Would Republicans Welcome Jesus Christ And Mike Pence?

November 5, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

Former Republican presidential candidate Mike Pence has been a curiosity from the time Donald Trump selected him as running mate in 2016, through his enormously consequential role in the January 6 electoral vote count and its aftermath, to his bumpy bid for his party’s nomination for the 2024 election. I think the entirety of Pence’s political career parallels the turbulent and deleterious course of the American evangelicalism that Pence claims as his personal faith and that he relied on throughout... Read more

The Imperfect Bonhoeffer: A Model For Prophecy In The Public Square

October 12, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

A Talk Delivered To The National Unity Gathering, National Council Of Churches, Nashville, Tennessee, October 10, 2023, By The Reverend Dr. Rob Schenck Thank you, one and all, for your presence in this session and for supporting the National Council of Churches and its work to repair the world. The gracious invitation to be with you, extended by the Rev. Dr. Leslie Copeland-Tune, our esteemed Chief Operating Officer, leaves me humbled. My Penitential Visit To You A few of you know... Read more

Trump: Emperor Of Conservative Donor World

October 5, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

The agonizingly unanswered question haunting so many Americans is, “Why do they stay with Trump?” In my context, “they” are generally the Republican politicians and religious right leaders who support the ex-president despite his chaotic, unseemly, profane, and possibly criminal behavior. It’s a vexing and even maddening quandary. But I think I know part of the answer. One Key is The Keys To The Treasury The Bible warns, “The love of money is the root of all evil.” Love of... Read more

I’m Too Quick To Judge–how About You?

September 28, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

I’m biased and judgemental. There, I said it–and I feel crappy about it. Yes, I am becoming increasingly conscious of how much I judge others, especially now. Too Easy To Judge It’s too easy to judge others. At a time when American society is riven by social, political, and racial tensions, it’s reflexive. We do it when we jump to conclusions, blameshift, and engage in stereotyping regarding others who are unlike us. To all that, I plead, “Guilty!” I’ve been... Read more

A Trumpian Form of Terrorism

September 22, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

Donald Trump and the extreme right wing of the Republican Party adhere to arbitrariness. It’s immoral, unethical, harmful, and dangerous to Americans. It is contrary to both the rule of law and biblical concepts. The Psalmist declares, “The King in his might loves justice. You have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.” Equity, justice, and righteousness require fair, coherent, understandable, uniform rules, judgment, and consequences. Trump’s idiosyncratic, intensely personal, ad hoc propensities are a form of... Read more

Blame Or Bless Baptists For The Wall

September 15, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

Evangelicals must blame or thank the Baptists. I’m referring to the “wall of separation between church and state.” After all, those free-church dissenters are why the phrase was concocted. It’s ironic that the spiritual ancestors of today’s religious conservatives are responsible for what most vexes my co-religionists. When I was a Washington, DC, religious right activist in the 1990s and early 2000s, we called that metaphorical wall “the Supreme Court’s atheistic brick wall.” Plenty of us banged our heads against... Read more

Is the Government Hostile to Christianity?

September 7, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

Contrary to a popular evangelical myth, the U.S. federal government is not hostile to the Christian faith. In fact, not only is it friendly to religion, but it employs more Christian ministers than many denominations. Various agencies grant these chaplains broad freedoms, including preaching content, personal communications, worship, prayer, and even evangelistic activities. When conflicts over the religious prerogatives of federal chaplains and their charges arise, adequate internal mechanisms exist for resolution. (Also see https://icece-endorsers.com/) The Myth And Its Origins... Read more

My Unwitting Nazi Bible College Education

August 31, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

My evangelical Bible college trained me to consult a Nazi propagandist. Worse, that propagandist used the New Testament to promote racist, anti-Semitic, White supremacy. I just hope my teachers didn’t know what they were doing. Nazism Was Part Of My Childhood By the time I was in college, Nazism wasn’t strange to me–it had been part of my childhood. Don’t jump to any conclusions, though. My home was anything but anti-Semitic. My Jewish namesake, an uncle I never knew, Captain... Read more

How Money Poisons Faith

August 25, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

Toxic Treasures For decades, I watched it happen. Worse, I participated in it by using harmful fundraising techniques to fill the coffers of the organizations I ran. Pursuing money can quickly overtake all the good that religious organizations do. Thousands of otherwise content people–who loved their kids, had a ball with their grandkids, wept with joy at the sight of their first grandchild, were polite to their neighbors, gracious to their friends, and warm to their fellow church members–suddenly turned... Read more

Is Bonhoeffer Too Flawed To Bring Us Together?

August 18, 2023 By Rev. Rob Schenck

This post is unusual, so a little introduction is in order: Below is the manuscript version of a talk I gave recently at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago. I was one of four panelists focusing on important figures who are known for bringing others together under spiritual banners. Hosted by the delightful Ibrahim Anli of the Rumi Forum, my co-presenters and I each selected a religious figure. Here’s the list: Pope Francis: Fr. Don Rooney of St. Bernadette’s... Read more