>>>>
==mike gonzalez======
Texas activist David Barton wants to end separation of church and state. He has the ear of the new U.S. House speaker.
Despite that, Barton has remained a fixture in conservative Christian circles and Republican Party politics. He served as vice chair of the Republican Party of Texas from 1997 to 2006 and, in 2004, was tapped for clergy outreach by President George W. Bush’s reelection campaign. In 2010, his fellow Texan and prominent conservative personality Glenn Beck praised him as “the most important man in America right now.” Barton was an early and important endorser of Sen. Ted Cruz’s unexpected first win in 2012. And in 2016, Barton ran one of multiple super PACs that were crucial to Cruz’s reelection. “Having David Barton running the super PAC gives it a lot of validity for evangelicals and pastors,” Mike Gonzalez, the South Carolina evangelical chair for the Cruz for President campaign, told the Daily Beast at the time.
(Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23) Read More>>>>>
Despite that, Barton has remained a fixture in conservative Christian circles and Republican Party politics. He served as vice chair of the Republican Party of Texas from 1997 to 2006 and, in 2004, was tapped for clergy outreach by President George W. Bush’s reelection campaign. In 2010, his fellow Texan and prominent conservative personality Glenn Beck praised him as “the most important man in America right now.” Barton was an early and important endorser of Sen. Ted Cruz’s unexpected first win in 2012. And in 2016, Barton ran one of multiple super PACs that were crucial to Cruz’s reelection. “Having David Barton running the super PAC gives it a lot of validity for evangelicals and pastors,” Mike Gonzalez, the South Carolina evangelical chair for the Cruz for President campaign, told the Daily Beast at the time.
(Robert Downen/Texas Tribune 11/3/23) Read More>>>>>
==lydia goodman======
Lydia Goodman Files
This “Word of Faith” mess, that blessings are somehow related to the words and actions of the believer and not to the grace of God alone; is dangerous in that it becomes a faith of works to somehow “get something from God”. I submit that, for the less mature Christian, this is a dangerous doctrine--capable of heaping condemnation on the heads of those struggling in various areas of their lives. “I must not be spiritual enough,” they say to themselves. “I must have some sin in my life that is hindering God’s flow of blessings upon me.” How sad that so many of us are blinded to the realities of the Christian life by, most of the time, well-meaning men in the pulpit who themselves have been taken in by “wolves in sheep’s clothing”. God does promise that He knows the plans He has for us...to prosper us, not to harm us, and that He has a plan to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11). But.. exactly where does it say that Christians are supposed to have economic security and that HIS prosperity should be equated with financial success?" --Lydia Goodman; Want a Blessing Don't Name it and Claim It; 6.27.15
==megan goodwin=======
Megan Goodwin, Ph.D., is a scholar of gender, race, sexuality, politics, and American religions. She is the author of Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions (Rutgers 2020). “With Ilyse Morgenstein Fuerst, she cohosts Keeping It 101: A Killjoy’s Introduction to Religion Podcast and is currently cowriting Religion Is Not Done with You (Beacon 2024). Her next book is tentatively entitled Cults Incorporated: The Business of Bad Religion.
Jan 30, 2023: New Republic: Ron DeSantis and His Christian Crusaders Are Stealing Trump’s Religious Thunder
Over the last few decades, there has been a dramatic “Catholicization of public morality.” Religion scholar Megan Goodwin introduced this phrase in her book Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions to describe the adoption of historically Catholic positions on matters like abortion, as well as conservative evangelicals’ increasing willingness to support Catholic politicians whose religion they privately disparage. If DeSantis has benefitted from this process, he is also accelerating it.
Over the last few decades, there has been a dramatic “Catholicization of public morality.” Religion scholar Megan Goodwin introduced this phrase in her book Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals, and American Minority Religions to describe the adoption of historically Catholic positions on matters like abortion, as well as conservative evangelicals’ increasing willingness to support Catholic politicians whose religion they privately disparage. If DeSantis has benefitted from this process, he is also accelerating it.
Abusing Religion: Literary Persecution, Sex Scandals,
and American Minority Religions by Megan Goodwin; July 2020
Sex abuse happens in all communities, but American minority religions often face disproportionate allegations of sexual abuse. Why, in a country that consistently fails to acknowledge—much less address—the sexual abuse of women and children, do American religious outsiders so often face allegations of sexual misconduct? Why does the American public presume to know “what’s really going on” in minority religious communities? Why are sex abuse allegations such an effective way to discredit people on America’s religious margins? What makes Americans so willing, so eager to identify religion as the cause of sex abuse? Abusing Religion argues that sex abuse in minority religious communities is an American problem, not (merely) a religious one.
and American Minority Religions by Megan Goodwin; July 2020
Sex abuse happens in all communities, but American minority religions often face disproportionate allegations of sexual abuse. Why, in a country that consistently fails to acknowledge—much less address—the sexual abuse of women and children, do American religious outsiders so often face allegations of sexual misconduct? Why does the American public presume to know “what’s really going on” in minority religious communities? Why are sex abuse allegations such an effective way to discredit people on America’s religious margins? What makes Americans so willing, so eager to identify religion as the cause of sex abuse? Abusing Religion argues that sex abuse in minority religious communities is an American problem, not (merely) a religious one.
==cary gordon======
Cary Gordon Files
“When you look at those four things, you know, that's what I would expect out of a kindergarten teacher. I would train my children to live like this. And I would never turn over the nuclear codes to someone who doesn't meet these four basic plumb-line levels of having some moral strength. But Americans seem real, I'll use the word ‘hellbent’ on playing the game of lesser evil-ism.” --Rev. Cary Gordon of Cornerstone Church in Sioux City; Weighing Trump with Exodus 18:21; 5.7.23
March 5, 2022:
Pastor Cary Gordon (Sioux City, Iowa; Cornerstone World Outreach) has an article posted at "The Gatekeepers" titled "Destruction of liberty must continue in America until we repent for how we elect our leaders." In it he lists 9 bullet points which describes how a person should be picked as President. He used Deuteronomy 17 as his framework. His first point is that the leader "Must be chosen by God (Vs. 15) through God's delegated ecclesiastical authority, not by lawless populism." and it goes on in a way any Christian Nationalist would be quite proud of. It does more than erode Democracy but destroys it completely..which may be insight as to why the GOP nationalists dont seem bothers by their anti democratic efforts. I would be curious if Trump is still the one "chosen by God" or many of the other Republican congressmen and governors who seem to be making effort to usurp America as it is and create their own government. His article ends with "American antinomianism has usurped every single one of these immutable and wise plumb-line standards for office-holders. Destruction of liberty must continue in America until we repent for costuming our political and legal foolishness with counterfeit grace arguments to justify disobedience." Though in his mind it is clear he means something else but he is essentially a gospel of fascism.
