Dr Paul Allen

Dr Ted Tripp Most think Jesus taught about peace, love, gentleness, and heaven. They probably would not cite these words: “I came to cast fire on the earth and would that it was already kindled! I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division. From now on, in one house, there will be five divided, three against two and two against three.” (Luke 12:49–52) Consider three words in Christ’s statement. DIVISION Christ’s audacious claims produced division. He claimed to be sinless (John 8:46–47), to be the only way to God (John 14:6), to forgive sins (Luke 5:20–21), to give eternal life (John 6:40), to share the glory with the Father (John 17:5), to be the heavenly King (18:36–37), and to be the One who would judge the world (Matt. 25:31–32). These are polarizing claims. According to C.S. Lewis, they force the conclusion, “Either He was and is the Son of God...

A stirring, 50-minute film, “Dead Name,"  released today on Vimeo , profiles three families and is best described as an intimate portrait of those whose lives have been upended by an ideology that has unleashed deep confusion and division. (In the interest of full disclosure, this Christian Post reporter appears in the film as a contributor, having extensively interacted with such families.) In the transgender sphere, calling someone by their “dead name” means referring to them by their birth name, not their newly chosen name.  Dead Name Trailer Their self-selected name is often the first step in the trans-identification process. Parents of transgender-identifying children are usually pained to hear that the name they chose for their child is “dead.” Filmmaker Taylor Reece titled the documentary this way because it is emblematic of the entire spectrum of problems parents face. After a name change, a trans-identifying child starts to blot out their entire identity.  After ...

Christianity is a treasure capable of guiding and enriching our public life. Christianity teaches that the only way to properly situate oneself in the world (not to mention the world to come) is to locate one’s life squarely in Christ because he is himself abundant in life. Life apart from him is detached from reality. Still, one need not embrace Christianity to glean from its wisdom. The secular social psychologist Jonathan Haidt drew upon the biblical tradition to diagnose what he calls our “uniquely stupid” age. Focusing on the influence of social media, Haidt considers the Babel story the best metaphor for understanding our profound social and political divisions because the story, at its heart, is about fragmentation. I believe Haidt is correct: we live in a uniquely stupid time. The smartphone doesn’t help. These devices (like towers) aren’t inherently evil, and as tools, they can be helpful. Nevertheless, the Babel narrative provides a road map away from stupidity toward spiritu...

Division and discord are growing sicknesses in our day. We’re separated into ever-fracturing tribes, and the “us versus them” mentality has developed a gravitational pull. What’s more, talking heads who tell us our problems and worries come from those we disagree with saturate the screens in our homes and pockets. The church isn’t safe from the disease of division. Our feeds offer us a steady diet of self-affirming articles that state how this political election or that theological disagreement will make or break us. When the stakes are constantly elevated to do-or-die levels, we justify any tactic that gives “our side” an edge in the war. Denominations, churches, and church members who once enjoyed unity now grow apart. Those we used to march with arm in arm are now at arm’s length. It seems our culture is ever more eager to draw lines in the sand and ever slower to listen with love. As our tribalism grows, our ability to nuance diminishes, and it becomes difficult to pursue Christian...