Beau, it really was hard to pick just one of the topics you listed; each has a very direct and different impact on who are called to be as Jesus Followers. That said, we should not bury ourselves in our "faith cocoon" and ignore the culture and events going on around us. We need to be interacting and using what we know and learn by digging deeper in the bible and our theology to improve our relationships with those we love and those that are harder to love. So, see how intertwined it all can become! I am no help at all helping you pinpoint where we're going; but I will continue to see the you on the journey. Your posts have been full of "AH HA" moments and I love reading where God is working in and through you.
You just articulated something I hadn’t quite put into words yet. These topics really are all woven together, aren’t they? The way we read scripture shapes how we navigate relationships, which affects how we engage with culture, which circles back to our theology. So your “I’m no help” comment is actually incredibly helpful because it reminds me that any of these directions will naturally touch on the others. Thanks for the encouragement about the aha moments. That’s exactly what I’m hoping for when I sit down to write each week. Grateful you’re here.
What you are writing - weekly and daily - resonates so much with me, and reflects my journey over the past several years. It also gives me food for thought. Thank you so much for writing. It truly is a gift.
Judy, this means so much coming from you. Knowing we’ve traveled some parallel roads over the years makes your encouragement hit even deeper. Thanks for showing up here and for being part of this community. It matters more than you know.
Hi, Beau, I appreciate your humility and transparency in asking your audience what we need most. I voted for theology deep dives because I want the fundamentalist hermeneutical assumptions that still sabotage my reading of the Bible to be exposed and challenged. A friend and I recently read Reading Scripture with Western Eyes and it was, well, eye opening. I’m reading Jewish commentators on the OT presently to learn from that school of exegetical ninjas.
You’re skilled in critical thinking, and I’m hoping to learn more about the ins and outs of that skill.
Reading Scripture with Western Eyes is such a game changer, isn’t it? That book helped me see just how much I’d been reading ancient Middle Eastern texts through an American individualist lens without even realizing it. And going straight to Jewish commentators is exactly the right move. They’ve been wrestling with these texts for thousands of years without all the Christian baggage we bring to them. I love that you’re doing this work. The hermeneutical assumptions thing is huge because once you start seeing them, you can’t unsee them. They’re everywhere. Thanks for the vote and for letting me know what would be helpful. This is exactly the kind of direction I need.
Please consider a periodic article on "why the Bible doesn't mean what it seems to say." For example, on homosexuality, instead of maligning "clobber passages" compare what the original language meant in the context of the present culture and examine the way believers at that time were handling the issue (e.g. how did Mosaic-Law era Israelites handle people caught in homosexuality, if at all?).
This is really helpful. The “why the Bible doesn’t mean what it seems to say” angle is exactly the kind of work I want to do more of, and you’re right that the clobber passages need that treatment. The historical and cultural context work is so important because most people have never heard that there wasn’t even a concept of sexual orientation in the ancient world, or that the specific practices being condemned were tied to exploitation and power dynamics that look nothing like committed same-sex relationships today. This falls right into both the biblical deep dives and theology unpacked categories, so it’s definitely on my radar. Thanks for naming it specifically. These passages have been weaponized to cause real harm to real people, and we need better ways of reading them.
I’d love it if you could combine the original meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words found in scripture and how the culture of that time would’ve understood the letters Paul wrote and the gospels. In addition can you also unpack the poetic and allegorical passages found in scripture. I also think it would be easy enough to wrap current events and culture into most any post without it being its own separate blog post.
You just mapped out exactly the kind of work I love doing. Taking apart the original language and cultural context is where so much of the “aha” happens, especially when you realize how much gets lost or twisted in translation. And the poetry and allegory piece is huge because evangelicalism tends to flatten everything into literal historical narrative when so much of scripture is doing something completely different. Your point about current events is spot on too. I don’t need to write separate “hot take on the news” posts. I can be responding to what’s happening in the world while I’m doing the deeper biblical and theological work. That’s actually more effective anyway because it roots the cultural commentary in something solid. Thanks for this. Really helpful.
I clicked biblical deep dives but honestly I think it serves as a good top five and you can move with the spirit and write what you are called to write.
