Author Archives: rthenderson

About rthenderson

Sixty years a pastor-teacher within the Presbyterian Church. Author of several books, the latest of which are a trilogy on missional ecclesiology: ENCHANTED COMMUNITY: JOURNEY INTO THE MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH, then, REFOUNDING THE CHURCH FROM THE UNDERSIDE, then THE CHURCH AND THE RELENTLESS DARKNESS. Previous to this trilogy was A DOOR OF HOPE: SPIRITUAL CONFLICT IN PASTORAL MINISTRY, and SUBVERSIVE JESUS, RADICAL FAITH. I am a native of West Palm Beach, Florida, a graduate of Davidson College, then of Columbia and Westminster Theological Seminaries.

BLOG 2/18/15. THE ENIGMA OF SELECTIVE CHRISTIAN ETHICS

Posted on February 18, 2015 by

BLOG 2/18/15. THE ENIGMA OF SELECTIVE CHRISTIAN ETHICS In my last blog I was heralding Pope Francis and his ethical focuses (foci?), especially his teachings on the environment. It is no secret that ethics tends to be something of a … Continue reading →

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BLOG 2/15/15. CHRIST THE CONTROVERSIALIST … AND POPE FRANCIS

Posted on February 15, 2015 by

BLOG 2/15/15. CHRIST THE CONTROVERSIALIST … AND POPE FRANCIS The late John R. W. Stott of London was a giant in terms of his influence upon my generation. He was a prolific writer, a gentle soul, a profound scholar, and … Continue reading →

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BLOG 2/11/15. CAN SEAMUS HEANEY TEACH THE CHURCH SOMETHING?

Posted on February 11, 2015 by

BLOG 2/11/15. CAN SEAMUS HEANEY TEACH THE CHURCH SOMETHING? From time to time I mention Seamus Heaney, the much loved Irish poet who died a couple of years ago. I was so impressed that one of the major Irish newspapers … Continue reading →

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BLOG 2/8/15. ARCHBISHOP OSCAR ROMERO, ST. TELEMACHUS, … AND US

Posted on February 8, 2015 by

BLOG 2/8/15. OSCAR ROMERO, ST. TELEMACHUS, … AND US I, for one, have been rejoicing that this present Pope Francis has determined to beatify the martyred Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador. I have been so blessed by Romero’s example. … Continue reading →

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BLOG 2/4/15. “THEY DO IT EVERY SUNDAY” … WHY?

Posted on February 4, 2015 by

BLOG 2/4/15. “THEY DO IT EVERY SUNDAY” – WHY? “They do it every Sunday, They’ll be over it on Monday, It’s only a habit they’ve acquired.” That little limerick percolates up out of my past from time to time. It … Continue reading →

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2/1/15. ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY … WHAT WILL BE REMEMBERED?

Posted on February 1, 2015 by

BLOG 2/1/15. ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY … WHAT WILL BE REMEMBERED? Our culture engages in a whole lot of hoopla on Super Bowl Sunday, as if it had any real significance other than economic advantage to its sponsors and entertainment … Continue reading →

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BLOG 1/28/15. CHRIST, ISLAM, AND ‘MOTHERLESS CHILDREN’

Posted on January 28, 2015 by

BLOG 1/28/15. CHRIST, ISLAM, AND ‘MOTHERLESS CHILDREN’ A couple of weeks ago, I posted a blog describing some conversation partners whose spiritual emptiness and agnosticism reminded me of the old spiritual song: “Sometimes I feel like a motherless child … … Continue reading →

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1/25/15. CHRISTIAN FAITH: COMFORT OR OFFENSE?

Posted on January 25, 2015 by

BLOG 1/25/15. CHRISTIAN FAITH: COMFORT OR OFFENSE? It is an issue, or a question, that has confronted Christ’s followers, and his church, from its very inception: Is Christ’s gospel a message of comfort, or is it an offense? The answer: … Continue reading →

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1/21/15. IT’S A PUZZLE WHY THE CHURCH EVEN EXISTS!

Posted on January 21, 2015 by

BLOG. 1/21/15. IT’S A PUZZLE OF WHY THE CHURCH EVEN EXISTS! Did you ever stop and ponder how ridiculous it is that the church even exists? Those two millennia ago, out there on the remote corner of the Roman Empire, … Continue reading →

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BLOG 1/18/15. A PROPHET OF HOPE, AND A PRACTITIONER OF RECONCILIATION.

Posted on January 18, 2015 by

1/18/15. A PROPHET OF HOPE, AND A PRACTITIONER OF RECONCILIATION Since tomorrow is our national Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, I thought I might introduce to some of my readers another incredibly significant civil rights figure who has influenced so … Continue reading →

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