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Should the Global Methodist Church have new Articles of Faith?
Global Methodists are talking about doctrine and theology. That's a good thing. Twentieth century mainline Methodism didn't leave us a strong theological legacy, and I'm grateful to see us working through important questions of belief. As you might expect, questions have come up about the proposed Articles of Faith. Why are we considering such a proposal? What's the process for considering them? Why might we need a fresh statement of our beliefs? And then there are questions
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N.T. Wright on Authentic Church Unity #UMC
Anyone who’s spent much time in church will know that disagreements happen. If those disagreements aren’t resolved quickly, they may soon...
Matt O'Reilly
2 min read
N.T. Wright: Paul Was Not a "Religious" Figure (@fortresspress)
So says N.T. Wright in the opening chapter of his Paul and his Recent Interpreters (Fortress, 2015): “though we have been accustomed to...
Matt O'Reilly
2 min read
If We Do Not Repent (#PPSellsBabyParts)
Many of us thought it couldn’t get worse than seeing a medical doctor swill her wine and crunch her croutons while speaking of “less...
Matt O'Reilly
2 min read
Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right: Grace, Progress, & the #UMC (@DrewBMcIntyre)
Do evangelicals have a double standard when it comes to sexual ethics? That’s the claim made by Drew McIntyre in a post on authority in...
Matt O'Reilly
3 min read
New SermonCast: "Growing into Salvation" 1 Peter 2:2-10 #UMC
Much of the time we think of salvation in the past tense. We focus in on that moment when we first experienced God’s reconciling grace,...
Matt O'Reilly
1 min read
On Priorities, Positions, and the #UMC Via Media (@eJoelWatts)
I raised a few questions last week about the current call among United Methodists for a via media (or a middle way) that might preserve...
Matt O'Reilly
3 min read
Defining the Methodist middle: Is there a via media for the #UMC?
The United Methodist Church is increasingly embroiled in an ever more polarized debate over human sexuality. As the debate rages, many...
Matt O'Reilly
3 min read
New SermonCast: "First Things First" #UMC
Every organization that wants to be around and be effective for the long haul must, at some point, ask the question: What is the most...
Matt O'Reilly
1 min read
#WesleyCast Interview w/ @DrewBMcIntyre, Review by @TalbotDavis #UMC
I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to visit Lake Junaluska last week. I’ve been United Methodist for over 20 years, yet this was my...
Matt O'Reilly
2 min read
Allowance Isn’t Affirmation, Except When It Is (@DrewBMcIntyre #UMC)
My recent post aimed at evaluating the “Way Forward” plan set forth by Adam Hamilton and others has garnered a fair bit of response, some...
Matt O'Reilly
4 min read
Why "A Way Forward" Isn’t (#umc #umcschism)
These are difficult days in the United Methodist Church. The divide in our denomination between those who differ on the compatibility of...
Matt O'Reilly
3 min read
Andrew T. Lincoln Interview on the Virgin Birth (@eerdmansbooks)
Eerdman’s has recently posted this interview with Andrew T. Lincoln on his new book Born of a Virgin? Reconceiving Jesus in the Bible,...
Matt O'Reilly
2 min read
Is #UMC Conversation Still Possible?
Prominent United Methodist polity expert Dr. Thomas E. Frank has called upon the Council of Bishops to put a stop to church trials for...
Matt O'Reilly
3 min read
If Trials Stop, Likelihood of Schism Grows (#UMC, @UMReporter)
The United Methodist Reporter has published an open letter from United Methodist polity expert Thomas E. Frank asking the Council of...
Matt O'Reilly
3 min read
Athanasius on the "Conquest of the Cross"
Easter is around the corner. So, I thought I’d share this gem from St. Athansius’ On the Incarnation. A very strong proof of this...
Matt O'Reilly
2 min read
Review: The Lost World of Genesis One (John H. Walton)
The lines of the creation-evolution debate are boldly and firmly drawn and few plausible arguments have been made that carve a promising...
Matt O'Reilly
3 min read
Guaranteed Appointment Redivivus: A Few Reflections on a Major Decision
We already have a way of exiting ineffective clergy. I say that because the relevant paragraphs in the Discipline which provide clergy...
Matt O'Reilly
3 min read
Book Giveaway: Spirituality According to Paul by Rodney Reeves
Spirituality often evokes images of quiet centeredness, meditative serenity and freedom from life’s pressures. It’s become a chic...
Matt O'Reilly
2 min read
Matt O'Reilly
1 min read
Involuntary Retirement Recommended for Bishop
Does a Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy have the authority to involuntarily retire a bishop? Is this an implication of the General...
Matt O'Reilly
1 min read
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