The clergy profession is fundamentally self-defeating. Its stated purpose is to nurture spiritual maturity in the church - a valuable goal. In actuality, however; it accomplishes the opposite by nurturing a permanent dependence of the laity on the clergy. Clergy… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
The problem is that, regardless of what our theologies tell us about the purpose of the clergy, the actual effect of the clergy profession is to make the body of Christ lame. This happens not because clergy intend it (they… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
Adults have their own issues and their own problems, which are understandable, and some adults are working through their own adolescent issues.- — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
“From the isolated, individualistic perspective of most white evangelicals and many other Americans, there really is no race problem other than bad interpersonal relationships.” — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
“variety of kinds of practices of generosity are positively and significantly associated with five important good life outcomes. Giving money, volunteering, being relationally generous,… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
“Persons in their most developed form are conscious, reflexive, embodied, self-transcending centers of subjective experience, durable identity, moral commitment, and social communication who—as the… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
Evangelicals come from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, but nearly 90 percent of Americans who call themselves evangelicals are white. — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
“Claude Monet's Water Lilies (The Clouds) consists of nothing more than dabs of different colored paint on a canvas.14 But because of the particular… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
“Because evangelicals view their primary task as evangelism and discipleship,1 they tend to avoid issues that hinder these activities. Thus, they are generally not… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
“Are we simply self-conscious animals improbably appearing for a moment in a cosmos without purpose or significance? If so, that has implications for life,… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
“generosity involved in proactively forgiving other people. This form of generosity, and the positive feelings it evokes in generous forgivers, have been shown by… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
“Some sacred projects are so doggedly committed to advancing their particular, packaged views of believed orthodoxies that they can become blinded to good evidence… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
The clergy profession is fundamentally self-defeating. Its stated purpose is to nurture spiritual maturity in the church - a valuable goal. In actuality, however;… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
The problem is that, regardless of what our theologies tell us about the purpose of the clergy, the actual effect of the clergy profession… — Christian Smith Copy Share Image
