Reading Time: 9 minutes Evangelicals recently celebrated the emergence of what they have come to call the Asbury Revival. Outsiders to their culture might not understand the sheer significance of this event, nor understand why they go to such lengths to participate in it and events like it. It helps to know that revival as a concept is integral […]
Revivals
Posted inReligion
The reality of people being ‘hungry for the Word’
Reading Time: 9 minutes In the Christ-o-sphere, people have always been hungry for the Word, even if in reality they reject Christian sales pitches now more than ever. Today, let me show you how Christians use this beloved Christianese phrase, and what reality has to say about the matter.
Posted inReligion
Evangelistic Success in China Amid the Pandemic
Reading Time: 8 minutes Lately, I’ve noticed a distinct narrative developing in fundagelicalism. It involves claims of wild evangelism success amid the pandemic. So far, nobody’s ponied up numbers supporting these claims (only contradicting them), but this sure wouldn’t be the first time Christians have made claims without evidence. This time around, though, the claims come from quite a venerable source. Today, let me show you someone from Billy Graham’s evangelism business making claims of a revival in China — and why I don’t trust this story.
Posted inGeneral
Dancing in the Spirit: A Primer (Chat Post #6)
Reading Time: 9 minutes One of the hands-down most distinctive practices in fundagelicalism might well be dancing in the Spirit. I’ll show you what that is today, for our 6th Chat Post!
Posted inReligion
The Lasting Legacy of the Toronto Blessing
Reading Time: 9 minutes Though it began in 1994 and ended quite some time ago, the Toronto Blessing left a lasting impression on today’s evangelicals. Today, let me show you what evangelicals miss about this movement–and what they ache to recreate.
Posted inReligion
How The Toronto Blessing Invaded the United Kingdom
Reading Time: 10 minutes Hello and welcome back! Lately, we’ve been talking about the Toronto Blessing (TTB). This was a huge evangelical movement that broke out in Toronto in 1994. Very quickly, this movement skipped to other churches–yes, very much like an infectious disease–and even to other countries. It reached one other country surprisingly quickly. Today, let’s look at […]
Posted inReligion
How the Toronto Blessing’s Influences Created Chaos
Reading Time: 10 minutes Most folks know well that evangelicals live in a haze of alternative facts. Several times here, we’ve examined this or that belief they hold about themselves that has turned out to be completely false–if not the polar opposite of reality. Their beliefs about the Toronto Blessing (TTB) of the mid-90s don’t work any differently. Today, I’ll show you how the lofty ideals of the Toronto Blessing got completely out of hand–and why evangelical leaders were powerless to stop it.
Posted inReligion
The Authoritarians Arise in The Toronto Blessing
Reading Time: 10 minutes Lately, we’ve been discussing the Toronto Blessing–a huge movement that erupted in evangelicalism in 1994. Though one of its major teachings and influences was deeply anti-hierarchical, the engineers of this movement were anything but. Today, let’s take a look at the authoritarians who helped create the Toronto Blessing–and their effects on John and Carol Arnott, who led the church where it began.
Posted inReligion
The Muddle of Influences That Created the Toronto Blessing
Reading Time: 11 minutes Today, I’ll show you both the obvious influences and the undercurrents that went into the making of the Toronto Blessing. Nothing about this movement is divine or miraculous–and I’ll show you exactly why not.
Posted inReligion
Todd Bentley Gets By With A Little Help From His Friends
Reading Time: 10 minutes Last time we met up, I showed you a recent development in the evangelical world: Todd Bentley is in trouble again. Today, let’s look at what’s going on with his current troubles and ask why he’s still being allowed to drop-kick sick people for Jesus.