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This issue of A Public Witness looks at an Episcopal Church resolution, a PC(USA) recommendation, and a regional UMC resolution to see how some mainline Protestant groups are wrestling — or not — with their own complicity in spreading Christian Nationalism.

In "The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church," JR Woodward outlines why church leaders often fail and offers a robust theology of power.

'This is religious favoritism, and it is not only dangerous, but runs counter to my religion and faith,' said the Rev. Jeff Sims, a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister and a plaintiff in the case.

This issue of A Public Witness conjures up the righteous indignation of Charlton Heston as Moses to look at the dangerous push for the Ten Commandments in public schools.

Dangerous Dogma

Church

This issue of A Public Witness looks at an Episcopal Church resolution, a PC(USA) recommendation, and a regional UMC resolution to see how some mainline Protestant groups are wrestling — or not — with their own complicity in spreading Christian Nationalism.

The new statement of values, which passed with 80% support, is the first wholesale revision of the Unitarian Universalist covenant clause since 1987 and reflects over three years of feedback and discussions.

Wood will replace Foley Beach, who has been the archbishop of ACNA for a decade.

Nation

The high court determined the school board's vote to approve the application by the Catholic Archdiocese for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law.

'This is religious favoritism, and it is not only dangerous, but runs counter to my religion and faith,' said the Rev. Jeff Sims, a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister and a plaintiff in the case.

Louisiana has become the first state to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom under a bill signed into law by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday.

World

There are 182,000 Christians in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and 1,300 in Gaza, according to the U.S. State Department. The vast majority are Palestinians.

Buildings have sunk into the Atlantic Ocean, an increasingly common image along the vulnerable West African coast.

This issue of A Public Witness explores how a hidden 17th-century church in Amsterdam can teach us lessons about the need for religious freedom and a pluralistic public square.

Editorials

While messengers to last week’s annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention debated how to treat churches with women in pastoral roles, Baptist Women in Ministry showed up to offer a counter witness.

The thinning of the UMC’s conservative ranks makes this week’s conference a perfect time to address the issue.

Missing in all the jokes and news reports about the Trump Bible is that this isn’t the first time a presidential stamp of approval was sought for the Good Book.

Word&Way Voices

Contributing writer Greg Mamula walks through the various biblical, theological, and civic concerns raised by Louisiana’s attempt to mandate display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom.

Faithful America’s Rev. Nathan Empsall makes the case that Christian Nationalism poses multiple threats to the common good, but perhaps none are more dangerous than its misuse of Christianity to incite violence.

Christians often hear, share, and remember lies — but the light that exposes these lies doesn’t make their newsfeed. And this can make it difficult to be part of a faith community.

E-Newsletter

This issue of A Public Witness looks at an Episcopal Church resolution, a PC(USA) recommendation, and a regional UMC resolution to see how some mainline Protestant groups are wrestling — or not — with their own complicity in spreading Christian Nationalism.

This issue of A Public Witness explores how a hidden 17th-century church in Amsterdam can teach us lessons about the need for religious freedom and a pluralistic public square.

This issue of A Public Witness addresses the ways in which American Christians are part of the problem as explored in “The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith.”

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Podcasts

We had a lot of great podcast conversations this year. So let’s count down the top 10 most-downloaded of episodes of Dangerous Dogma in 2023.

In episode 104 of Dangerous Dogma, Jay Augustine, senior pastor at St. Joseph AME Church in Durham, North Carolina, talks about his book When Prophets Preach: Leadership and the Politics of the Pulpit. He also discusses preaching about current events,

In episode 103 of Dangerous Dogma, Craig Lamar Brown and Andrea Summer talk with about their movie Between Mercy and Me. They also discuss issues of racism, church worship, and creating music and movies. 

In episode 102 of Dangerous Dogma, Amanda Tyler, executive director of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty, talks about attending the ReAwaken America Tour and a Pastors for Trump meeting at Trump Doral in Miami, Florida.

Books

In "The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church," JR Woodward outlines why church leaders often fail and offers a robust theology of power.

This issue of A Public Witness addresses the ways in which American Christians are part of the problem as explored in “The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith.”

In “Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist,” esteemed New Testament scholar James F. McGrath turns his critical eye to overlooked details in Scripture and long-neglected sources to discover who this influential figure really was.

In “Machen’s Hope: The Transformation of a Modernist in the New Princeton,” Richard E. Burnett crafts a nuanced narrative of J. Gresham Machen’s intellectual journey from enthusiastic modernist to stalwart conservative.