Quotes from David P. Gushee

Living Lord, You have watched over me, and put Your hand on my head during the long, dark hours of night. Your holy angels have protected me from all harm and pain. To You, Lord, I owe life itself. Continue to watch over me and bless me during the hours of day. Amen. —JACOB BOEHME (1575

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen. —ANCIENT EASTERN ORTHODOX PRAYER

The pattern is clear: dissent, lose, and leave (or be forced out).

I am saying that Christians have many resources for listening to God's voice and discerning God's will. But given human limits—even as humans with Jesus in front of us, the Bible open before us, and the Spirit within us—I am rejecting any inerrant path to infallible doctrine.

It seems ironic to acknowledge that a Catholic Mass almost certainly contains more Scripture than the average evangelical service.

with good manners

But evangelicals are taught to pretend that there is no contradiction, because the Bible must not be questioned.

Muslim scholar Ibn 'Arabi (1165–1240) wrote, "Every branch reverts to its root.

evangelicalism—at its core, at its immovable power center—never was more than fundamentalism with lipstick on.

Majority Christian opinion on various issues has sometimes shifted profoundly.

Grant, I beseech Thee, O Lord, that by the observance of this Lent I may advance in the knowledge of the mystery of Christ, and show forth His mind in conduct worthy of my calling; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —GELASIAN SACRAMENTARY

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty! All Thy works shall praise Thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea; Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity! Amen. —REGINALD HEBER (1783–1826)

Father, I thank Thee for the night, And for the pleasant morning light, For rest, and food, and loving care, And all that makes the world so fair. Help me to do the things I should, To be to others kind and good, In all I do, in work and play, To grow more loving every day. Amen. —REBECCA J. WESTON (1835

For Luther the religious was the thing of greatest importance on earth; for Erasmus it was the human.

Writing during the Nazi regime with growing knowledge of its atrocities, Bonhoeffer is probably the most important Christian theologian in my life.

large number of biblical texts prove deeply useful for what 2 Timothy calls "training in righteousness.

I bind unto myself today The power of God to hold and lead, His eye to watch, His might to stay, His ear to hearken to my need, The wisdom of my God to teach, His hand to guide, His shield to ward, The Word of God to give me speech, His heavenly host to be my guard. Amen. —PATRICK OF IRELAND (c. 387–c. 460)

male/female sexual/gender complementarity.

This is to affirm that since the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, he is present bodily in the world through his people.

That has excluded those who are unable to fulfill that prescription due to their sexual orientation.

The reality is that not every place claiming to be a church is part of the church universal, that many churches fail their calling. This fact forces us toward something like the old distinction between the churches that we see (the church visible) and the church that Jesus recognizes as his people (the church invisible). We may not be able to find Christ's people where we thought to look. But I am convinced that we can find them.

Take me, I pray Thee, O Lord of my life, into Thy keeping this night and for ever. O Thou light of lights, keep me from inward darkness; grant me so to sleep in peace, that I may arise to work according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —LANCELOT ANDREWES (1555–1626)

conclusion: evangelicalism was both incoherent and oppressive.

American politics intervened and, in a sense, solved the evangelical identity problem—at grievous cost.