Pastor Cary Gordon (Sioux City, Iowa; Cornerstone World Outreach) has an article posted at "The Gatekeepers" titled "Destruction of liberty must continue in America until we repent for how we elect our leaders." In it he lists 9 bullet points which describes how a person should be picked as President. He used Deuteronomy 17 as his framework. His first point is that the leader "Must be chosen by God (Vs. 15) through God's delegated ecclesiastical authority, not by lawless populism." and it goes on in a way any Christian Nationalist would be quite proud of. It does more than erode Democracy but destroys it completely..which may be insight as to why the GOP nationalists dont seem bothers by their anti democratic efforts. I would be curious if Trump is still the one "chosen by God" or many of the other Republican congressmen and governors who seem to be making effort to usurp America as it is and create their own government. His article ends with "American antinomianism has usurped every single one of these immutable and wise plumb-line standards for office-holders. Destruction of liberty must continue in America until we repent for costuming our political and legal foolishness with counterfeit grace arguments to justify disobedience." Though in his mind it is clear he means something else but he is essentially a gospel of fascism.
Nov 1, 2021: Christianity Daily: What Happened To American Christianity? New Must-Watch Documentary Exposes What Christians Need To Know Before It’s Too Late
During a three-year investigation, the short film "Enemies Within: The Church" was created to expose the social justice gospel that is corrupting and destroying churches, Bible schools, and seminaries throughout the world. The producer addressed the topic at hand during a brief conversation with a media entrepreneur.
Charisma Magazine Founder Stephen Strang interviewed Pastor Cary Gordon of Cornerstone Church in Sioux City, Iowa for yet another special episode of The Strang Report. They discussed Pastor Gordon's motivation for making the film and his appeal for Christians everywhere to stand up for the truth.
During a three-year investigation, the short film "Enemies Within: The Church" was created to expose the social justice gospel that is corrupting and destroying churches, Bible schools, and seminaries throughout the world. The producer addressed the topic at hand during a brief conversation with a media entrepreneur.
Charisma Magazine Founder Stephen Strang interviewed Pastor Cary Gordon of Cornerstone Church in Sioux City, Iowa for yet another special episode of The Strang Report. They discussed Pastor Gordon's motivation for making the film and his appeal for Christians everywhere to stand up for the truth.
==Philip Gorski======
Philip S. Gorski (Ph.D. University of California, Berkeley 1996) is a comparative-historical sociologist with strong interests in theory and methods and in modern and early modern Europe. His empirical work focuses on topics such as state-formation, nationalism, revolution, economic development and secularization with particular attention to the interaction of religion and politics. Other current interests include the philosophy and methodology of the social sciences and the nature and role of rationality in social life. Among his recent publications are "The Disciplinary Revolution: Calvinism and the Growth of State Power in Early Modern Europe" (Chicago, 2003); "Max Weber’s Economy and Society: A Critical Companio"n (Stanford, 2004); and "The Poverty of Deductivism: A Constructive Realist Model of Sociological Explanation," Sociological Methodology, 2004. Philip Gorski co-runs the Religion and Politics Colloquium at the Yale MacMillan Center
It’s Not ‘Christian Nationalism.’ It’s Conservative Identity Politics.
Nearly a decade ago, many of us watched in shock as Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. Until that point, it was easy to write off his presidential run as an egotistical attempt to gain fame and power, with circumstances aligned to allow him to win the Republican nomination. But his victory meant that there was a real audience not disturbed by his bravado, sexism, and race-baiting. Academics like me were eager to understand what happened to the country. Into this breach came the concept of Christian nationalism. Given that an estimated 81 percent of white conservative Christians voted for Trump, it was easy to envision them as the main culprits behind his rise. Several academics (notably Sam Perry, Andrew Whitehead, Philip Gorski, Paul A. Djupe, and Joseph Baker) wrote articles and books on this subject, and as media attention followed, the notion of Christian nationalism quickly caught on among the public. (Christianity Today; 1.22.26) READMORE>>>>>
Nearly a decade ago, many of us watched in shock as Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. Until that point, it was easy to write off his presidential run as an egotistical attempt to gain fame and power, with circumstances aligned to allow him to win the Republican nomination. But his victory meant that there was a real audience not disturbed by his bravado, sexism, and race-baiting. Academics like me were eager to understand what happened to the country. Into this breach came the concept of Christian nationalism. Given that an estimated 81 percent of white conservative Christians voted for Trump, it was easy to envision them as the main culprits behind his rise. Several academics (notably Sam Perry, Andrew Whitehead, Philip Gorski, Paul A. Djupe, and Joseph Baker) wrote articles and books on this subject, and as media attention followed, the notion of Christian nationalism quickly caught on among the public. (Christianity Today; 1.22.26) READMORE>>>>>
Philip Gorski visited Furman in March, 2024, to give a talk on Liberalism in America, as part of the Tocqueville Center’s Scholars-in-Residence Lecture Series. The Tocqueville Center had a chance to ask Philip some additional questions about liberalism in American politics, the dynamics between truth and power, the role of sentiments and the sacred in politics, and tensions between contemporary liberalism and liberal arts higher education.
Philip S. Gorski is Frederick and Laura Goff Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Yale University. He earned his BA from Harvard and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a comparative-historical sociologist with strong interests in theory and methods and in modern and early modern Europe. Prof. Gorski’s empirical work focuses on topics such as state-formation, nationalism, revolution, economic development, and secularization with particular attention to the interaction of religion and politics. Other current interests include the philosophy and methodology of the social sciences and the nature and role of rationality in social life. Among his recent publications are The Disciplinary Revolution: Calvinism and the Growth of State Power in Early Modern Europe; Max Weber’s Economy and Society: A Critical Companion; American Covent: A History of Civil Religion from the Puritans to the Present; American Babylon: Christianity and Democracy Before and After Trump; and, most recently, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy, co-authored with Samuel Perry. Philip Gorski co-runs the Religion and Politics Colloquium at the Yale MacMillan Center. (Furman University 2/10/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Philip S. Gorski is Frederick and Laura Goff Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Yale University. He earned his BA from Harvard and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a comparative-historical sociologist with strong interests in theory and methods and in modern and early modern Europe. Prof. Gorski’s empirical work focuses on topics such as state-formation, nationalism, revolution, economic development, and secularization with particular attention to the interaction of religion and politics. Other current interests include the philosophy and methodology of the social sciences and the nature and role of rationality in social life. Among his recent publications are The Disciplinary Revolution: Calvinism and the Growth of State Power in Early Modern Europe; Max Weber’s Economy and Society: A Critical Companion; American Covent: A History of Civil Religion from the Puritans to the Present; American Babylon: Christianity and Democracy Before and After Trump; and, most recently, The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy, co-authored with Samuel Perry. Philip Gorski co-runs the Religion and Politics Colloquium at the Yale MacMillan Center. (Furman University 2/10/24) READ MORE>>>>>
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Philip Gorski
White Christian nationalism (WCN) is, first of all, a story about America. It says: America was founded as a Christian nation, by (white) Christians; and its laws and institutions are based on “Biblical” (that is, Protestant) Christianity. This much is certain, though: America is divinely favored. Whence its enormous wealth and power. In exchange for these blessings, America has been given a mission: to spread religion, freedom, and civilization—by force, if necessary. But that mission is endangered by the growing presence of non-whites, non-Christians, and non-Americans on American soil. White Christians must therefore “take back the country,” their country.
