30 July 2025 | In his recent book, De kerk is Fantastisch, Belgian Roman Catholic theologian Rik Torfs analyzes what he sees as “fantastic” in his church, and what he considers ugly; what he admires and what he abhors. In this class, I will follow his model. My church, too, is also far from perfect. […]
23 July 2025 | The opening chapters of Genesis, particularly chs. 1–3, continue to intrigue readers. Insights from obvious connections with the mythologies of Israel’s neighbours have enriched our understanding of the content and purpose of the narrative. Genesis is clearly in dialogue with the beliefs of its ancient neighbours and makes significant theological points […]
16 July 2025 | For 2,000 years, Christians have used artistic media to express themes of the Bible and Christian life. Words and pictures are often mutually illuminating, as texts come alive in the imagination of artists. In this class, Dr. Tonstad will share examples from the world of art, based on stories in the […]
9 July 2025 | The Adventist Today team has spent the week covering the events of the General Conference here in St. Louis. We’ve seen new leaders be elected and changes being made in Adventist policy. More important, we have brushed shoulders with lovely people from around the globe, talked with them, listened to them. […]
2 July 2025 | The Adventist publishing “industry” is 170 years old. Publishing was vigorous even before Adventist education and healthcare began to expand. In an effort to reach the whole world “in this generation,” publishing houses and journals were established all over the world, ever adding more languages whenever possible. Books and journals provide […]
28 June 2025 | Conversation among different kinds of Adventists is often either a bit mean-spirited, or entirely non-existent. I will use both contemporary philosophy of knowledge and a key passage from Matthew to argue that failure by Adventists to interact across lines of convictional difference in vigorous, open-minded conversation is an egregious and tragic […]
18 June 2025 | The praise group Elevation Worship in a beautiful song, O Come to the Altar (2016), sings that “Forgiveness was bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ.” Some familiar gospel songs, such as “Jesus Paid it All” and “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” express the same idea. Ellen White writes that […]
11 June 2025 | Despite extensive conversations about how to deconstruct one’s faith and how to recognize harm in religious or spiritual contexts, very little has been written about what helps people thrive after distancing from high-control religion. Some people stay in the faith communities in which they were born; others completely disconnect from institutional […]
4 June 2025 | What makes something wrong? In his favorably reviewed book The Righteous Mind, Jonathan Haidt challenges both the wisdom of the ages and our current ideas. Though a secular evolutionary psychologist, he argues that when we make moral decisions, instincts often triumph over reason. Haidt then presents real consequences for politics: for […]
28 May 2025 | Religious change seldom follows a predictable, linear path. Instead, it moves in cycles—shifting between intensity and routine, separation and accommodation, institutional authority and personal authenticity. Institutions oscillate between radical fervor and bureaucratic stability, while individuals navigate periods of deep commitment and disengagement. Generational shifts increasingly reflect a move from institutional belonging […]
21 May 2025 | Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. 3 John 2 We Adventists say that we’re very interested in health. The extensiveness of Adventism’s hospital system is rivaled only by its educational system. It’s not uncommon for a health […]
14 May 2025 | Considering all the knowledge of the educated, well-read Adventists in the world today, the traditional concept of Divine inspiration seems inadequate. It doesn’t comport with: the best of our “inspired” descriptions of God’s actions on earth as seen, for example, in scientific thought and discoveries, expanded, nuanced theological/philosophical depictions of God, […]