Ironically, so for 0 votes are for current events and culture, and I don't know about others but that is top of mind to me.
The posts I have shared of yours put current events and/or culture into a biblical perspective. Thinking about "What would Jesus do?" (in this time and place) and making that relatable to my evangelical brothers and sisters (literal as well as church). Some of the best food for thought I share to my Facebook feed and then block comments. My hope is that my sister or a brother will read and ponder whether their teachers are really upholding the values of Christ.
This is so valuable. You’re naming something I’ve been sensing but couldn’t quite articulate. The biblical deep dives and the current events stuff aren’t separate categories. The best cultural commentary is rooted in solid biblical work, and the best biblical work addresses what’s actually happening in the world right now. And the fact that you’re doing the hard work of sharing this stuff with your evangelical family, even knowing it might create tension, that’s its own kind of ministry. Planting seeds and then stepping back to let them work. That takes courage. I’m grateful this is helping you do that. And you’re right, I need to keep following where the Spirit leads even while paying attention to what people are asking for. Those two things aren’t in conflict.
The posts of yours that most resonate with me are the ones that remind me that God is gentle, that I am loved, that grace is a thing. I’m less about the politics and theology and more into the ‘ooh, that feels true’-reminders of how good God is.
The other ‘spiritual influencer’ who had this gift to my mind, was the late Mike Yaconelli.
Thanks for doing what you’re doing. I’d possibly encourage you to keep going with the spirit; stop when the spirit suggests a pause and hold it all with open hands. 👍
Mike Yaconelli is such high praise. He had this gift of making grace feel tangible and real instead of just a theological concept. I hear you about the gentleness piece. It’s easy for me to lean into the critique and analysis mode and forget that a lot of people just need to be reminded that God isn’t angry at them. That’s actually part of why I wanted to do this poll, because I suspect there’s a gap between what I think people need and what they actually need. Your vote and this comment are helping me see that. Thank you for the reminder to hold it all loosely and follow where the Spirit’s leading. That’s the work.
I hope this community can keep exploring how to take heart and bear witness as mainline Protestants in a world where evangelical voices are still taking up all of the oxygen in the public discourse. I’m exhausted from explaining to people that I’m the “kind” of Christian who very much DOESN’T want to inflict hurt. Our mainline communities have so much love to share, and half of America doesn’t seem to know that we even exist.
That book should be interesting. I have often thought that Alisa Childers is correct when she says Progressive Christians and Fundamentalist Christians are two separate faith groups - just not the way she means. Even from the outside (I've noted in past comments that I'm an atheist), I find that a definition of the division within Christianity of interest. It is no longer denominations. A progressive Catholic (ex. John Fugelsang) has more in common with a progressive Baptist (ex. Reverend / Senator Warnock) than a Conservative Catholic (Matt Walsh), and vice versa.
What may surprise you is that there is also a divide in atheist circles. People such as Richard Dawkins adhere to a conservative cultural-Christianity. Therefore, I find myself more aligned with people like you and other 'progressive' Christians than these well-known atheists.
I resonate so much with your attempts to engage real life in this multi cultural moment. I chose navigating relationships in the poll, but the context within which the relationships live is about the theology I was raised in and the God I have come to know. I honestly cringe these days when someone says something is or isn’t “Biblical”. I want to ask, which part of the Bible? Which interpretation? Which “view of Scripture?” I graduated from a famously conservative evangelical seminary, and even there I saw the many different, valid views of God through the choices we make in interpretation and in all the “ologies” of theological systems. I don’t know whether this helps you or just confuses you:), but that’s the kind of thing I’d love to read.
This is incredibly helpful, not confusing at all. You just articulated something crucial. The relationship navigation stuff and the theology stuff aren’t separate problems. They’re the same problem showing up in different places. And the “biblical” language thing drives me up a wall too. It gets weaponized to shut down conversation when what people really mean is “my interpretation is the only valid one.” The fact that you went to a conservative evangelical seminary and still came out recognizing there are multiple valid interpretive frameworks says a lot. Most people never get exposed to that plurality. They’re taught there’s one right way to read scripture and everyone else is compromising. So yeah, this is exactly the kind of work I want to do. Showing people that faithful biblical interpretation can lead to very different conclusions depending on your hermeneutical assumptions. Thank you for this, Jennifer!
