Culture

Question: Dear Dr. Stratton, I have a bone to pick with you. But first let me express my gratitude. I have benefited greatly from your work in theology and apologetics. You have a unique ability to take deep philosophical and academic concepts and make them accessible to the average Joe. Thank you!  Here's my problem: You seem to have left your field of expertise to publish multiple articles and videos ranging from COVID-19 to Black Lives Matter and Critical Theory. You seem

I have always found it amazing how many notable Christian mouthpieces have vociferously denied giving any credence to Marxist ideology while at the same time giving wholesale credence to Marxist ideology. What is obvious to the most thoughtful observer schooled in Marxist philosophy is obscured in the minds of those who are saturated with it. The best way to make a disciple of Marxism is to convince the student they are not a disciple of Marxism. This does not mean that every

Dear fellow white person, I am writing this letter because we seem to have suddenly and abruptly awakened to a world in which we find ourselves being shamed because of the color of our skin. Oddly enough, no matter how much you may have fought against racism in the past, in 2020 you are now labeled a "racist" simply for being born with supposed "white privilege." No matter what you say to the contrary, those wielding the sword of  (the new definition of ) "racism" will cance

If I were to ask you who the most influential philosopher of the 21st Century is, what would your answer be? The correct answer might surprise you.  It is Karl Marx. Karl Marx believed that class struggle would occur naturally on its own without the help of any social engineer. He believed the Communist Revolution was the inevitable outcome of socio-economic forces and it was only a matter of time.  He was wrong. The marxists of today believe in class struggle just like Marx

Here we are in 2020, protesting like it is 1960. We will always have "a long ways to go" when we are constantly re-imaging the past to "explain" what is happening today. We say we are moving forward as we eradicate our past. But how can we move forward if we deconstruct the past -- the good, the bad, and the ugly? We can only fully appreciate the good when it is seen against the backdrop of the bad. But now, younger generations will no longer understand the present or where w

As we watch the events of turmoil in our nation, we have seen the destruction of various statues and monuments across the country. Mobs of people are seen on TV vandalizing and tearing down statues of everyone from Confederate soldiers to Union generals to Christopher Columbus. There is even talk of removing monuments to George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. In Louisville, KY, the John Breckinridge Castleman monument near Cherokee Park has been the source of conflict for sev

White Fragility , Robin DiAngelo's 2018 volume subtitled, "Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism," has become the anti-racist Bible for a large reader bloc, and for good reason. DiAngelo is both witty and articulate. Her basic ideological arc is that all white people are racist, whether they want to be or not, and whether they know it or not. One of her primary corollaries is that it is impossible for non-white minorities to be racist, period. This is based

Critical Theory ideology is quite prevalent in the modern culture today. From this theory we get the term, “social justice.” Social justice touches upon many of the most volatile issues in our society. Unfortunately, this term is not clearly defined, and many people do not know how to clearly understand Critical Theory and its resultant term, ‘social justice.’  Critical Theory functions as a worldview and metanarrative that runs from oppression to liberation. This essay expl

Social justice. That sounds great! After all, who would not want justice in the society in which they live? In fact, the Bible has so much to say about justice. Consider a few examples in Scripture beginning with the Old Testament. Proverbs 18:5 -- It is not right to acquit the guilty or deny justice to the innocent. Proverbs 21:15 -- When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. Amos 5:24 -- But let justice roll down like waters, and righteo

Church, we’ve got a problem: Critical Theory (sometimes referred to as Critical Race Theory). This worldview is a growing problem finding its way into the Church. Too many professing Christians today are, willingly or unwillingly, buying into this idea known to have Marxist origins. It’s an attempt to explain and confront power structures in the world that it claims are oppressing others. As Christians we certainly are against oppression but we ought to seek a Biblical unders

Today’s anti-racism crusaders have a lot more in common with Malcolm X than Martin Luther King, Jr. They have become so zealous in opposing racism that they see racism in everything—even breakfast cereal . Instead of condemning actual racism, the charge of racism is now used to compel allegiance and silence dissent. No one wants to be perceived as a “racist,” so spineless individuals and businesses bend over backward and issue self-flagellating apologies at the mere utterance

Christians have been called by God to change the world. Indeed, Christianity has radically transformed this world for the better. If anyone doubts this to be the case I highly recommend the book How Christianity Changed the World by Alvin J. Schmidt. It is also significant how many atheists are beginning to realize the importance of a biblical worldview for the sake of a civilized culture.  For example, atheist Phil Zuckerman says that when he thinks about Christianity, thr

Race and injustice are difficult topics to discuss. And while the church talk about it , I’ve seen a lot of harmful missteps along the way. Here are three unhelpful things that people are doing in the race conversation that need to stop. Now. 1) Speaking to or for an entire group of people It is true that each group of people across all shape, color, and size have unique experiences and perspectives. There may be certain types of injustices that face specific people. But att

Last year I adopted a personal motto regarding apologetics: “Let’s talk about it.” Too many young people are abandoning Christianity because they think the church isn’t listening to them. No one answers the questions they have and the church doesn’t discuss things relevant to them. My answer was for the church to become a safe space where people can doubt out loud. Whatever our young people are struggling with, we need to talk about it. But it’s more than just apologetics. O

Updated : May 4, 2021 When we aren’t discussing theology, apologetics, and worldview, we’re probably talking about one of our favorite things in the universe: Star Wars ! We especially love finding ways to use Star Wars to discuss worldview issues. I’ve compiled a list of all of the resources we have on worldview and a galaxy far, far away, as well as some by friends and other ministries. So here it is— Star Wars and Worldview: the Greatest Guide in the Galaxy! Star Wars a

In a culture that is increasingly post-Christian, the church needs helpful resources to use in order to better equip the next generation to engage the culture. John Stonestreet and Brett Kunkle’s A Student’s Guide to Culture does just that. This book is meant to be a companion to A Practical Guide to Culture , a book written for parents to discuss cultural issues with their kids. This book is targeted to high school students, groups of students, youth groups, or parents rea

The United States incurred an unprovoked attack, and the enemy (COVID-19) has inflicted casualties. The President declared war and already invoked the Defense Production Act, essentially forcing private companies into production of what the government demands. Since war has been declared, the expectation is there will be casualties, both of those on the front lines and the innocent. No realistic individual can believe wars come without lives lost. Yet the war strategy is marr

Many have asked the question, “Why are churches considered ‘non-essential’ during the Coronovirus shutdown and places like restaurants considered ‘essential’? Why are churches closed while grocery stores and restaurants remain open (at least for carry-out orders)?” The insinuation is NOT that food isn’t necessary; but the focus of the inquiry is on why churches are not considered ‘essential.’ After all, if social distancing is practiced in the church building and if surfaces

Why did you write the song? As a doctoral student who’s also a musician, I need a creative outlet that gets my hands back on a guitar to create something.  When I get a chance to steal away from my studies, I still like to play guitar and work on music. I attended a songwriter’s retreat in Dallas where I got a packet with a number of Scriptures, poems, ancient prayers, and other materials to look over. A piece called “The Prayer of St. Yared” caught my eye because of lines li

Another assertion has become commonplace in discussions of abortion. Pro-lifers who own firearms, or support military actions abroad are misled at best, and at worst, hypocrites. The critic assumes that any inconsistently held pro-life beliefs are evidence pro-lifers aren’t actually motivated by a desire to protect human life, but rather a desire to control women’s liberty. This line of criticism lacks substance and misunderstands both the essential pro-life position as well