Skip to content

Rankin File

ruminations, fulminations, and cogitations on the spiritual life

Menu

  • Home
  • Publications
  • Speaking
  • Audio / Video
  • Book Reviews
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Feed
Rankin File

United Methodist Church

I Think This Qualifies as Sophistry

Two publications, both associated with The United Methodist Church (one official, one unofficial) arrived on the same day and dealing with exactly the same matter.  Providential? “Faith in Action’s” (the official one from the General Board of Church and Society)

Stephen Rankin September 20, 2012September 20, 2012 Religion, The Church, United Methodism No Comments Read more

The Clumsiness of Categories

The Clumsiness of Categories

Today, I worry about  sounding downright ungenerous and small-souled.  Even more, I worry because the topic I’m about to join cuts a little too close to the bone for me personally.  I’m going to try to use parts of my

Stephen Rankin June 7, 2012July 5, 2012 Christian Life, Emerging adults, Ministry, Religion, The Church, United Methodism No Comments Read more

General Conference (Slightly Proleptic) Postmortem

I’m not a fan of punditry, even of the ecclesial kind, but I guess I’ll set aside scruples and weigh in on the United Methodist General Conference as it presses toward the finish.  One question once again stands out: just

Stephen Rankin May 4, 2012 Ministry, Religion, The Church, United Methodism 4 Comments Read more

What Greensburg Teaches Me

In this virtual world that is the Internet, physical location often seems increasingly irrelevant.  Today, however, on this day after Thanksgiving, 2011, my physical location is significant.  It offers a poignant context for my thoughts. I’m sitting in a coffee shop,

Stephen Rankin November 25, 2011 Christian Life, Ministry, United Methodism No Comments Read more

“Pony Excess” Forgot Part of the Story

It is the morning of the Lord’s Day and my mind ought to aim elsewhere, hence I’m feeling a little sheepish about this blog.  But last night’s ESPN 30-30 documentary about SMU, called “Pony Excess,” is still on my mind. I’m a relative

Stephen Rankin December 12, 2010 Religion, United Methodism No Comments Read more
  • « Previous
  • Next »

Archives

Categories

  • Book Reviews
  • Christian Life
  • College Ministry
  • Doctrine/Theology
  • Emerging adults
  • General
  • Higher and Theological Education
  • Ministry
  • Preaching/Teaching
  • Religion
  • The Church
  • Uncategorized
  • United Methodism
  • youth ministry

Recent Comments

  • Stephen Rankin on The Troubling Use of “Information”
  • Corine Willilams on The Troubling Use of “Information”
  • North Texas Congregant on A Bishop Reinstated
  • Carylon Flax on Boundary Questions Refuse to Go Away
  • Danny Blue on Dogma as Drama – Thank You, Dorothy Sayers

Categories

  • Book Reviews
  • Christian Life
  • College Ministry
  • Doctrine/Theology
  • Emerging adults
  • General
  • Higher and Theological Education
  • Ministry
  • Preaching/Teaching
  • Religion
  • The Church
  • Uncategorized
  • United Methodism
  • youth ministry

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

 

Tags

Adam Hamilton Bible bishops Book of Discipline Christian Smith Christian witness Christmas Civil Rights college students congregations Constitutional Amendments discipleship doctrine Easter Emergent Christianity Emerging adults evangelism Faith General Conference God higher education homosexuality incarnation Jesus John Wesley Jr. Judicial Council Kathleen Garces-Foley leadership love Martin Luther King nones pro-life Religion resurrection sexuality spirituality spiritual maturity theology Tim Clydesdale United Methodist United Methodist Church United Methodists United States Witness
Copyright © 2025 Rankin File. All rights reserved. Theme Spacious by ThemeGrill. Powered by: WordPress.
  • Home
  • Publications
  • Speaking
  • Audio / Video
  • Book Reviews
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Feed