I am fascinated by Dr. J. Terry Todd’s conversion from Episcopal to Pentecostal. That is a pretty dramatic shift in belief and practice, and I would appreciate knowing more about such a spiritual journey. What led/drew you to Pentecostalism? I have been fascinated with Pentecostalism for a long time. For many years, my father was […]
When I was first approached by Professor Harold Heie about the possibility of my involvement in an e-dialogue, “Respectful Conversations,” I wondered if I would have the time and energy to do so, given that I was already engaged in dialogue with Evangelicals, Nazarenes, and was a part of a Christian interfaith dialogue (eight of […]
Reading Farris Blount’s essay was a sobering and soul-stirring experience. I am especially grateful to Farris for sharing his heart, in describing the inherent pain and frustration associated too often with being a black Christian. I was born and raised in the southern states and consequently encountered racism and bigotry very early on in my […]
It seems that I have been fascinated with the concept of holiness for as long as I can remember. As a young person growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I discovered that one of my cousins and his family were active participants in what they referred to as a “Pentecostal Holiness” movement. Many years later […]
One dictionary’s first definition of pious is “having or showing a dutiful reverence for God, or an earnest wish to fulfill religious obligations.” Another is “sacred rather than secular.” It is unfortunate, however, that two definitions in that same dictionary treat the word pious as a pejorative term: “practiced or used with real or pretended […]
I appreciated learning about how Professor David Gushee was led to accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our Savior. It really is quite impressive how young people are able to preach sermons by how they live and what they focus on. Very often their enthusiasm for Christ touches others who are searching […]
Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana allowed me to come in contact with people of many different religious persuasions. While my father was raised as a Latter-day Saint, my mother was brought up in the Methodist church, but neither she nor her parents were very active or involved in the local church. Even before she […]
One of the earliest memories I have of my pre-teen years is being invited by a devout Baptist friend to attend a week-long revival with his family. The meetings throughout the week were held in a large tent, filled with folding chairs, and the ground was covered with sawdust. As I recall, we attended a […]
I found Dr. Michael King’s essay on the Anabaptist-Mennonite traditions to be fascinating. I have known very little about these faith traditions in the past, and so I was delighted to be able to learn more. The concept of “rebaptism” was of particular interest to me as a Latter-day Saint. From the time of the organization […]
I found Mark Ellingsen’s essay on Lutheranism to be both informative and fascinating. I certainly identify with Mark’s early acknowledgement that Lutheran is a title, a label attached to his faith by critics of the movement early on. The followers of Joseph Smith came to be known as the “Mormonites” or the “Mormons.” Unfortunately the […]
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