Beau, there have been so many of your posts that speak deeply to me. I wouldn’t begin to tell you what to write, and looking at the poll I voted for unpacking theology. There is much unlearning/better way of interpreting the Bible that’s needed, for me anyway. Thank you for what you’re doing!
The unlearning piece is so real. Sometimes I think deconstruction is less about tearing down what we believed and more about discovering we were handed a version of Christianity that didn’t match what Jesus was actually about. Unpacking theology is exactly where that work happens. I’m grateful you’re here doing it alongside me. And honestly, telling me what you want to read about is one of the most helpful things you can do. So thank you for voting and for being part of this, Charlie!
Wow, this was more difficult than I thought it would be!
I have thoroughly enjoyed everything you’ve put out this past year, Beau.
But in reviewing the topics on your list, what seems to grip my heart most is the toxic theology that the American church has been fed for centuries. And that’s probably a symptom of my own journey.
I appreciate so much that you are a seasoned pastor who sits with your people every week in a congregation and then somehow you find the right words in the right moment for what’s gnawing at all our hearts as we simply seek to Be better humans and better Christ followers.
Blessings brother! Appreciate your work and your words ✨
This means a lot. The toxic theology thing is what keeps me up at night too, honestly. There’s so much damage to undo, and it runs so deep in American Christianity that even when we think we’ve rooted it out, we find more of it. Being in a local congregation every week definitely shapes how I write. I’m not theorizing from a distance. I’m sitting with real people wrestling with real hurt and trying to find a way forward that’s actually livable. That keeps me honest and grounded. Thanks for being here and for the encouragement. It helps more than you know, especially on the weeks when I wonder if any of this is making a difference.
I look forward each day to simple direct confirmations of the way of Jesus that counter the evangelical right but also the mainline dogmatic. The Church itself became dominated by Empire, if not before then certainly when Constantine decided to mould it into something useful for conquest in the 4thC. I appreciate reminders of the ways in which Jesus' teachings and example provide a critique of political and cultural currents, but also of the practice, structure and biblical interpretation advanced inside the church. Thank you for what you offer.
The Constantine piece is so crucial and gets overlooked even in progressive spaces. Once the church married empire, so much of what Jesus actually taught got twisted to serve power instead of challenge it. And you’re right that I need to be careful not to just swap evangelical dogmatism for mainline dogmatism. Jesus is the critique of all our systems, including the ones we build trying to follow him. That tension is where the real work happens. I love that you’re looking for that kind of clear, direct centering on Jesus without all the institutional baggage piled on top. That’s exactly what I want to offer. Thanks for naming it so clearly.
I’m new here and have been following for a while, but I just subscribed because I love the emphasis on real community and thoughtful discussion—especially seeing where others are on their faith journeys. Your writing is strong and challenging in the best way: deep enough to stretch you, but not so dense that you get lost. That balance is something I always tried to hold during my years as a minister with the Salvation Army. I’m eager to keep exploring theology—not as an abstract exercise, but as something that helps us make sense of our lives, our culture, our families, and the faith communities we’re part of.
Just joined and really looking forward to reading your writings. I am trying to strengthen my understanding and relationship with religion and the word of God.
I appreciate pretty much everything I’ve read from you. You’ve been a great help and blessing to me. Please keep doing what you’re doing. Your voice of honesty, understanding and kindness is greatly needed.
Thank you. Comments like this are what keep me showing up on the hard weeks when I’m wondering if any of this matters. I’m grateful it’s been helpful to you, and I’m grateful you’re here.
Beau, it really was hard to pick just one of the topics you listed; each has a very direct and different impact on who are called to be as Jesus Followers. That said, we should not bury ourselves in our "faith cocoon" and ignore the culture and events going on around us. We need to be interacting and using what we know and learn by digging deeper in the bible and our theology to improve our relationships with those we love and those that are harder to love. So, see how intertwined it all can become! I am no help at all helping you pinpoint where we're going; but I will continue to see the you on the journey. Your posts have been full of "AH HA" moments and I love reading where God is working in and through you.