WCN is not just a story. It is also a political vision. Violence and racial purity are central to that vision. As Samuel Perry and Andrew Whitehead have shown, white Christian nationalists tend to favor a strong military and capital punishment and oppose gun control. WCN is thus strongly correlated with opposition to interracial marriage, non-white immigration, and affirmative action.
To understand how American Christianity became so entangled with racism and violence, we first have to trace it back to its scriptural roots. Those roots are dual. It turns out that WCN is not just one story, but two. The first is a promised land story. The New England Puritans saw themselves as the heirs of the biblical Israelites. They imagined themselves as a “chosen people,” and they came to see the “new world” as their “promised land.” And as their relationship with the natives shifted from curiosity to hostility, they began to see the Indians as “Canaanites,” who had to be conquered.
The second story is an end times story. Most Christian theologians read Revelation in allegorical terms, as a depiction of the moral struggles within the believer’s heart. But some interpreted the text more literally, as a description of bloody struggles to come. That is how many Puritan radicals read it, and they exported those ideas to New England.
The two stories gradually fused together during the Puritans’ wars with the Indians. Cotton Mather came to believe that the New World would be the central battlefield in the final struggle between good and evil. He placed himself and his brethren on the side of the good, and the Catholic French and their native allies on the side of evil. He likened the Indians to demons and viewed the killing of Indians as a blood sacrifice to an angry God. It was war that welded Protestantism and Englishness together in the New World.............Trumpism is, among other things, the latest version of the WCN frame. Echoing the promised land story, Trump says he will “take back the country” from the outsiders and invaders who have taken control—immigrants and secularists, Muslims and Mexicans—and then restore it to its rightful owners: “real” (that is, white, Christian) Americans. Echoing the end times story, Trump paints the world in terms of us and them, good and evil, and hints at violent struggles to come. The first such struggle took place on January 6, 2021. It will not, I fear, be the last.
-Philip Gorski; Berkely Center; White Christian Nationalism: The Deep Story Behind the Capitol Insurrection; 1.22.21
WCN is not just a story. It is also a political vision. Violence and racial purity are central to that vision. As Samuel Perry and Andrew Whitehead have shown, white Christian nationalists tend to favor a strong military and capital punishment and oppose gun control. WCN is thus strongly correlated with opposition to interracial marriage, non-white immigration, and affirmative action.
To understand how American Christianity became so entangled with racism and violence, we first have to trace it back to its scriptural roots. Those roots are dual. It turns out that WCN is not just one story, but two. The first is a promised land story. The New England Puritans saw themselves as the heirs of the biblical Israelites. They imagined themselves as a “chosen people,” and they came to see the “new world” as their “promised land.” And as their relationship with the natives shifted from curiosity to hostility, they began to see the Indians as “Canaanites,” who had to be conquered.
The second story is an end times story. Most Christian theologians read Revelation in allegorical terms, as a depiction of the moral struggles within the believer’s heart. But some interpreted the text more literally, as a description of bloody struggles to come. That is how many Puritan radicals read it, and they exported those ideas to New England.
The two stories gradually fused together during the Puritans’ wars with the Indians. Cotton Mather came to believe that the New World would be the central battlefield in the final struggle between good and evil. He placed himself and his brethren on the side of the good, and the Catholic French and their native allies on the side of evil. He likened the Indians to demons and viewed the killing of Indians as a blood sacrifice to an angry God. It was war that welded Protestantism and Englishness together in the New World.............Trumpism is, among other things, the latest version of the WCN frame. Echoing the promised land story, Trump says he will “take back the country” from the outsiders and invaders who have taken control—immigrants and secularists, Muslims and Mexicans—and then restore it to its rightful owners: “real” (that is, white, Christian) Americans. Echoing the end times story, Trump paints the world in terms of us and them, good and evil, and hints at violent struggles to come. The first such struggle took place on January 6, 2021. It will not, I fear, be the last.
-Philip Gorski; Berkely Center; White Christian Nationalism: The Deep Story Behind the Capitol Insurrection; 1.22.21
==chris goswami======
Chris Goswami worked for 30 years in the telecoms industry starting as a Software Engineer in the UK, and ending as a Vice President at Enea Openwave, originally a Silicon Valley start-up. He is an experienced speaker having spoken and chaired events in many countries, and in the late 1980s was involved in some of the earliest research into “CDMA” — the basis for mobile telephony worldwide. Brought up a Hindu, Chris became a Christian at 19 and has served in many roles in local churches.Today he works as Associate Minister at Lymm Baptist Church and Chaplain to Manchester Airport. He was formerly Associate Minister at Brownley Green, Baptist Church in Wythenshawe, Manchester
Chris Goswami
1 in 3 Americans call themselves evangelical Christians, and 60 per cent of the Republican electorate are evangelicals. This is a nationalist Christian movement that blends together patriotism, politics, and God. It is powerful and profoundly influential to an extent those of us outside the US find hard to grasp.
Some base their support for Trump on the Bible, likening him to the Old Testament character King Cyrus. Despite being an unbelieving Persian ruler from another religion, Cyrus is anointed in Isaiah 44-45 as God’s “shepherd” to help deliver ancient Israel from Babylonian captivity. This concept of an “imperfect vessel used for greater good” has often been applied to Trump.
Many evangelicals don’t personally like Trump but their relationship with him is transactional - they vote for him and he shapes the country to their liking. They hold their nose and vote for policy over character.
Other evangelicals of course love the man himself. They see Trump’s enemies as God’s enemies. In their eyes he can do no wrong and he really was robbed of the 2020 election. These extremist opinions tend to get the press coverage. --Chris Goswami; Premier Magazine; Why US evangelicals are still saying ‘Amen’ to Trump 8.3.23
Some base their support for Trump on the Bible, likening him to the Old Testament character King Cyrus. Despite being an unbelieving Persian ruler from another religion, Cyrus is anointed in Isaiah 44-45 as God’s “shepherd” to help deliver ancient Israel from Babylonian captivity. This concept of an “imperfect vessel used for greater good” has often been applied to Trump.
