Tommy Preson Phillips

Holy Words, Twisted Tongues How Authoritarians Hijack Religious Language to Justify Abusive Power

open.substack.com/pub/tommypre...

Language builds movements—and sometimes builds monsters. Here’s what Nazi Germany taught us about the power of superlatives, euphemisms, and false crosses.

(Full piece linked in first comment)

Thanks to @michellevanloon.bsky.social for this great review of Invisible Jesus: A Book about Leaving the Church and Looking for Christ by @scotmcknight.bsky.social and @tommypphillips.bsky.social

englewoodreview.org/scot-mcknigh...

When Seeking Jesus Drives You Out of the Church: Interview with Scot McKnight & Tommy Preson Phillips A Pastor and a Philosopher Walk into a Bar · Episode

This convo with @scotmcknight.bsky.social & @tommypphillips.bsky.social on @ppwbpodcast.bsky.social is the BEST & most HOPEFUL convo on #Deconstruction I’ve ever heard. …and I’ve read and listened to lots! Worth your time, I promise: open.spotify.com/episode/6u8z...

Props to podcast hosts, too!

Negative Christianity: A Theology of Resistance Or, How Christianity Should Look from the Top.

An excellent and amazing post by @tommypphillips.bsky.social

"What they ended up with wasn’t a Christianity rooted in love, mercy, justice, or the teachings of Jesus—it was a version that prized obedience to authority, emphasized racial purity, and judged one’s faith by loyalty to the state."

I mean, every time I'm at a conservative evangelical event, they kinda do.

When Christians reject the new path Jesus brought to us, the path of enemy love and the cross, I can only conclude that they believe that Jesus was wrong, the martyrs were fools, and the sermon on the mount ought to be abandoned.

Killing the "bad guys" doesn't work. Executions don't work. War and violence do not work.
Violence can never bring peace.

How do we know?

Because violence is all that we have tried since the dawn of humanity, and the results have always been the same: More death & more evil.

What They call Masculinity, We Used to call Worldliness. The Christian Masculinity Movement is Selling Power, not Christlikeness.

"What’s being called with ‘biblical manhood’ isn’t masculinity at all—it’s just power. The beast of Revelation wields the same kind of power: physical strength, financial wealth, and military or political violence."

A new substack this week comparing evangelical's idea of masculinity with Jesus.

Hot takes won't last, but long-form, thoughtful, prophetic pieces will. Take your time. Write with clarity. Tell a story. Avoid cheap antagonism.

Above all, make them confront Jesus —make them look him in the face.

#ProgressiveChristianity #PostEvangelical #WriteWhatMatters

Had a good convo with @jaredmstacy yesterday about this:

If youre a writer in the post-evangelical/progressive Xian space, now is the time to write. The future church will need voices that pushed back against power-hungry Christianity, just like we need those from the past now.

Phenomenal Copeland reference.

Anyone calling it "Gulf of America" is already seen as a sympathizer. Interesting times.

In a room sit a judge, a President, and a rich man. Between them stands a cop. Each of the men bids the cop arrest the other two.

‘Do it,’ says the judge, ‘for I have judicial review.’ ‘Do it,’ says the President, ‘for I won the election.’ ‘Do it,’ says the rich man, ‘and I will make you wealthy.’

So bizarre. Not one of us calling it that.

That new dune show is giving “dark Bridgerton in space.”

The Dissident’s Guide to John: An Introduction The Dissidents Guide to John, Part 1.

This morning the first post in my "Dissident Guide to John" went live, and I'd love a follow.

The goal of this —and my "Dissidents Guide to Revelation"— is to teach Christians how to read the Bible from the bottom of the empire so they become useless to the empire and empowered for the Kingdom.

If there are U.S. voters who regret voting for this current administration because they were uninformed or misled or wrong, let's join together, no matter who you voted for, or if you did not vote at all. Let's organize together to right this ship. Your voice matters. Together, we are stronger.

a man wearing a vest that says chicago dept on it ALT: a man wearing a vest that says chicago dept on it

That second guess.

2 insurrections, same President.

A theological system which does not form the pilgrim to effortlessly recognize despots and authoritarians is obviously deficient And should be widely abandoned and recognized as having nothing to do with Jesus.

I’m glad all you wealthy’s are having fun toying with the lives of the poor.

No, we aren’t interested in “owning the repubs,” by losing all that we have been scraping together, we don’t think it’s fun, we just want to live in peace.

Perhaps all of it; policy, steps to find legal help, and organizations helping churches do the work with their knowledge and expertise.

It is hard to know where to start, but we'd like to be prepared.

Does anyone have some good resources for churches who may be offering sanctuary to migrants in the near future?

Most of us don’t know how to do this but want to be ready to if needed.

Unbelievable. I’m sorry, brother. That would have rattled me.

Keep pushing on those idols.

I had a prof in seminary say that the first church sanctioned sex change operation happened when the church decided to turn the apostle Junia into a man.

…

Remember, you didn’t see what you thought you saw.

And if you did, they didn’t mean it like that.

And if they did, it was a joke.

And if you don’t think it’s funny, you are what’s wrong with America.

I ordered this morning.

This looks great. Well done!