Understanding Al Mohler’s case against women
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on June 4, 2026. The so-called Mohler Amendment to prohibit women from functioning as pastors in Southern Baptist churches is being hailed by his minions as “critical for us at this juncture.” According to Brian Arnold, pastor of First Baptist Church Paducah, Ky.: “In a day and age […]
How bad theology has set us up for sexualized AI deepfakes
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on May 1, 2026. Given the research I conduct for writing, the ads my algorithm sends me can be all over the map. Nothing ever surprises me. But after looking into the recent story about 62 million visits to a website that contained instructions on how to sexually […]
One thing complementarian ministries share with Epstein Files
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on March 20, 2026. One of the most disturbing revelations of the Epstein Files is how similar the power dynamics of the men at Epstein’s Little Saint James Island were to the men in mainstream complementarian ministries. Of course, most pastors aren’t actively assaulting children. So conservative evangelicals […]
Alex Pretti’s murder lays bare the lie of patriarchy
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on February 1, 2026. Tragic acts of violence often lay bare the gap between what a system claims to be and what it actually enables. In the story of Alex Pretti’s murder, we come face to face with whether patriarchy — long sacralized as a system of safety […]
These ‘regular people’ promote a dangerous view of marriage and gender
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on December 4, 2025. “I’m just a regular guy,” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told Katie Miller with his wife, Kelly, sitting next to him for the Katie Miller Podcast. “We’re simple people,” Johnson later added as the couple discussed everything from how Mike doesn’t like mayonnaise, […]
So Paula White’s a complementarian? Really?
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on April 30, 2025. While many express concern about Paula White’s leadership in the White House Faith Office due to her adherence to the prosperity gospel and her bizarre, tongue-speaking prophecies for Donald Trump, one of the surprising developments of this past week was video of her embracing […]
Our debate ultimately is about the dignity and humanity of women
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on March 5, 2025. A conservative friend on social media recently admitted that some of the storylines around Donald Trump’s second term have been extreme but concluded this is simply the way the pendulum swings. In one sense, what he said was true. Since Jimmy Carter, the Democrats […]
Zuckerberg’s and Rogan’s masculinity sounds like evangelical complementarians
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on January 16, 2025. “It’s also good to know that you can kill people,” Joe Rogan opined in his podcast interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg as the men began to giggle. “There’s a certain confidence from that,” Zuckerberg affirmed. “If you could sell it in a pill, […]
White Calvinist theology has gone to hell
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on August 23, 2024. “They’re going to hell,” declared Founders Ministry president and Southern Baptist pastor Tom Ascol. In a scene reminiscent of Oprah Winfrey’s “You Get a Car” giveaway, Ascol proclaimed, “Kamala Harris is going to hell, … (Anne) Branigin is going to hell, Jake Tapper is […]
Here’s how toxic male supremacy keeps on infecting the church, even in a supposed ‘apology’
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on April 10, 2024. “So, that’s awesome, man,” megachurch pastor Josh Howerton concluded in what he claimed was an apology to his congregation on Sunday. “Can we move on now? Y’all good with that? We’re gonna do that. That’s what we’re going to do. OK?” Then he clapped […]
What does Shannon Harris think now?