Many evangelicals don’t personally like Trump but their relationship with him is transactional - they vote for him and he shapes the country to their liking. They hold their nose and vote for policy over character.
Other evangelicals of course love the man himself. They see Trump’s enemies as God’s enemies. In their eyes he can do no wrong and he really was robbed of the 2020 election. These extremist opinions tend to get the press coverage. --Chris Goswami; Premier Magazine; Why US evangelicals are still saying ‘Amen’ to Trump 8.3.23
==Giles Gough======
Giles Gough is a writer based in Manchester and host of the 'God in Film' podcast
Giles Gough
The most explicit statement of faith from Taylor comes from her Netflix documentary Miss Americana. We see her in a 2018 clip, arguing with her team about making a political statement in favour of a Democratic candidate in an upcoming election. This discussion has been sparked by election adverts for US Senator Marsha Blackburn, who has voted against legislation protecting women from domestic violence, and believes that businesses should have the right to refuse gay couples. Taylor says in the clip: “I can’t see another commercial and see Marsha Blackburn disguising these policies behind the words ‘Tennessee Christian values’…I live in Tennessee. I’m a Christian. That’s not what we stand for.”
For someone who, for professional reasons, has had to be vague about her religious and political beliefs, that bold statement of faith stands out a mile. To find another declaration so strong, we have to go all the way back to the start of her career, to a song that never really saw the light of day. 'Didn’t They' is an unreleased song leaked onto the internet, purportedly recorded in 2003. In it, Taylor asks where was God when 9/11 happened.
Here’s the chorus: “And didn’t they call you, didn’t they need you bad enough? / Was there some reason I’m not aware of? / Did you not write it down? Just one more thing to do / Where were you, where were you / And didn’t they pray, too?”
Artistically, it’s a lament reminiscient of a Davidic psalm. One can only guess that it was never included in any of her early albums because it’s openly critical of God - such a sentiment would not have played well with Swift's early audience. From aged 13, Swift grew up in Tennessee, which is famously part of the Bible Belt - ten states where socially conservative, protestant Christianity is so ingrained into the culture, that people may see themselves as Christians without necessarily thinking much about what that means. This cultural Christianity is in the background of songs such as this.
The only other reference to faith in her early music can be found in 'Christmas Must Be Something More', released in 2007 which clunkily refers to Jesus as “the birthday boy who saved our lives”.
However, when we listen to Swift today, the perspective of God is a very uncertain one.
--Giles Gough; Premier Chistianity; The changing faith of Taylor Swift 7.18.23
For someone who, for professional reasons, has had to be vague about her religious and political beliefs, that bold statement of faith stands out a mile. To find another declaration so strong, we have to go all the way back to the start of her career, to a song that never really saw the light of day. 'Didn’t They' is an unreleased song leaked onto the internet, purportedly recorded in 2003. In it, Taylor asks where was God when 9/11 happened.
Here’s the chorus: “And didn’t they call you, didn’t they need you bad enough? / Was there some reason I’m not aware of? / Did you not write it down? Just one more thing to do / Where were you, where were you / And didn’t they pray, too?”
Artistically, it’s a lament reminiscient of a Davidic psalm. One can only guess that it was never included in any of her early albums because it’s openly critical of God - such a sentiment would not have played well with Swift's early audience. From aged 13, Swift grew up in Tennessee, which is famously part of the Bible Belt - ten states where socially conservative, protestant Christianity is so ingrained into the culture, that people may see themselves as Christians without necessarily thinking much about what that means. This cultural Christianity is in the background of songs such as this.
The only other reference to faith in her early music can be found in 'Christmas Must Be Something More', released in 2007 which clunkily refers to Jesus as “the birthday boy who saved our lives”.
However, when we listen to Swift today, the perspective of God is a very uncertain one.
--Giles Gough; Premier Chistianity; The changing faith of Taylor Swift 7.18.23
==paul m gould=============
Paul M. Gould is an associate professor of philosophy of religion and director of the M.A. Philosophy of Religion program at Palm Beach Atlantic University. Gould earned his doctorate in philosophy from Purdue University. He is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, and The Story of the Cosmos. He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He is a widely sought-after speaker in apologetics and philosophy. He speaks regularly at universities, churches and ministries around the country, including Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute and the Evangelical Philosophical Society’s annual apologetics conference
Paul M Gould Files
“The work of establishing the Christian voice, conscience, and imagination within a culture so that Christianity is seen as true and satisfying.” --Paul M Gould defining cultural apologetics; Cultural Apologetics; Renewing the Christian Voice, Conscience, and Imagination in a Disenchanted World Paperback – 2019
“The work of establishing the Christian voice, conscience, and imagination within a culture so that Christianity is seen as true and satisfying.” --Paul M Gould defining cultural apologetics; Cultural Apologetics; Renewing the Christian Voice, Conscience, and Imagination in a Disenchanted World Paperback – 2019
==amanda grace======
Holy Crap! Eric Trump, Alina Habba Join Cray-Cray Evangelicals To Sing The Praises Of His Father
Over the years, people have suggested that Eric Trump may not be the brightest member of his family, even though in all likelihood it’s a close contest between him and Donald Trump Jr. Both have the habit of firing off posts on X that are larded with misspellings. Both have also had questionable roles running The Trump Organization which is now facing the very real possibilities of a $370 million fine and even the chance that their father, Donald Trump may find it nearly impossible to conduct real estate business in New York ever again.
Now, however, Eric, his wife Lara Trump, and dear old Dad’s attorney, Alina Habba, seem to have got religion. At least that’s what Right Wing Watch is reporting. The night before the Iowa caucus, the trio met with self-proclaimed “prophet” Amanda Grace, who was hosting a “Night of Prayer for the Trump Family and the Nation” and other members of Donald Trump’s inner circle. Which also included the likes of Roger Stone, conspiracy theorist Clay Clark, MAGA pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, and really nutball “prophet” Robin Bullock.
(Megan Hamilton/Politizoom 1/16/24)
READ MORE>>>>>
Over the years, people have suggested that Eric Trump may not be the brightest member of his family, even though in all likelihood it’s a close contest between him and Donald Trump Jr. Both have the habit of firing off posts on X that are larded with misspellings. Both have also had questionable roles running The Trump Organization which is now facing the very real possibilities of a $370 million fine and even the chance that their father, Donald Trump may find it nearly impossible to conduct real estate business in New York ever again.
