James Emery White

I was recently asked during the weekly Church & Culture Podcast why I wrote the book, “ What They Didn't Teach You in Seminary .” A book which, to this day, is one of my favorites.

Must Christians agree on everything? If not, how should they disagree?

I was recently asked during the weekly Church & Culture Podcast why I wrote the book, What They Didn’t Teach You in Seminary. A book which, to this day, is one of my favorites.

I have long believed that two things undermine bringing the Bible to bear on contemporary issues. First, a failure to understand why culture is embracing a particular idea or practice, and second, a failure to present the Bible’s alternate vision in a winsome and compelling way. Understanding “why” helps you build bridges of connection and empathy, and presenting an alternate vision moves beyond the dead end of mere judgment to the promise of evangelism.

Tertiary issues are non-essential issues. Christians disagreeing on those things is not debating orthodoxy, but rather debating points that are non-essential to the message of the faith.

Dr. James Emery White Mecklenburg Community Church Updated Jun 10, 2024

There is much about the Bible that our post-Christian culture does not understand, which is not it’s fault. It is, after all, post-Christian. But when talking with people about the Christian faith, it is helpful to be able to quickly and concisely convey the significance of the Bible to the Christian faith, and to overcome some common misconceptions about it.

There is much about the Bible that our post-Christian culture does not understand, which is not its fault. It is, after all, post-Christian.

In a day when almost every church would say they want to reach the unchurched, why isn't it happening more often? Why are churches better known for their rhetoric about reaching the unchurched than the reality of actually doing it?

The state of your spirituality does not rest on how you feel, but rather on who you are—and who you are becoming. God is in the soul-making business, and he does promise to transform you. The key idea is becoming a disciple.