Religious nationalism is not a new phenomenon. In this two part series GFM staff minister Bill Nelson will explore the elements of religious nationalism and how the book of Jonah serves as a call to repentance and restoration. As a new Christian fresh out of college, I taught at a private Christian school with godly and dedicated colleagues. We pledged our allegiance to the American and Christian flags and the Holy Bible alongside our students each school day. Our school used mainstream Christian curricula, including … [Read more...] about Part 1: Jonah, White Supremacy & Christian Nationalism
SURVIVOR ALLYSHIP (PT. 2): IT TAKES A VILLAGE
The #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements have underscored the tragedy of sexual harassment and abuse in relationships, in the workplace, and sadly in churches and Christian ministries. Cover-ups and victim-blaming in the church are too common and raise questions both of where is God in this, and where ought his people be. Bill Nelson, in the second of two articles will look at Obadiah, the role enablers play in the perpetuation of abuse, and how allies may speak up and act restoratively. Content Warning: Emotional and … [Read more...] about SURVIVOR ALLYSHIP (PT. 2): IT TAKES A VILLAGE
SURVIVOR ALLYSHIP (PT. 1): LAMENTING ABUSE
The #MeToo and #ChurchToo movements have underscored the tragedy of sexual harassment and abuse in relationships, in the workplace, and sadly in churches and Christian ministries. Cover-ups and victim-blaming in the church are too common and raise questions both of where is God in this, and where ought his people be. Bill Nelson, in two articles will look at Lamentations and Obadiah, demonstrating God's care for survivors of abuse and our call to come alongside as allies. [Content warning: sexual assault] In early … [Read more...] about SURVIVOR ALLYSHIP (PT. 1): LAMENTING ABUSE
Bearing the Gospel of Peace Within the Family of Abraham: Part Two
Last week, Bill Nelson considered the traditional framing of the Genesis accounts of Ishmael, leaving us with some of the questions this raised for him. Today, he digs deeper and proposes a re-framing of that narrative, based on digging deeper into these texts. He concludes with a consideration of the implications this might have for Muslim-Christian dialogue. A Counter-Narrative Reading the Bible through a Middle Eastern lens helps us understand its cultural context. Tony Maalouf, a Lebanese Christian scholar, … [Read more...] about Bearing the Gospel of Peace Within the Family of Abraham: Part Two
Bearing the Gospel of Peace Within the Family of Abraham: Part One
We work alongside Muslim scholars on most campuses. Bill Nelson, InterVarsity Graduate and Faculty Minister at Johns-Hopkins, shared an article with us arising out of his experience of sharing a Peace Feast with Muslim Students. This led to a study of the Genesis texts on Ishmael, how they have commonly framed, and how a closer look leads to a re-framing with implications for Muslim-Christian relations. _____________________ In March 2020, we held our first Peace Feast with the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at the … [Read more...] about Bearing the Gospel of Peace Within the Family of Abraham: Part One