Three Things I’d Like to See in the Christian Blogosphere in 2012

With Christmas behind us and 2012 on the horizon (seriously, it’s next week—what happened?) many of us are in more of a contemplative mindset. Looking back on the year that was and wondering, what could be different about next year. Sadly, I have succumbed to this as well. But! I am trying to focus on a few key areas, and one in particular is what I’d like to see in the Christian blogosphere in 2012. Here are three things I’d like to see happen and/or change in the coming year:

1. More solid theology blogs written by women. Too often the stereotype is that women write Mommy blogs (and get book deals) and men write about theology (and ask why they don’t have a book deal). In the “YRR” crowd in particular, there are a LOT of male voices. This is by no means a bad thing, but we do have a tendency to be much more direct in a way that can be off-putting for female readers. It would be nice to have more women who have a more delicate approach to point readers to. My hope for 2012 is that a number of doctrinally sound ladies would begin to address pressing theological issues from a female perspective to help balance us out. Incidentally, here are a few really well done theology and/or Christian-life blogs written by women that you should check out:

• Housewife Theologian by Aimee Byrd (she wrote a very kind review of Awaiting a Savior a couple months back, if you didn’t see it)
• Daily on my Way to Heaven by Becky Pliego (this site also hosts a terrific series called “Doctrines in the Kitchen”)
• Writing and Living by Staci Eastin (author of Cruciform Press’ The Organized Heart)
• The Upward Call by Kim Shay
• Theologigal
• Samantha Krieger

2. The self-appointed satirists and “discernment” bloggers need to chill out and grow up. The “satire” blogs (the majority of which, interestingly, tend to lean left of center theologically) occasionally offer interesting insights in their critique of voices in the new Reformed movement. But more often than not, they wind up playing kissing cousins with the whacked-out online “discernment” ministries on the far right whose writers only have one person left to call a heretic—themselves. They’re rarely helpful, edifying or funny. Far too often they’re mean-spirited, divisive and kind of pathetic. My hope for 2012 is that “satirists” and “discernment” bloggers would chill out, grow up and shut down their blogs rather than continuing to malign the name of Christ.

3. Pay less attention to controversy and more attention to Jesus. Let’s be honest, 2011 was a great year for Rob Bell—and the “YRR” crowd played a huge part in that. Another dust up is surely on the horizon, though probably not to the scale of the Love Wins fiasco. So how about we try not to get played as badly as we did the last time? While obviously, I’m not suggesting that any Christian avoid rightly condemning heresy when it appears, I would strongly encourage that we all do so in a careful, Christ-exalting manner.

So those are three things I’d like to see in the Christian blogosphere in 2012. What would you add to the list?