Category Archives: Controversies

Hear Me Out: On Sitting Through Sermons

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Alastair Roberts

Donald Miller recently admitted to attending church irregularly. Church services really don’t scratch him where he itches: singing leaves him flat and he doesn’t learn much from sermons. He argues that he is not alone in this, suggesting (controversially) that … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Sacramental Theology, The Blogosphere, The Emergent Church, The Sacraments, Theological, Theology, Worship | 28 Comments

The Modesty Debates: Combating Unilateralism and Myths of Strength

Posted on September 12, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

In a recent post I made a number of comments on the subject of modesty and modesty culture. I noted the lure of black-and-white ways of tackling such complex issues. Within this post I wish to highlight some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Experience, Controversies, Culture, Ethics, Sex and Sexuality, Society, The Church, Theological | 15 Comments

Some Rambling and Unwelcome Reflections on Modesty Debates

Posted on September 7, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

Did you know that, wherever you stand in the Christian blogosphere, you are never more than one foot away from a post on the subject of modesty? Here is another. Every couple of months or so, the topic of modesty … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Culture, Ethics, Sex and Sexuality, Society | 44 Comments

Brad Littlejohn’s Review of Doug Jones’ Dismissing Jesus

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

Brad Littlejohn has been writing a very extensive series of posts reviewing and responding to Doug Jones’ recent book, Dismissing Jesus. It is seldom that one is treated to such detailed interaction with the argument of a book, exploring its … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Reviews, The Blogosphere, Theological | 5 Comments

Online Discourse, Leadership, Progressive Evangelicalism, and the Value of Critics

Posted on August 7, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

The following are a few loosely related issues that I have been thinking about at various points over the last few days, in light of the millennials conversation and its aftermath. I have made a number of these comments in … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Culture, Ethics, The Blogosphere, Theological, Theology | 66 Comments

Why Are My Posts So Dense And Lengthy?

Posted on August 3, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

Almost every time that one of my posts is widely shared on Facebook and Twitter, I can predict with some certainty that I will receive several remarks among the length and style of my writing. These remarks run the gamut … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Culture, Ethics, On the web, Public Service Announcement, The Blogosphere, Theological | 43 Comments

Questioning the Questioners

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

I have just had a piece published over on Threads, a follow-up to yesterday’s post about millennials and the Church. Within it I call the popular emphasis upon questioning among millennials into question: Our questions reveal the terms within which … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Ethics, Guest Post, Society, The Blogosphere, The Church, Theological, Theology | 5 Comments

Talking About My Generation: Millennials and the Church

Posted on July 31, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

A few days ago, a Rachel Held Evans piece entitled ‘Why Millennials Are Leaving the Church’ was published on the CNN Belief Blog. Weighing in at little under 750 words, it nonetheless packs a considerable punch and has been linked … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Culture, Ethics, On the web, Sex and Sexuality, Society, The Church, The Emergent Church, Theological | 137 Comments

Questions for Gay Affirming Christians

Posted on July 1, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

In my previous post, I provided a list with some examples of questions that Christians opposed to homosexual practice could ask themselves. I invited my readers to suggest further questions in the comments. Within this post I wish to provide … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Culture, Ethics, Sex and Sexuality, Society, Theological | 31 Comments

Questions for Christians Who Do Not Approve of Homosexual Practice

Posted on June 30, 2013 by Alastair Roberts

I have weighed in on the continuing debate on same sex marriage on a number of occasions on this blog. As I have done this, I have generally sought to distinguish that debate, which is primarily about the meaning of … Continue reading →

Posted in Controversies, Culture, Ethics, Sex and Sexuality, Society, Theological | 36 Comments