Matt O'Reilly, PhD

Anyone who’s spent much time in church will know that disagreements happen. If those disagreements aren’t resolved quickly, they may soon become full-on conflict. Factions form. And the long term unity of the church is jeopardized. This can happen on different levels, whether it’s a local church or a whole denomination, as is presently the case in my own United Methodist Church. However a particular conflict plays out, the cultivation and maintenance of authentic church unity

So says N.T. Wright in the opening chapter of his Paul and his Recent Interpreters (Fortress, 2015): “though we have been accustomed to thinking of Paul as a ‘religious’ figure, that is a function of the way our culture has seen things in the last two hundred years,” but this is “not a necessarily ‘correct’ way to approach him” (10). Having just wrapped up my Ph.D. in Pauline studies, I’ve been eager to dig into this book and work through Wright’s assessment of the field. As

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 crunchy” ways to dismember and murder a baby while still in utero. Then we saw video of Planned Parenthood employees digging through pie plates full of dead baby parts looking for the bits that would get the best price. Again, we believed it simply could not get worse. But we were wrong. Dead wrong. With the release of the seventh video exposing

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 the sexuality debate. Drew mentioned me in a Tweet about the post. His main point is that conservatives and evangelicals are not taken very seriously when they appeal to scripture to oppose same sex practices because they do not take seriously what scripture says about other sexual sins like adultery and divorce. That is, evangelicals look th

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, whether a prayer, an altar call, or some other crucial event. Acknowledging and giving thanks for the work of God in our lives in the past is good and right. The grace that comes at conversion is the essential beginning of life in Christ. But we sell ourselves short if we don’t give equal or greater attention to the saving work of God in our

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 our unity through our current and very deep division. My questions were focused around this central point: If two people with irreconcilable views can both be said to occupy the middle, it’s not clear to me that language of “a middle way” really gets us very far. It may help us have a conversation without it devolving into fisticuffs, and for

The United Methodist Church is increasingly embroiled in an ever more polarized debate over human sexuality. As the debate rages, many have called for and attempted to articulate a via media, that is, a middle way between the two divergent sides. In recent weeks and months especially, though, I’ve found the call for a middle way to be curious at least and baffling at worst. The reason? Given the diversity of those associated with the middle, it seems difficult to actually def

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 important thing? They must decide what matters most, and then they must resolve to keep that most important thing always before their eyes, always in front of them. They must pursue it relentlessly. They must keep first things first. The Church of Jesus Christ is no different. Like any other organization, we must decide our priorities and keep

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 first visit to this Wesleyan hallowed ground. The lake was beautiful, adn the grounds were amazing. I was not disappointed. I was there to speak at the breakfast meeting of the Western North Carolina Conference Evangelical Movement (WNCCEM). The turnout was great, which impressed me, because it was a 7:30 am breakfast meeting. Now Junaluska

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 positive and some less so. This is to be expected on any matter related to how the United Methodist Church (UMC) will proceed when it comes to our denominational stance on same sex practices. One of the more extended critiques of my view comes from Drew McIntyre. His tone is charitable and his evaluation is thoughtful. I’m grateful to Drew

These are difficult days in the United Methodist Church. The divide in our denomination between those who differ on the compatibility of homosexuality with Christian teaching is deeper than ever. Both sides are frustrated. Both sides are hurting. Both sides want a solution, though different people on each side have different ideas on what constitutes a solution. Many hope that conservatives and progressives will work out a compromise and remain together in a  united United Me

Eerdman’s has recently posted this interview with Andrew T. Lincoln on his new book Born of a Virgin? Reconceiving Jesus in the Bible, Tradition, and Theology. Here’s the video: Here’s the description from the publisher’s website: This engaging book enables ordinary Christians to understand and give honest expression to the problems surrounding the virgin birth — a concept that many Christians are not sure how to handle. Andrew Lincoln’s Born of a Virgin? begins by discussing

Prominent United Methodist polity expert Dr. Thomas E. Frank has called upon the Council of Bishops to put a stop to church trials for clergy who disobey The Book of Discipline by blessing same-sex unions. Frank would prefer to see the Bishops lead the Church in “open conversation” with the aim of preserving the unity of the Church, which he believes is in peril if the trials continue to be prosecuted. I offered a response to Dr. Frank yesterday, and since then I’ve been thin

The United Methodist Reporter has published an open letter from United Methodist polity expert Thomas E. Frank asking the Council of Bishops to halt further church trials for clergy who officiate same-sex unions. Several such trials are pending, and Frank believes the the Bishops have the authority to put a stop to these trials by opting not to refer complaints to the counsel for the Church. Frank’s appeal rests on his conviction that the trials put the unity of the UMC in pe

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 destruction of death and its conquest by the cross is supplied by a present fact, namely this. All the disciples of Christ despise death; they take the offensive against it and, instead of fearing it, by the sign of the cross and by faith in Christ trample on it as on something dead. Before the divine sojourn of the Savior, even the holiest of men

The lines of the creation-evolution debate are boldly and firmly drawn and few plausible arguments have been made that carve a promising path forward. But with The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate (Kindle edition), John H. Walton provides just such an argument. Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, Walton’s evangelical credentials are substantial. In this book, he offers a reading of Genesis 1 that aims to take seriously both the tr

We already have a way of exiting ineffective clergy. I say that because the relevant paragraphs in the Discipline which provide clergy with accountable security of appointment specify that only an “effective elder” who is “in good standing” shall be appointed (par. 334; cf. par. 337). So, if an elder is not effective, then he or she is not guaranteed an appointment. Paragraph 334.4 also specifies that elders who fail “to meet professional responsibilities” or do not “demonstr

Spirituality often evokes images of quiet centeredness, meditative serenity and freedom from life’s pressures. It’s become a chic commodity, with its benefits evoked by images of sunrises and secluded retreats. Contrast the apostle Paul, who promotes a cross-shaped spirituality for fools making their way though life’s trials. Paul realized that images of crucifixion, burial and resurrection would never be popular images of the spiritual life. So he encourages his fellow trave

#Uncategorized

Does a Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy have the authority to involuntarily retire a bishop? Is this an implication of the General Conference vote to end guranteed appointment? How does this shape the future with regard to the accountability of bishops? What do you think? What other questions are raised by this action? How will this shape the future of United Methodism? Leave a comment with your thoughts. #Uncategorized