You just articulated something I hadn’t quite put into words yet. These topics really are all woven together, aren’t they? The way we read scripture shapes how we navigate relationships, which affects how we engage with culture, which circles back to our theology. So your “I’m no help” comment is actually incredibly helpful because it reminds me that any of these directions will naturally touch on the others. Thanks for the encouragement about the aha moments. That’s exactly what I’m hoping for when I sit down to write each week. Grateful you’re here.
What you are writing - weekly and daily - resonates so much with me, and reflects my journey over the past several years. It also gives me food for thought. Thank you so much for writing. It truly is a gift.
Judy, this means so much coming from you. Knowing we’ve traveled some parallel roads over the years makes your encouragement hit even deeper. Thanks for showing up here and for being part of this community. It matters more than you know.
Hi, Beau, I appreciate your humility and transparency in asking your audience what we need most. I voted for theology deep dives because I want the fundamentalist hermeneutical assumptions that still sabotage my reading of the Bible to be exposed and challenged. A friend and I recently read Reading Scripture with Western Eyes and it was, well, eye opening. I’m reading Jewish commentators on the OT presently to learn from that school of exegetical ninjas.
You’re skilled in critical thinking, and I’m hoping to learn more about the ins and outs of that skill.
Reading Scripture with Western Eyes is such a game changer, isn’t it? That book helped me see just how much I’d been reading ancient Middle Eastern texts through an American individualist lens without even realizing it. And going straight to Jewish commentators is exactly the right move. They’ve been wrestling with these texts for thousands of years without all the Christian baggage we bring to them. I love that you’re doing this work. The hermeneutical assumptions thing is huge because once you start seeing them, you can’t unsee them. They’re everywhere. Thanks for the vote and for letting me know what would be helpful. This is exactly the kind of direction I need.
I really agree with this. Beau, your theological deep dives help me unpack the tension that I carry but haven't been able to sort out yet.
I need a fresh take, and I love how you offer it.
Yes, THIS
Please consider a periodic article on "why the Bible doesn't mean what it seems to say." For example, on homosexuality, instead of maligning "clobber passages" compare what the original language meant in the context of the present culture and examine the way believers at that time were handling the issue (e.g. how did Mosaic-Law era Israelites handle people caught in homosexuality, if at all?).
This is really helpful. The “why the Bible doesn’t mean what it seems to say” angle is exactly the kind of work I want to do more of, and you’re right that the clobber passages need that treatment. The historical and cultural context work is so important because most people have never heard that there wasn’t even a concept of sexual orientation in the ancient world, or that the specific practices being condemned were tied to exploitation and power dynamics that look nothing like committed same-sex relationships today. This falls right into both the biblical deep dives and theology unpacked categories, so it’s definitely on my radar. Thanks for naming it specifically. These passages have been weaponized to cause real harm to real people, and we need better ways of reading them.
I’d love it if you could combine the original meaning of the Greek and Hebrew words found in scripture and how the culture of that time would’ve understood the letters Paul wrote and the gospels. In addition can you also unpack the poetic and allegorical passages found in scripture. I also think it would be easy enough to wrap current events and culture into most any post without it being its own separate blog post.
You just mapped out exactly the kind of work I love doing. Taking apart the original language and cultural context is where so much of the “aha” happens, especially when you realize how much gets lost or twisted in translation. And the poetry and allegory piece is huge because evangelicalism tends to flatten everything into literal historical narrative when so much of scripture is doing something completely different. Your point about current events is spot on too. I don’t need to write separate “hot take on the news” posts. I can be responding to what’s happening in the world while I’m doing the deeper biblical and theological work. That’s actually more effective anyway because it roots the cultural commentary in something solid. Thanks for this. Really helpful.
You’re so welcome. However, I really wasn’t intentionally being helpful.
I was thinking of what I wanted😂
I clicked biblical deep dives but honestly I think it serves as a good top five and you can move with the spirit and write what you are called to write.
