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.Repenting From Hell
I repent of hell. I’m sorry that I believed a lie about God and how God deals with humanity. I see how that was harmful to both me and to others, and I’ll change and do better in the future.
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The Conditional Power of Testimony
What’s the difference between a powerful testimony, and a sad story that we perceive as condemning the one who experienced it? Often, it’s only our dogma. We listen and swing from “that’s amazing” to “that’s horrible” in moments, based on our preconceptions of how valid that story is. Maybe, though, we can learn quite a bit from people whose stories don’t fit our existing framework of understanding.
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The Minions of P.T. Barnum
P.T. Barnum is famously reputed to have said “there’s a sucker born every minute.” I’d add a modern corollary that says “there’s a grifter born every minute to feed those suckers,” especially in today’s social media world. The recent bridge collapse in Baltimore brought plenty of Barnum’s minions out of the woodwork. What can we learn from this?
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Henry Ford Christians
Americans seem to worship efficiency and scale – and American Christians seem to apply Henry Ford’s innovations to building Christians, just like he built the Model T. But maybe that’s not the best way to advance the Kingdom of God.
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Organic Church: The Death of Churchianity
Many Christians think of their church as a complete independent body. Thinking of it instead as a cell in a larger body – with all the corresponding interdependencies and diversity – could bring a much-needed overhaul to the Church.
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Yes, Them Too
Is God’s salvation truly limited to those with right beliefs? Or is Gal 2:20 better translated as living within the faithfulness of God’s son? One puts the burden on us to believe correctly. The other rests in the completed work of Jesus. And that covers everyone, not just those who believe the right things.
Every Created Thing
An interesting feature of universal reconciliation is God’s utter determination to win back every soul God has created, no matter the cost or time. But humans can also be incredibly stubborn.
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New Series: A Discussion of Individual Eschatology
I wrote a four-part series on the various Christian doctrines of the afterlife. Any evangelical has a pretty solid idea of heaven versus hell, and streets of gold versus fire and brimstone, but I’ve learned that the verses supporting those positions are not quite what I thought.
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Dogmatism and Shunning – An Unholy Pair
Dogmatism is often used to build a tribe, and strengthen its borders, often by threatening shunning for those who so much as question the dogma. But doctrinal humility and cheerfully welcoming uncertainty will ultimately build the Kingdom in ways that dogmatism cannot.
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Interview: A Conversation about Deconstructing Simplicity and becoming comfortable with Mystery
I interview a close friend about dualism and simplicity versus mystery and complexity, and how we can mature beyond the easy, simple faith we start believing.