Now, however, Eric, his wife Lara Trump, and dear old Dad’s attorney, Alina Habba, seem to have got religion. At least that’s what Right Wing Watch is reporting. The night before the Iowa caucus, the trio met with self-proclaimed “prophet” Amanda Grace, who was hosting a “Night of Prayer for the Trump Family and the Nation” and other members of Donald Trump’s inner circle. Which also included the likes of Roger Stone, conspiracy theorist Clay Clark, MAGA pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, and really nutball “prophet” Robin Bullock.
(Megan Hamilton/Politizoom 1/16/24)
READ MORE>>>>>
Zorek Richards
May 15, 2023:
Following are a few of the most bizarre things that was preached last night at the REAwaken Tour, which is essentially a Christian Nationalist Lovefest for Donald, the sexual predator, Trump. Michael Flynn's remarks (below) are dehumanizing and dangerous.
MAGA cultists gathered at The Trump National Doral resort last night for a "Pastors For Trump" event that kicked off with a prayer asking God to "intervene in the affairs of this nation" by giving Trump "divine wisdom" and "divine discernment."
Self proclaimed "Prophet" Amanda Grace, in one of the most bizarre messages, warned of technologically advanced “mermaids and water people” spreading perversion and told the crowd, “we are meant for hand to hand combat.”
Ex-American Idol contestant and Flat-Earther right-wing activist Jimmy Levy resurrected a conspiracy theory that was championed by QAnon. These people are drinking the blood of children," Levy proclaimed. "These (Hollywood) people are injecting a chemical called adrenochrome that they extract from children that are scared." (apparently because he was on American Idol he is an expert on all things Hollywood ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
Pastor Mark Burns cited the Bible to suggest that violence is needed to take power: "You got to get to the point where you realize that when they smack you in the face you smack them back two times harder," Burns said, quoting Matthew 5:38-40, which reads, "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." He then suggested violence as he noted that the "Bible says the violent take it... and we take it by force," in reference to Matthew 11:12, which reads, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.""We are here ready to take this nation back," said Burns during the event this week. "And I believe without a shadow of a doubt, the only man that God has anointed him...to be the next President of the United States of America and that is Donald Trump. That's why we got to declare war on this transgender agenda that tried to destroy our children's minds in the United States of America."
Michael Flynn weighed in, of course: "The other side is an ideology that they don't have faith. They don't believe in God. They have no soul. They have no consciousness......When we think about something, we go, you know, black and white right and wrong, good and evil. They don't see things like that. They don't see in those terms."
Baptist Pastor Brian Kaylor said that Flynn's comment is a "dangerous dehumanizing rhetoric," and that he's "painting this as a battle between God's people & soulless creatures."
If they can keep pushing the idea that anyone left of them is soul-less..........they are doing the same thing Hitler did in German with the Jews. Soul-less people are easier to kill. And they will do it to purify whatever race or creed they are claiming. Last night, after he cancelled his Iowa rally, Trump called Michael Flynn and told him he would "bring him back" in his next administration. The "Reawaken" tour came to the Trump National Doral Miami for a three-day conference.
Following are a few of the most bizarre things that was preached last night at the REAwaken Tour, which is essentially a Christian Nationalist Lovefest for Donald, the sexual predator, Trump. Michael Flynn's remarks (below) are dehumanizing and dangerous.
MAGA cultists gathered at The Trump National Doral resort last night for a "Pastors For Trump" event that kicked off with a prayer asking God to "intervene in the affairs of this nation" by giving Trump "divine wisdom" and "divine discernment."
Self proclaimed "Prophet" Amanda Grace, in one of the most bizarre messages, warned of technologically advanced “mermaids and water people” spreading perversion and told the crowd, “we are meant for hand to hand combat.”
Ex-American Idol contestant and Flat-Earther right-wing activist Jimmy Levy resurrected a conspiracy theory that was championed by QAnon. These people are drinking the blood of children," Levy proclaimed. "These (Hollywood) people are injecting a chemical called adrenochrome that they extract from children that are scared." (apparently because he was on American Idol he is an expert on all things Hollywood ¯\_(ツ)_/¯).
Pastor Mark Burns cited the Bible to suggest that violence is needed to take power: "You got to get to the point where you realize that when they smack you in the face you smack them back two times harder," Burns said, quoting Matthew 5:38-40, which reads, "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." He then suggested violence as he noted that the "Bible says the violent take it... and we take it by force," in reference to Matthew 11:12, which reads, "And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.""We are here ready to take this nation back," said Burns during the event this week. "And I believe without a shadow of a doubt, the only man that God has anointed him...to be the next President of the United States of America and that is Donald Trump. That's why we got to declare war on this transgender agenda that tried to destroy our children's minds in the United States of America."
Michael Flynn weighed in, of course: "The other side is an ideology that they don't have faith. They don't believe in God. They have no soul. They have no consciousness......When we think about something, we go, you know, black and white right and wrong, good and evil. They don't see things like that. They don't see in those terms."
Baptist Pastor Brian Kaylor said that Flynn's comment is a "dangerous dehumanizing rhetoric," and that he's "painting this as a battle between God's people & soulless creatures."
If they can keep pushing the idea that anyone left of them is soul-less..........they are doing the same thing Hitler did in German with the Jews. Soul-less people are easier to kill. And they will do it to purify whatever race or creed they are claiming. Last night, after he cancelled his Iowa rally, Trump called Michael Flynn and told him he would "bring him back" in his next administration. The "Reawaken" tour came to the Trump National Doral Miami for a three-day conference.
==jack graham======
Jack N. Graham (born June 30, 1950) is the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas. In 1970, at the age of twenty, he was ordained pastor of his first church, married and halfway through Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, where he later earned a Bachelor of Science degree with honors. By 1976, he and his wife Deb had one son, and Graham was associate pastor of Sagamore Hill Baptist Church in Fort Worth, pastored by G. Fred Swank. That year he also completed work for a Master of Divinity degree with honors from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. Four more years went by, and Graham received a Doctor of Ministry degree in “Church and Proclamation.” In May 2022, Graham was named in a report on sex abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention, which stated that he allowed a youth music minister at Prestonwood Baptist Church, John Langworthy, who had admitted to church officials that he had molested at least one student in the late 1980s, to be removed quietly, without notifying police. Langworthy was able to go on to become a youth music minister at Morrison Heights Baptist Church in Clinton, Mississippi, where he was later accused of abusing young boys again.
