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Rankin File

Religion

Rising Persectution/Hostility Toward Religion

Persecution of the Christian Church

Here is a sobering account from the National Catholic Reporter, based on a new report from the Pew Forum. Persecution of Religions

Stephen Rankin September 25, 2012October 3, 2012 Religion No Comments Read more

The Cost of Failing to Think

A news item about Shorter University, a Baptist school associated with the Georgia Baptist Convention, has given me another opportunity to worry about the way we talk to one another about contentious matters.  The school apparently has made a policy

Stephen Rankin December 2, 2011 Higher and Theological Education, Religion, The Church, United Methodism No Comments Read more

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy?

Perhaps I too easily take to heart the coffee cup “de-motivator” I have about blogging: “Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few.”  As a delinquent blogger, this saying makes me

Stephen Rankin August 1, 2011 Christian Life, Emerging adults, Higher and Theological Education, Religion, The Church No Comments Read more

Has “Spiritual Maturity” Lost Its Meaning?

In research for a book project on spiritual maturity, I fear I am discovering that “spiritual maturity” as a term no longer has any currency in Christian talk.  I spent some time in a bookstore yesterday, talking with the manager

Stephen Rankin June 19, 2010 Christian Life, Higher and Theological Education, Ministry, Religion, The Church 14 Comments Read more

“Have to” Questions, “How Do You Know” Questions

I’m helping to teach a class that affords me opportunity to interact with college students about spirituality. In such venues two sets of questions alway arise. I’m thinking about the unhelpful ways we in the ministry often answer them I

Stephen Rankin April 2, 2009 Christian Life, Doctrine/Theology, Higher and Theological Education, Ministry, Religion 2 Comments Read more

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Meet Steve

I serve as Executive Director of the Spiritual Maturity Project, a ministry some of us have recently started.  For 25 years I worked in higher education as a professor and chaplain and before that as a pastor.  I love to help people grapple with big and basic questions to grow into real ,grown-up Christian discipleship.

I ruminate on all manner of theological, biblical, historical, and cultural topics. I believe followers of Jesus need to be more like members of Issachar’s tribe, able to read the times. Read more

 

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