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.
Can we really tell the difference between spiritual milk and solid food? Maybe sometimes what seems like steak is actually milk.
How Would You Like Your Milk – Rare, Medium, or Well Done? Read More »
I just finished drafting a paper I’ve titled “A Personal Framework For The Morality Of Abortion.” It explores my own studied understanding of the topic.
A Personal Framework for the Morality of Abortion Read More »
For almost 250 years, our annual national birthday party has celebrated a splitting apart of people. And perhaps that legacy has unfortunate fruit.
On a Basis of Fear Read More »
I’ve added a couple more book reviews. I’ve just finished reading read a couple books on the problems of nationalism and (I think it’s related) the way that some segments of the American church are more interested in winning than being Christlike.
July Reading List Update Read More »
Boundaries are a good thing. I’m adjusting my boundaries on social media, so I have better chances to learn from others, and to minimize the emotional arguments that so often pop up.
What if the very time we’re supposed to mourn with those who mourn is when we’re rejoicing over the very thing they’re mourning? Or the very time we’re supposed to rejoice with those who rejoice is exactly when we’re mourning the very thing they’re rejoicing?
Come Let Us Mourn and Rejoice TOGETHER Read More »
It’s a really basic question – and therefore worthy of some attention. Some quotes, and then my own thoughts.
What is Salvation, Anyway? Read More »
I added nine more books to the Reading List page today. Check that page for full details.
June 2022 Updates to the Reading List Read More »
“How God Sees Women” is a stunningly solid exegetical analysis of the topic of complementarianism – the idea that God designated men as the authority and rulers in the kingdom, and that women are not authorized to lead or teach, specifically in the church, but (some believe) also in any public sphere.
Book Review: “How God Sees Women” Read More »
A few weeks ago, a supermarket in Buffalo NY was the scene of a mass shooting. A few days later, another horrific shooting incident occurred in a primary school in Uvalde TX. Ever since the spate of police shootings and brutality erupted into the news in 2019 and 2020, I’ve been reexamining my position on gun rights and laws, and these recent incidents prompted me to spend some time considering the situation. Since it’s timely, I thought it was worth addressing school defense here on my blog.
Law and Order and Unintended Consequences Read More »