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Religious leaders react to Maduro’s capture with conflicting views The capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has been a hit among President Donald Trump’s Christian nationalist allies while the reaction from moderate and progressive Christian leaders has varied from concerned to condemning. “We have a president who acts decisively to defend America and in bringing justice to the evil actors around the world. This is peace through strength,” said Trump supporter Jack Graham, pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist megachurch in Plano, Texas, that held a Trump-praising worship service in July. (Baptist news Global; 1.5.26) READMORE>>>>> |
November 2, 2024: Graham Prayed: "We love you, Jesus, and we also love our country. And we thank you that you have raised up a man, Donald J. Trump, to be a warrior for the word of God and the wisdom that comes from God. Thank you for protecting him, for keeping your hand of blessing upon him, and we pray as you raise him up once again to be our president that you would give him strength and wisdom and joy in the journey." |
Texas pastor, former SBC president Jack Graham wants to defund ERLC
Texas pastor and former Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President Jack Graham says he believes the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) should be defunded. He made the comments on X the day after a 10 former SBC presidents released a letter expressing their support for the commission. Saying he’d been asked multiple times, Graham posted on X, “[N]o I do not support the ERLC and believe the organization has been the single most divisive entity of the SBC since the days of Russell Moore. I believe it should be de funded. I’m sure this is the reason I was not asked to sign this letter. … I’ve been clear on this for a decade.” Moore left the helm of the ERLC in May 2021
(Biblical Recorder 5/23/25) READ MORE>>>>>
Texas pastor and former Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President Jack Graham says he believes the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) should be defunded. He made the comments on X the day after a 10 former SBC presidents released a letter expressing their support for the commission. Saying he’d been asked multiple times, Graham posted on X, “[N]o I do not support the ERLC and believe the organization has been the single most divisive entity of the SBC since the days of Russell Moore. I believe it should be de funded. I’m sure this is the reason I was not asked to sign this letter. … I’ve been clear on this for a decade.” Moore left the helm of the ERLC in May 2021
(Biblical Recorder 5/23/25) READ MORE>>>>>
Pastor: Trump ‘warrior for the Word of God’
Speaking into a handheld microphone, Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, closed his eyes and placed a hand on Trump on Monday at the National Faith Advisory Board summit in Georgia. More than a dozen pastors stood with them in prayer. "We love you, Jesus, and we also love our country. And we thank you that you have raised up a man, Donald J. Trump, to be a warrior for the word of God and the wisdom that comes from God," Graham prayed. "Thank you for protecting him, for keeping your hand of blessing upon him, and we pray as you raise him up once again to be our president that you would give him strength and wisdom and joy in the journey." (Democrat Gazette 11/2/24) READ MORE>>>>>
Speaking into a handheld microphone, Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, closed his eyes and placed a hand on Trump on Monday at the National Faith Advisory Board summit in Georgia. More than a dozen pastors stood with them in prayer. "We love you, Jesus, and we also love our country. And we thank you that you have raised up a man, Donald J. Trump, to be a warrior for the word of God and the wisdom that comes from God," Graham prayed. "Thank you for protecting him, for keeping your hand of blessing upon him, and we pray as you raise him up once again to be our president that you would give him strength and wisdom and joy in the journey." (Democrat Gazette 11/2/24) READ MORE>>>>>
April 18, 2023: “Charles Stanley’s legacy as a preacher of the Gospel and teacher of God’s Word will live for generations. Loved and beloved by millions he is now in the presence of Jesus and rewarded for a life and ministry done well to God’s glory.”--Jack Graham, former SBC president
June 22, 2023: Christian Post reported: Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Church in Plano, Texas, delivered a message to his followers on X Thursday. “Everyone take a deep breath, pray and ask God to deliver justice to America after the sham of a trial in NYC,” he said. “There is so much at stake including the future of our legal system and the constitution of our nation.”
==michelle graham======
Michelle Graham loves to help women discover how much they are loved and treasured by God. She debunks the popular messages of culture that tell women their worth is only based on beauty and sexuality. As a staff member and popular speaker for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Michelle helps women of all ages develop the courage to live differently in today's culture and to rise up as world changers.
Michelle Graham
Those who live in God's grace, Paul says, will be changed. The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age." (Titus 2:11-12). When we realize that our bodies are made to collectively bear the image of God, we live free of the "world passion" of appearance and obsession. When we rest in God's deep satisfaction in creating our body, we will stop worrying about what others think of us. When we know that out body is a priceless gift from a loving Father, we will take care of it well. When we live in the reality that God does not reject out body, we will stop hiding in shame. -Michelle Graham; Wanting to be Her; 2005
==anthony granado======
Feb 11, 2023: Charisma: Faith-Based Groups at Border Stand Against Federal Persecution
Anthony Granado, vice president of government relations for Catholic Charities USA, found the lawmakers' claim insulting, saying it "threatens the core ministry of the church." The urgency of the organization's response was necessary because, Granado said, the work of Catholic Charities "has traditionally been met with a great level of respect by Republicans and Democrats alike."
"We have not seen such a level of direct ... attack against Catholic Charities USA," Granado told Religion News Service. "We will continue to do this work. We will not apologize for it. The gospel compels us to do so. If that's unpopular with certain members of Congress, so be it."
Anthony Granado, vice president of government relations for Catholic Charities USA, found the lawmakers' claim insulting, saying it "threatens the core ministry of the church." The urgency of the organization's response was necessary because, Granado said, the work of Catholic Charities "has traditionally been met with a great level of respect by Republicans and Democrats alike."
"We have not seen such a level of direct ... attack against Catholic Charities USA," Granado told Religion News Service. "We will continue to do this work. We will not apologize for it. The gospel compels us to do so. If that's unpopular with certain members of Congress, so be it."
==amy grant======
Woke Christian Artist Releases Song Tying J6 to Woodstock
Christian contemporary singer Amy Grant released a new single which attempts to draw a connection between Woodstock and the events of Jan. 6, 2021. The song is entitled “The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm)” — a reference to the farm owned by Max Yasgur which hosted the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969. Grant was born in November 1960, meaning she was only eight years old when Woodstock occurred in August 1969.
(Western Journal; 1.17.26) READMORE>>>>>
Christian contemporary singer Amy Grant released a new single which attempts to draw a connection between Woodstock and the events of Jan. 6, 2021. The song is entitled “The 6th of January (Yasgur’s Farm)” — a reference to the farm owned by Max Yasgur which hosted the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in 1969. Grant was born in November 1960, meaning she was only eight years old when Woodstock occurred in August 1969.
(Western Journal; 1.17.26) READMORE>>>>>
==stan grant======
Stan Grant
Lament is described in Paul’s Letter to the Romans as “sighs too deep for words” (8:26). I know that sigh. I know what it is to breathe in despair. I know lament.
“Lament” is not a word we use too often today. It is a word that has fallen from favour. We speak of reconciliation, of rights, of justice. Sometimes we speak of healing, or even of truth. But these words fall short for me. They are simply too convenient. They are words designed to convince; words to measure ourselves by.
These are words of politics. And I am not a person of politics. I seek the impossibility of existence — the reach for eternity — in a world where politics reduces us only to what is possible. For I am a person of faith. I am a person of belonging. I am a person of country. I am person of kinship. I seek the things that endure — the things of our soul. And I am a person of sorrow.
