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.
The Bible is full of apparent inconsistencies. What do we do with them, and is it possible that God actually is just fine with an imperfect collection of writings about the relationship between God and mankind? I think so, and here are some thoughts about why that is.
A Perfectly Imperfect Bible Read More »
Some thoughts on infant baptism and universal salvation. It no longer seems quite as alien an idea as it did when I was steeped in evangelical theology.
On Babies, Baptism, and Universal Salvation Read More »
A short parable. I’m deeply struck by our Heavenly Father’s grace and love towards us in our immaturity. It gives me great hope and peace, secure in God’s love no matter what.
I’ve been thinking about how I can safely and morally join with a church for missional work, even though I find myself fundamentally opposed to joining or building any institutional church. The word that came to me was “partnering,” and here are some thoughts.
Partnering Despite Differing Read More »
When we think about foreign policy, it’s easy to forget that nations are made up of people, and how we treat individual people was incredibly important to Jesus, far more than national identities.
When You Look at A Nation You Should See Human Beings Read More »
Those maps showing a shrinking Palestine are widely disputed by Zionism supporters, but there are some major problems with those counter claims. But there’s a better way than political or military solutions.
About Those Maps of a Shrinking Palestine… Read More »
Some kinds of testimony probably do more harm than good. Too often, a story about ourselves comes across as an accusation about the other, and actually harms our witness. We can do better.
A Different Kind of Testimony Read More »
Considering Israel and Gaza in light of Isaac and Ishmael, peace is not gained through superior firepower, but superior love.
Peace Through Superior Love Read More »
I’ve been in an interesting place for a while now, trying to come to grips with a God who turns out to not meet my old expectations, and watching a lot of people who call themselves Christian act rather unlike the Jesus I read about in the Gospels. So I’ve been thinking hard about the nature of truth, and the nature of the Bible itself.
