Summer Reads 2026
For this issue of A Public Witness, we offer our fifth annual list of books recommended by Word&Way writers that will be perfect for wherever you find your happy place this summer.
‘The Sheep Detectives’ Reveals Holy Mysteries
Besides being an enjoyable and charming moviegoing experience, the new film — based on a German book called ‘Three Bags Full’ by Leonie Swann — is full of unexpected Christian imagery.
Trey Falwell Sues Liberty University, the School His Father Once Led
Jerry Falwell Jr. resigned as president of Liberty University nearly six years ago. His wife and son still are feuding with one of the largest Christian colleges in the country.
These Houses of Worship Are Older Than America. How They Outlasted Wars, Schisms, and Lawsuits.
Only about 1% of houses of worship in the U.S. today existed in 1776. Here are four that predate the revolution — and still hold services.
In Our Image
For the inaugural entry in a series on religion and AI, a biblical scholar and ethicist considers what the Christian tradition has to offer this topic — not as a set of answers, but as a way of asking better questions.
The Gospel According to Markwayne
This issue of A Public Witness considers how the Department of Homeland Security Secretary under Mullin continues to do violence to Scripture even after Kristi Noem was ousted.
Theo vs. the TheoBros
Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell shares a bit about her new Theo(logy) of noticing found in a book by Allen Levi called 'Theo of Golden.'
Review: Better Than Normal
Author and pastor MaryAnn McKibben Dana delivers a powerful critique of society’s restrictive expectations while offering a transformative vision for human flourishing.
How Worship Music Became the Soundtrack of Today’s Political Right
One of the most popular worship songs, ‘How Great Is Our God,’ has moved from churches to political rallies in recent years.
Review & Giveaway: Chosen Land
Matthew Sutton’s expansive new book is the perfect resource for understanding what the United States has been over the past 250 years, not what some people wish it would be.