Lament is a place of deep sorrow. It is a place of cries. But there is, as the writer and musician Michael Card has put it, something sacred about sorrow. It is the way we reach towards God.
But we have lost the words of lament, haven’t we? We have replaced those words with political words. So here I want to speak the unfashionable language of lament, and try to reclaim these and other words that have passed out of circulation, or have lost their true meaning — words like love, like divine. I want to use those words to speak back to the age. Lament is described in Paul’s Letter to the Romans as “sighs too deep for words” (8:26). I know that sigh. I know what it is to breathe in despair. I know lament.
“Lament” is not a word we use too often today. It is a word that has fallen from favour. We speak of reconciliation, of rights, of justice. Sometimes we speak of healing, or even of truth. But these words fall short for me. They are simply too convenient. They are words designed to convince; words to measure ourselves by.
These are words of politics. And I am not a person of politics. I seek the impossibility of existence — the reach for eternity — in a world where politics reduces us only to what is possible. For I am a person of faith. I am a person of belonging. I am a person of country. I am person of kinship. I seek the things that endure — the things of our soul. And I am a person of sorrow.
Lament is a place of deep sorrow. It is a place of cries. But there is, as the writer and musician Michael Card has put it, something sacred about sorrow. It is the way we reach towards God.
But we have lost the words of lament, haven’t we? We have replaced those words with political words. So here I want to speak the unfashionable language of lament, and try to reclaim these and other words that have passed out of circulation, or have lost their true meaning — words like love, like divine. I want to use those words to speak back to the age. The theologian Mark Vroegop has written that “lament invites us to grieve and trust, to struggle and believe”. We First Nations people know that struggle, that grief, that challenge of trust when our trust is betrayed. But it is not our struggle alone. It is the struggle we share. We grieve — all of us — because we want to trust. We need to believe. But we are all betrayed by an age of division, of ruthless contests for power, of rapacious exploitation of people and the planet, of cynical opportunists pretending to be leaders.
We are betrayed by an age of media that thinks debate is finding the point of difference and widening it — stoking the fires of a toxic social media with its self-righteous and performative anger, its craven need for validation, for “likes”, its online pile-ons and cancellations. We live in an age of prosecution without process: no truth but our own truths. No wonder this has been called an “age of anger”.
Lament, too, can be an expression of anger, but not the self-righteous anger of our time. No, an eternal, humble, righteous anger. We have the right — even the responsibility — to be angry, but not the right to hate. For me, lament is ultimately a holy state of grace.
--Stan Grant; ABC Religion & Ethics; “This is the way healing begins”: Recovering the language of lament in a disenchanted age 8.20.23
“Lament” is not a word we use too often today. It is a word that has fallen from favour. We speak of reconciliation, of rights, of justice. Sometimes we speak of healing, or even of truth. But these words fall short for me. They are simply too convenient. They are words designed to convince; words to measure ourselves by.
These are words of politics. And I am not a person of politics. I seek the impossibility of existence — the reach for eternity — in a world where politics reduces us only to what is possible. For I am a person of faith. I am a person of belonging. I am a person of country. I am person of kinship. I seek the things that endure — the things of our soul. And I am a person of sorrow.
Lament is a place of deep sorrow. It is a place of cries. But there is, as the writer and musician Michael Card has put it, something sacred about sorrow. It is the way we reach towards God.
But we have lost the words of lament, haven’t we? We have replaced those words with political words. So here I want to speak the unfashionable language of lament, and try to reclaim these and other words that have passed out of circulation, or have lost their true meaning — words like love, like divine. I want to use those words to speak back to the age. Lament is described in Paul’s Letter to the Romans as “sighs too deep for words” (8:26). I know that sigh. I know what it is to breathe in despair. I know lament.
“Lament” is not a word we use too often today. It is a word that has fallen from favour. We speak of reconciliation, of rights, of justice. Sometimes we speak of healing, or even of truth. But these words fall short for me. They are simply too convenient. They are words designed to convince; words to measure ourselves by.
These are words of politics. And I am not a person of politics. I seek the impossibility of existence — the reach for eternity — in a world where politics reduces us only to what is possible. For I am a person of faith. I am a person of belonging. I am a person of country. I am person of kinship. I seek the things that endure — the things of our soul. And I am a person of sorrow.
Lament is a place of deep sorrow. It is a place of cries. But there is, as the writer and musician Michael Card has put it, something sacred about sorrow. It is the way we reach towards God.
But we have lost the words of lament, haven’t we? We have replaced those words with political words. So here I want to speak the unfashionable language of lament, and try to reclaim these and other words that have passed out of circulation, or have lost their true meaning — words like love, like divine. I want to use those words to speak back to the age. The theologian Mark Vroegop has written that “lament invites us to grieve and trust, to struggle and believe”. We First Nations people know that struggle, that grief, that challenge of trust when our trust is betrayed. But it is not our struggle alone. It is the struggle we share. We grieve — all of us — because we want to trust. We need to believe. But we are all betrayed by an age of division, of ruthless contests for power, of rapacious exploitation of people and the planet, of cynical opportunists pretending to be leaders.
We are betrayed by an age of media that thinks debate is finding the point of difference and widening it — stoking the fires of a toxic social media with its self-righteous and performative anger, its craven need for validation, for “likes”, its online pile-ons and cancellations. We live in an age of prosecution without process: no truth but our own truths. No wonder this has been called an “age of anger”.
Lament, too, can be an expression of anger, but not the self-righteous anger of our time. No, an eternal, humble, righteous anger. We have the right — even the responsibility — to be angry, but not the right to hate. For me, lament is ultimately a holy state of grace.
--Stan Grant; ABC Religion & Ethics; “This is the way healing begins”: Recovering the language of lament in a disenchanted age 8.20.23
ken graves
Oct 26, 2022: NC Policy Watch: North Carolina Republican leaders embrace Christian nationalism
Conservative pastors, political allies aim to tear down any wall between church and state
When Pastor Ken Graves took the podium at Calvary Chapel Lake Norman in Statesville last month, he cut an imposing figure.
Conservative pastors, political allies aim to tear down any wall between church and state
When Pastor Ken Graves took the podium at Calvary Chapel Lake Norman in Statesville last month, he cut an imposing figure.
===marlena graves====== |
Marlena Graves received her M.Div. from Northeastern Seminary in Rochester, New York. Graves writes for various venues and is a by-lined writer for Christianity Today’s Her.meneutics Blog, Gifted For Leadership Blog, and Missio Alliance. Graves belongs to INK: A Creative Collective and
the Redbud Writers Guild. Graves has a book through Brazos Press called: A Beautiful Disaster Finding Hope in the Midst of Brokenness.
the Redbud Writers Guild. Graves has a book through Brazos Press called: A Beautiful Disaster Finding Hope in the Midst of Brokenness.
