Welcome to Crucible of Thought! I'm Brandon, and I was a member of conservative evangelical congregations for 45 years. This blog is about things that I've learned since 2020, as I've been undergoing a process of "deprogramming," "deconstruction," "reconstruction"... pick whatever term you want, but basically a process carefully examining many different aspects of my social, political, and religious beliefs to see what really actually aligns with the Bible and specifically the teachings of Jesus, more than what aligns with the host of dogmatic statements I inherited in years of church training. I'm not trying to persuade anyone: I'm sharing my process, in the hopes that it inspires and enlightens others. I welcome you to join me as we move forward in our faith together.
It’s long intrigued me that many doctrinal positions are not universally held, and I started thinking about why we lock to hard into clearly debatable positions. I think humans tend to latch onto an idea that comforts us, and then we build walls of doctrine around that idea. Let’s explore that tendency.
Doctrinal Humility Read More »
If God is in control, then maybe I should stop trying to get out of a situation, and instead ask Him what He wants me to get out of it.
The parallels between today’s America and 1930s Germany are striking. In “The Lord of the Rings” J.R.R. Tolkien describes The One Ring, a malevolent and active power which subverts and dominates anyone who wears it. I wonder if the recent pursuit of political power by the Evangelical church is akin to slipping on that ring.
The One Ring of Political Power Read More »
The Jewish model of rabbis and disciples present a useful example of the spiritual sonship model.
Rabbis and Spiritual Fathers Read More »
I’ve been thinking about how to make an impact on the world. I think we all want to affect our world. For most of us, it’s what drives our choices, maybe not day-by-day but at least over time. Naturally I want to have a large impact as quickly as possible. But I’ve begun to wonder if my impatience itself is keeping me from truly having an impact.
Exponential Christianity Read More »
I’ve discovered that once you kick out some cinderblocks from a faulty foundation, many other previously-stable things tend to be disrupted as well. And maybe that’s not a bad thing.
Cinderblocks of Faith Read More »
What if your life mission was to walk the streets of your city, visiting the street corners next to each church, and to cry “Repent, for the kingdom is at hand” – and what if the ones you were calling to repent were the church people who were actually faithfully and diligently living out what they’d been taught were the religious commands from holy scriptures?
This ought to sound familiar. If you did that you’d be following Jesus’ example.
Deconstruction or Repentance? Read More »
Do small groups support Sunday services, or do Sunday services support small groups? That question is very relevant to the current concerns of many believers about American Christianity’s practices. To find an answer, it’s instructive to consider the Jewish religious practices familiar to the New Test
Small Groups and Synagogues Read More »
It’s hard to imagine a more precise illustration of “the ends justify the means” – and a more ironic one – than a Christian reverting to very anti-Christian behavior in order to obtain or preserve political power for the church. How did we ever get here?
Let’s Not Take Brandon to Church Read More »
The wilderness can seem deeply uncomfortable – but it’s also a womb, a place of preparation and growth, bringing about what the Lord intends for us.
The Womb in the Wilderness Read More »
