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Randal Rauser

Home of progressively evangelical, generously orthodox, rigorously analytic, revolutionary Christian thinking (that's what I'm aiming for anyway)

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church

Do churches really care about truth?

September 8, 2013 by Randal

“2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Acts, church, debate, Paul, truth

33,000 denominations. And the problem is…?

May 18, 2013 by Randal

So there are 33,000 Christian denominations. Or 42,000. Or 51,000. What’s the problem? Let’s preface the discussion at the outset with the rather glaring observation that over a billion Christians are Catholic. And the rest can, for the most part, be subdivided into rather large groups: several hundred million orthodox, a hundred million Anglicans, Lutherans, […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: church, denominations, divine hiddenness, ecclesiology, ecumenism, problem of evil

Do bad jokes undermine the credibility of the Church?

January 14, 2013 by Randal

Today I saw a reader board sign outside a church that read “Jesus loves you snow much.” Yes, it said “snow much”. It was a pun. A bad pun. A very bad pun. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t have anything against humor. Even bad jokes have their place.  But is this really the place? Even those […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: church, ecclesiology, sacredness

Why you shouldn’t clap in church

January 7, 2013 by Randal

Some years ago a friend of mine told me he’d switched churches because he “didn’t get anything out of the worship.” I replied, “Worship isn’t about getting. It’s about giving.” Within a few moments we’d moved on in our discussion and soon I forgot the exchange altogether. But my friend didn’t. Years later he reminded […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: church, consumerism, ecclesiology, worship

It’s not easy being Osteen

September 25, 2012 by Randal

There’s an old joke about a chauffeur who drives a quantum physicist to an important speaking engagement. Just before they arrive the physicist says “Listen, I’m exhausted and still jeg-lagged. I simply must get some sleep. Why don’t we change outfits, and you can go up on the dais and read my lecture and I’ll […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christianity, church, culture, evangelicalism, Joel Osteen, media

Psychopaths in the pulpit and pew

February 3, 2012 by Randal

Clifford Everybody knew Clifford. He was loud and brash but also had the ability to be charming, even mesmerizing. He had a criminal record longer than your arm, but he could also quote scripture like nobody’s business. The year was 1981 and Clifford was attending the same church in Surrey, British Columbia as “Dave”. (I […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: church, Clifford Olson, Deliver us from Evil, Oliver O'Grady, psychopath, psychopathy

How do you schedule a convenient Christmas service?

December 25, 2011 by Randal

In a new poll 28 percent of Canadians said they would be attending church for Christmas. Ironically, 68 percent responded on the survey that they were Christian. (See ” Traditional holiday customs on the outs in Canada: study” available here: http://www.canada.com/life/holiday-guide-2011/Traditional+holiday+customs+outs+Canada+study/5905786/story.html) Wow, a little over one-third of Canadian “Christians” go to church at Christmas. If you’re not going to church at […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Christmas, church, consumerism

Developing Christ-minded leaders who make a difference in the world?

December 16, 2011 by Randal

A few years ago our seminary adopted the following mission statement: “To develop Christ-minded leaders who make a difference in the world.” What is the function of a statement like that? One possibility is that it is there to remind the employees of the institution — the faculty, staff and administration — of their purpose […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: advertising, church, seminary

What’s splitting your church? Worship music or genocide?

December 11, 2011 by Randal

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35 Suburban North American Church As everybody rose to sing Al stayed seated in the pew, arms crossed defiantly. He never stood during the choruses. Driving drums, distorted guitar and vacuous lyrics. “They make it sound like Jesus is […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: church, ecclesiology, genocide, Rwanda, worship wars

Is the church supposed to be “a place for you”?

September 29, 2011 by Randal

In the late 1970s a young preacher named Rick Warren started going door to door asking people why they didn’t attend church. He then took that data and used it as a basis to start his church. And the rest, as they say, is history. I’m sure you could learn a lot of value from an […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: C.S. Lewis, church, consumerism, discipleship, ecclesiology, individualism, marketing, Rick Warren

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