Dec 2, 2022: Christian Science Monitor: Worship by other means
For some, the decline of Christianity among Western nations and its growth elsewhere offers an opportunity to focus less on how it defines nations than on how it uplifts societies through individuals’ practice. “Isn’t Christianity steady, even on the rise, in the majority of the world?” Marlena Graves, an adjunct professor at Winebrenner Theological Seminary in Findlay, Ohio, asked Sojourners. “Our sustenance is to do the will of God whom we serve: loving God, neighbors, and enemies in practical ways, not in our imaginaries.” Qualities of thought, like salt, neither decline nor perish.
For some, the decline of Christianity among Western nations and its growth elsewhere offers an opportunity to focus less on how it defines nations than on how it uplifts societies through individuals’ practice. “Isn’t Christianity steady, even on the rise, in the majority of the world?” Marlena Graves, an adjunct professor at Winebrenner Theological Seminary in Findlay, Ohio, asked Sojourners. “Our sustenance is to do the will of God whom we serve: loving God, neighbors, and enemies in practical ways, not in our imaginaries.” Qualities of thought, like salt, neither decline nor perish.
June 11, 2021: Christianity Today: For Popular Twitter Seminarian, Sassiness Is a Spiritual Gift
While previous generations found encouragement from women leaders without formal theological training, ordination, or local church support, many women today are learning from seminary-educated leaders like Kat Armstrong, Marlena Graves, Sharon Hodde Miller, Tish Harrison Warren, Sandra Glahn, and Carmen Imes, who runs a Facebook group for women members of the Evangelical Theological Society.
While previous generations found encouragement from women leaders without formal theological training, ordination, or local church support, many women today are learning from seminary-educated leaders like Kat Armstrong, Marlena Graves, Sharon Hodde Miller, Tish Harrison Warren, Sandra Glahn, and Carmen Imes, who runs a Facebook group for women members of the Evangelical Theological Society.
Mar 28, 2015: Marlena Graves: The Higher Place: Wilderness Cell
June 2012: Marlena Graves: Christianity Today: Prodigal Children: If It Can Happen to John Piper, It Can Happen to Yo
===guthrie graves-fitzzsimmons======
"Trump shows no evidence of personal piety or of an attempt to follow Jesus Christ — recall when he said he never had to ask God for forgiveness — and has made it a priority to aid the wealthy and attack the most vulnerable in our society. He exhibits the polar opposite of Christian social ethics…. Christians believe Christ’s kingdom will reign forever. As American Christians in the year 2025, we must also believe and work to ensure that Trump’s power, granted to him by voters, ends at the end of his second term in accordance with the Constitution."--Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons 6/14/25
'Idolatrous': Christian activist rips evangelicals' Trump 'worshipping'
At a No Kings Day protest in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 14, one of the many participants will be Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons of the Interfaith Alliance and the liberal/progressive Christian group Faithful America.
As many as 2000 No Kings Day protests are being held all over the United States to express opposition to President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, DC, which, critics argue, isn't really a celebration of the military, but a promotion of Trump's authoritarian agenda and the MAGA movement.
(MSN 6/14/25) READ MORE>>>>>
At a No Kings Day protest in Philadelphia on Saturday, June 14, one of the many participants will be Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons of the Interfaith Alliance and the liberal/progressive Christian group Faithful America.
As many as 2000 No Kings Day protests are being held all over the United States to express opposition to President Donald Trump's military parade in Washington, DC, which, critics argue, isn't really a celebration of the military, but a promotion of Trump's authoritarian agenda and the MAGA movement.
(MSN 6/14/25) READ MORE>>>>>
==todd gray======
State Baptist leaders describe success in convention remarks
SOMERSET — Kentucky Baptists celebrated their 186th year of working together to advance the gospel during 2023 annual meeting Tuesday at First Baptist Church Somerset. During his report, KBC Executive Director Todd Gray noted that means there have been 186 years of gospel preaching from pulpits of KBC churches, 186 years of community impact by those churches and 186 years of sending missionaries, raising up pastors, starting churches and souls being saved. (Chip Hutcheson/The News Enterprise 11/17/23)
Read More>>>>>
SOMERSET — Kentucky Baptists celebrated their 186th year of working together to advance the gospel during 2023 annual meeting Tuesday at First Baptist Church Somerset. During his report, KBC Executive Director Todd Gray noted that means there have been 186 years of gospel preaching from pulpits of KBC churches, 186 years of community impact by those churches and 186 years of sending missionaries, raising up pastors, starting churches and souls being saved. (Chip Hutcheson/The News Enterprise 11/17/23)
Read More>>>>>
==mark grayson======
Feb 15, 2023: Religion News Service: A 300-year-old church hopes to connect with spiritual but not religious neighbors
Mark Grayson, a former children’s television executive and member of the Trinity church vestry, said the idea for the center grew out of some planning the nearly 300-year-old church was doing as members envisioned their next 100 years of ministry. The group had been working for several years on a strategic plan and realized that while the church could remain healthy, there were needs in the community it was not addressing.
Mark Grayson, a former children’s television executive and member of the Trinity church vestry, said the idea for the center grew out of some planning the nearly 300-year-old church was doing as members envisioned their next 100 years of ministry. The group had been working for several years on a strategic plan and realized that while the church could remain healthy, there were needs in the community it was not addressing.
==michael Grayston======
How Christian Leaders Are Challenging the AI Boom
In particular, Christian leaders are voicing fears about AI’s impact on families and children. In November, Pastor Michael Grayston at LifeFamily Austin led a discussion at his church about AI risks, touching on the rising usage of AI companions among teens. “If I'm in a crisis and need a person to talk to, it’s my friend AI, which is a lot easier, and means I don’t have to share with my friends,” he told TIME in Bee Cave, Tex., the next day. “So I'm going to keep doing that, and I'm going to become more and more isolated. That's the trajectory that I'm super fearful of.”(Time; 12.23.25)READMORE>>>>>>
In particular, Christian leaders are voicing fears about AI’s impact on families and children. In November, Pastor Michael Grayston at LifeFamily Austin led a discussion at his church about AI risks, touching on the rising usage of AI companions among teens. “If I'm in a crisis and need a person to talk to, it’s my friend AI, which is a lot easier, and means I don’t have to share with my friends,” he told TIME in Bee Cave, Tex., the next day. “So I'm going to keep doing that, and I'm going to become more and more isolated. That's the trajectory that I'm super fearful of.”(Time; 12.23.25)READMORE>>>>>>
