Asking “Why?”

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div., MFT When I was growing up, I was told that I must “believe.”  In our house, belief was equated with faith so believing in the right things made a person faithful.  What were we supposed to believe?  It was the standard affair for anyone growing up in middleContinue reading “Asking “Why?””

Faith, Judgment, and Edification

As many of you are aware, I have been teaching philosophy and ethics for the past years, and a written response I received from one of my ethics students was as interesting as it was informative.  The student wrote: “Ethics is based upon knowing the good, knowing the good inside each one of us.  WhatContinue reading “Faith, Judgment, and Edification”

Beware the Devil Wearing the Mask of Christian Nationalism

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div. Note: This article is longer than normal, but it contains a great deal of information on Christian Nationalism and how to oppose it. Claiming that it is a fascist organization, I offer six ways that we might oppose this group along with the MAGA movement. I think itContinue reading “Beware the Devil Wearing the Mask of Christian Nationalism”

Faith Without Religion

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div. I have to admit, I enjoy TikTok, and I am a little concerned that on my feed at least, there are so many expressing their dismay about religion in general and Christianity in particular.  Now, before the chorus of loud “Amens!” begin to ring out, let me alsoContinue reading “Faith Without Religion”

Faithful Living and the Difference between Kerygma and Myth

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div. It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time to believe in the New Testament world of spirits and miracles.  We may think we can manage it in our own lives, butContinue reading “Faithful Living and the Difference between Kerygma and Myth”

Beware the Mask of Fascism

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div. I wondered.  Why had she said that?  How could someone make such a blatantly false assessment of a message of love and peace?  Sure, the topic of my talk that evening was a premillennial romp through the apocalyptic literature of the Bible, making almost no distinction between theContinue reading “Beware the Mask of Fascism”

Faithful Living and the Difference between Kerygma and Myth

by Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div by Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., M.A., M.Div         It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time to believe in the New Testament world of spirits and miracles.  WeContinue reading “Faithful Living and the Difference between Kerygma and Myth”

Does Religion Bring Happiness?

By Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D. It takes moral courage to grieve; it takes religious courage to rejoice. Søren Kierkegaard, The Soul of Kierkegaard: Selections from His Journal Do we look happy to you? The other day I had a conversation with one of my Buddhist friends.  During the conversation, he said something interesting.  “If Moses,Continue reading “Does Religion Bring Happiness?”

Faith…But Faith in What?

by Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., LMFT, M.Div. It is difficult to know what the word for faith in the New Testament means because all too often, the term is used without definition.  One of the few biblical definitions is given in Hebrew 11:1, which states “Now faith is being sure of what we hope forContinue reading “Faith…But Faith in What?”

Walking through Grainfields

4th of July sermon preached by the Rev. Harold W. Anderson, Ph.D., July, 2005 Before I became a marriage and family therapist, I was a minister.  The last church I pastored before retirement was a church in Brush, Colorado, a community that politically and theologically was my opposite.  I embraced a liberal mindset; most inContinue reading “Walking through Grainfields”