Ironically, so for 0 votes are for current events and culture, and I don't know about others but that is top of mind to me.
The posts I have shared of yours put current events and/or culture into a biblical perspective. Thinking about "What would Jesus do?" (in this time and place) and making that relatable to my evangelical brothers and sisters (literal as well as church). Some of the best food for thought I share to my Facebook feed and then block comments. My hope is that my sister or a brother will read and ponder whether their teachers are really upholding the values of Christ.
This is so valuable. You’re naming something I’ve been sensing but couldn’t quite articulate. The biblical deep dives and the current events stuff aren’t separate categories. The best cultural commentary is rooted in solid biblical work, and the best biblical work addresses what’s actually happening in the world right now. And the fact that you’re doing the hard work of sharing this stuff with your evangelical family, even knowing it might create tension, that’s its own kind of ministry. Planting seeds and then stepping back to let them work. That takes courage. I’m grateful this is helping you do that. And you’re right, I need to keep following where the Spirit leads even while paying attention to what people are asking for. Those two things aren’t in conflict.
The posts of yours that most resonate with me are the ones that remind me that God is gentle, that I am loved, that grace is a thing. I’m less about the politics and theology and more into the ‘ooh, that feels true’-reminders of how good God is.
The other ‘spiritual influencer’ who had this gift to my mind, was the late Mike Yaconelli.
Thanks for doing what you’re doing. I’d possibly encourage you to keep going with the spirit; stop when the spirit suggests a pause and hold it all with open hands. 👍
Mike Yaconelli is such high praise. He had this gift of making grace feel tangible and real instead of just a theological concept. I hear you about the gentleness piece. It’s easy for me to lean into the critique and analysis mode and forget that a lot of people just need to be reminded that God isn’t angry at them. That’s actually part of why I wanted to do this poll, because I suspect there’s a gap between what I think people need and what they actually need. Your vote and this comment are helping me see that. Thank you for the reminder to hold it all loosely and follow where the Spirit’s leading. That’s the work.
Susannah, thanks for mentioning Mike Yaconelli; his ‘Dangerous Wonder’ is one of my all-time favourites!
Oh, I just adored him, Pete. Such a loss when he passed.
I hope this community can keep exploring how to take heart and bear witness as mainline Protestants in a world where evangelical voices are still taking up all of the oxygen in the public discourse. I’m exhausted from explaining to people that I’m the “kind” of Christian who very much DOESN’T want to inflict hurt. Our mainline communities have so much love to share, and half of America doesn’t seem to know that we even exist.
I’m writing a book to address this very thing! Thank you for voicing this!
That book should be interesting. I have often thought that Alisa Childers is correct when she says Progressive Christians and Fundamentalist Christians are two separate faith groups - just not the way she means. Even from the outside (I've noted in past comments that I'm an atheist), I find that a definition of the division within Christianity of interest. It is no longer denominations. A progressive Catholic (ex. John Fugelsang) has more in common with a progressive Baptist (ex. Reverend / Senator Warnock) than a Conservative Catholic (Matt Walsh), and vice versa.
What may surprise you is that there is also a divide in atheist circles. People such as Richard Dawkins adhere to a conservative cultural-Christianity. Therefore, I find myself more aligned with people like you and other 'progressive' Christians than these well-known atheists.
I resonate so much with your attempts to engage real life in this multi cultural moment. I chose navigating relationships in the poll, but the context within which the relationships live is about the theology I was raised in and the God I have come to know. I honestly cringe these days when someone says something is or isn’t “Biblical”. I want to ask, which part of the Bible? Which interpretation? Which “view of Scripture?” I graduated from a famously conservative evangelical seminary, and even there I saw the many different, valid views of God through the choices we make in interpretation and in all the “ologies” of theological systems. I don’t know whether this helps you or just confuses you:), but that’s the kind of thing I’d love to read.
