Jonathan Merritt
What Jesus’ encounters with women teach us about God, life, and gender
By Jonathan Merritt — March 24, 2015
"Jesus absolutely treated women differently than the prevailing religious authorities of his time," author Mary Demuth says.
Evangelicals are shifting on same-sex marriage, but it’s no avalanche
By Jonathan Merritt — March 18, 2015
To hear some commentators talk, debates on LGBT issues are over and conservatives have lost. But such predictions are premature.
A case for church from a self-described “commitment phobe”
By Jonathan Merritt — March 16, 2015
Erin Lane is stuck in a lover's quarrel with the church, but she hopes to inspire other Millennials to keep searching for a place to belong.
Rachel Held Evans defends exit from evangelicalism, calls Christians to celebrate sacraments
By Jonathan Merritt — March 9, 2015
The wildly popular Christian writer offers an exclusive sneak peek into her new book and its pointed message.
Theologian: Religious extremists like ISIS carve a bloody path through history
By Jonathan Merritt — February 17, 2015
"America was founded by folks who thought like this," a prominent Yale professor says of Islamist extremists. Some may find his comments difficult to swallow in light of recent events.
Obama was right: It’s time for Christians to reflect
By Jonathan Merritt — February 12, 2015
The president's comments at the National Prayer Breakfast infuriated some conservative Christians, but most of their denunciations ignore or even twist the facts. When our anger burns against others we should pause to reflect on our own evil impulses and behaviors.
Former pastor collects women’s underwear–but for good reason
By Jonathan Merritt — February 10, 2015
Bras are the hottest item in the second-hand clothing market. A former pastor uses them to provide jobs for sex trafficking survivors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Trip Lee: Inside the mind of a misfit Christian rapper
By Jonathan Merritt — February 4, 2015
Trip Lee is part of a new slew of rappers who don't shy away from God-talk in their songs. They are making music in a genre that isn’t exactly known for faith-friendly themes and of which Christians have traditionally been wary.
Author Donald Miller on failed relationships, intimacy issues, and healing through counseling
By Jonathan Merritt — February 3, 2015
The New York Times Bestselling Christian author of "Blue Like Jazz" reveals how he realized he had intimacy issues and how he found help through professional counseling.
Theologian says Jesus was a ‘trickster’–but it’s not as offensive as you think
By Jonathan Merritt — January 28, 2015
"In Jesus, we see a trickster figure, one who respects the beliefs and traditions of real people, yet also questions them, challenges them and subverts them for the sake of political and religious transformation," says post-modern theologian Peter Rollins.
You’ll never guess which U.S. cities are most ‘Bible-minded’
By Jonathan Merritt — January 26, 2015
A new study ranking cities according to "Bible mindedness" contains a few surprises. Did your hometown make the list?
Life’s busy, but mealtimes are still sacred
By Jonathan Merritt — January 22, 2015
"The table is not just a place for food," says Leonard Sweet, "but a place for stories and ideas to mingle, interact, attract each other, argue with one another, and procreate."
Andy Stanley gets surprisingly real about love, sex, and dating
By Jonathan Merritt — January 15, 2015
The mega-church pastor hits hot topics head on. He even explains why he avoided discussing homosexuality but chose to talk about "bitches" and "hos."
Christian author breaks silence, shares horrors of breast cancer battle
By Jonathan Merritt — January 14, 2015
Her books have sold nearly a million copies, and she speaks to tens of thousands annually. Now this Christian author is talking openly about her quiet battle with breast cancer.
Did God command genocide in the Bible?
By Jonathan Merritt — January 12, 2015
Can you imagine someone ripping a newborn baby from its mother's breast and severing its head from it's body? The Bible seems to say that God once commanded such actions.