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on October 2, 2023. We first met her nearly two decades ago as a neatly wrapped character named Shannon Hendrickson in a bestselling “Boy Meets Girl” book written by her ex-husband about his theology of courtship after kissing dating goodbye. The character we were told about had led […]
The Director: A Tale of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
“For example, a housewife in her backyard may be asked by a man how to get to the freeway. At that point she is giving a kind of leadership. She has superior knowledge that the man needs and he submits himself to her guidance. But we all know that there is a way for that […]
Why the patriarchy is hyperventilating over Barbie
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on July 28, 2023. I wasn’t allowed to watch Toy Story 2 when I was 21 years old because the trailer depicted a group of Barbies in bikinis led by Tour Guide Barbie. So when I found out some influential conservatives were having a conniption fit over the Warner Bros new Barbie movie, […]
Complementarianism may promote the death of the family
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on June 28, 2023. “Lois! Get me my 10-cubed Pepsi!” my former Bible professor would yell across the house in their biblical home. His wife would immediately drop whatever she was doing, fill a glass with exactly 10 ice cubes, pour his Pepsi, and hand it to him […]
Let’s stop treating the dignity of women as a secondary issue good Christians can disagree on
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on March 22, 2023. While complementarians sacralize the subjugation of women, perhaps the strongest obstacles to change are the priorities of egalitarians. We’ve witnessed the muscle of complementarian men weaponizing the Bible and wielding the gospel to fortify their authority and power in the church and at home. […]
Why Women Talking has women talking and complementarian men fuming
This article originally appeared at Baptist News Global on February 14, 2023. As much as conservative evangelicals love to hate Hollywood, sometimes Hollywood plays the role of the prophet, exposing the brutal power dynamics of complementarianism’s “male headship.” Such is the case with Brett McCracken, senior editor and director of communications at The Gospel Coalition. His article about […]
What does complementarianism have to do with Domestic Violence Awareness Month?
This article originally appeared on October 6, 2022 at Baptist News Global. “Please don’t tell my husband I said anything. These men think they can bully women into submission.” I hear statements like this from Christian women in complementarian marriages quite often. But while many of these women are aware of the weight they bear, they […]
How a student’s fashion design project upset the created order at Bob Jones University
This article originally appeared on January 18, 2022 at Baptist News Global. Let’s call this controversy Wrap-Coat-Gate. Trustees and administrators at Bob Jones University recently grew so alarmed over a wrap coat designed by a student for a class project that they publicly called the student’s work sacrilegious, blasphemous, dishonoring to Jesus, offensive, and egregious. […]
BNG column sparks Thanksgiving Twitter war of words between complementarians and two female scholars
This article originally appeared on November 29, 2021 at Baptist News Global. When David Gushee wrote his article “The Deconstruction of American Evangelicalism” for Baptist News Global, he kicked off what would become the focus of the next stage in the debate between conservative evangelical complementarians and their egalitarian counterparts. That debate took the form of […]
The Way Down is about the weight of power being wielded by a hierarchical God
This article originally appeared on November 18, 2021 at Baptist News Global. It was an overcast morning near Smyrna, Tenn., as a small Cessna private jet abruptly descended toward the earth. Seven people on board, who had been looking forward to a trip to Palm Beach, Fla., were now taking their final breaths. And as the […]
Meet the Theobros, who want you to know they’re right about everything
This article originally appeared on June 28, 2021 at Baptist News Global. In this world of spiritual warfare, theological compromise and Republicans losing the White House, there lives a group of men, mostly white, who put on their armor, saddle up and ride into the glorious battlefield known as Twitter. They alone wear the belt of […]
American Christianity in China also imports gender bias and Calvinism
This article originally appeared on April 9, 2021 at Baptist News Global. Imagine if America’s coalition of conspiracy theorist, cowboy Christianity had colonized its way into the world of international politics and sexual abuse cover-ups under the guise of spreading the gospel. Research scholar Mary Li Ma believes this isn’t an imaginary scenario, but a very real one […]
How Reading Aristotle Frees Us from John Piper and Albert Mohler’s Complementarianism
This article originally appeared on July 11, 2020 on Medium and was edited on September 6, 2021 to include recent quotes from John Piper. After growing up in the patriarchal world of the Independent Fundamental Baptists where men would sit on couches watching football and waiting to be served their dessert while maintaining absolute control […]
A Response to Kevin DeYoung’s Culture War Strategy
This article originally appeared on June 20, 2020 on Medium. I’m sound asleep when suddenly I get jolted awake by my screaming four year old son. Bleary eyed, I try to get a grip on my surroundings as I role out of bed, pull up some shorts, and put on a shirt. My four year […]
When This Particular Castle Crumbles
This article originally appeared on January 31, 2019 at Worship Overflow. Two years ago, I purchased the Worship Overflow domain and was excited about starting my new blog. A couple years prior, I had gone through an extensive season of healing. I had gained much clarity regarding my gifts and desires. And I was ready […]