This is incredibly helpful, not confusing at all. You just articulated something crucial. The relationship navigation stuff and the theology stuff aren’t separate problems. They’re the same problem showing up in different places. And the “biblical” language thing drives me up a wall too. It gets weaponized to shut down conversation when what people really mean is “my interpretation is the only valid one.” The fact that you went to a conservative evangelical seminary and still came out recognizing there are multiple valid interpretive frameworks says a lot. Most people never get exposed to that plurality. They’re taught there’s one right way to read scripture and everyone else is compromising. So yeah, this is exactly the kind of work I want to do. Showing people that faithful biblical interpretation can lead to very different conclusions depending on your hermeneutical assumptions. Thank you for this, Jennifer!
Beau, there have been so many of your posts that speak deeply to me. I wouldn’t begin to tell you what to write, and looking at the poll I voted for unpacking theology. There is much unlearning/better way of interpreting the Bible that’s needed, for me anyway. Thank you for what you’re doing!
The unlearning piece is so real. Sometimes I think deconstruction is less about tearing down what we believed and more about discovering we were handed a version of Christianity that didn’t match what Jesus was actually about. Unpacking theology is exactly where that work happens. I’m grateful you’re here doing it alongside me. And honestly, telling me what you want to read about is one of the most helpful things you can do. So thank you for voting and for being part of this, Charlie!
Wow, this was more difficult than I thought it would be!
I have thoroughly enjoyed everything you’ve put out this past year, Beau.
But in reviewing the topics on your list, what seems to grip my heart most is the toxic theology that the American church has been fed for centuries. And that’s probably a symptom of my own journey.
I appreciate so much that you are a seasoned pastor who sits with your people every week in a congregation and then somehow you find the right words in the right moment for what’s gnawing at all our hearts as we simply seek to Be better humans and better Christ followers.
Blessings brother! Appreciate your work and your words ✨
This means a lot. The toxic theology thing is what keeps me up at night too, honestly. There’s so much damage to undo, and it runs so deep in American Christianity that even when we think we’ve rooted it out, we find more of it. Being in a local congregation every week definitely shapes how I write. I’m not theorizing from a distance. I’m sitting with real people wrestling with real hurt and trying to find a way forward that’s actually livable. That keeps me honest and grounded. Thanks for being here and for the encouragement. It helps more than you know, especially on the weeks when I wonder if any of this is making a difference.
I look forward each day to simple direct confirmations of the way of Jesus that counter the evangelical right but also the mainline dogmatic. The Church itself became dominated by Empire, if not before then certainly when Constantine decided to mould it into something useful for conquest in the 4thC. I appreciate reminders of the ways in which Jesus' teachings and example provide a critique of political and cultural currents, but also of the practice, structure and biblical interpretation advanced inside the church. Thank you for what you offer.
The Constantine piece is so crucial and gets overlooked even in progressive spaces. Once the church married empire, so much of what Jesus actually taught got twisted to serve power instead of challenge it. And you’re right that I need to be careful not to just swap evangelical dogmatism for mainline dogmatism. Jesus is the critique of all our systems, including the ones we build trying to follow him. That tension is where the real work happens. I love that you’re looking for that kind of clear, direct centering on Jesus without all the institutional baggage piled on top. That’s exactly what I want to offer. Thanks for naming it so clearly.
I get the emails. But never open them because I check the app daily. Might be skewing the numbers
Me, too. Just the app.
I’m new here and have been following for a while, but I just subscribed because I love the emphasis on real community and thoughtful discussion—especially seeing where others are on their faith journeys. Your writing is strong and challenging in the best way: deep enough to stretch you, but not so dense that you get lost. That balance is something I always tried to hold during my years as a minister with the Salvation Army. I’m eager to keep exploring theology—not as an abstract exercise, but as something that helps us make sense of our lives, our culture, our families, and the faith communities we’re part of.
Just joined and really looking forward to reading your writings. I am trying to strengthen my understanding and relationship with religion and the word of God.
I appreciate pretty much everything I’ve read from you. You’ve been a great help and blessing to me. Please keep doing what you’re doing. Your voice of honesty, understanding and kindness is greatly needed.
Thank you. Comments like this are what keep me showing up on the hard weeks when I’m wondering if any of this matters. I’m grateful it’s been helpful to you, and I’m grateful you’re here.