American Exceptionalism Needs a Reboot
On the Fourth of July we celebrate the United States as an exceptional country — at least, we used to. Thomas Reese, a Jesuit priest, suggests how America can become a more exceptional country.
‘Good Trouble’ Documentary Follows John Lewis from Fields of Alabama to Halls of Congress
A new documentary, which is to be released on demand and in select theaters on Friday (July 3), traces the journey of U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a Baptist, from the fields of Alabama to the halls of Congress. The film portrays how Lewis was shaped
Some Question Replacing Mississippi’s Confederate Symbol with ‘In God We Trust’
The next state flag of Mississippi will not include the Confederate battle emblem. But the suggestion that the new flag say “In God We Trust” worries some advocates and watchdog groups who see the phrase often invoked by conservative activists and lawmakers aligned with Christian
Black Pastors Urge White Evangelicals to Admit Systemic Racism
In a letter to Southern Baptist Convention leaders, an African American pastor from Texas urged the denomination to meaningfully increase the number of Black people in positions of leadership across its various institutions and to “understand that racism is much more than an individual sin.”
Evangelical Leaders are Speaking about Race — But Will Focus Last?
Many prominent white evangelicals have made statements about Black lives in the weeks since the death of George Floyd, but is this new focus among white conservatives — and white Christians in general — momentary or lasting? Highlights of a forthcoming study, which looks at racism,
Not So Random Acts: Science Finds Being Kind Pays Off
Acts of kindness may not be that random after all. Science says being kind pays off. Research shows that acts of kindness make us feel better and healthier. We are hard-wired to be kind.
5 Lessons I Learned from a COVID-19 Spike at our Church
Pastor Derek Allen, whose church has seen a spike in COVID-19 cases among its staff and volunteers, shares 5 lessons he’s learned in the past couple weeks so others won’t make the same mistakes.
Mohler Defends Theology of Enslavers; Push Grows for SBTS Changes
Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, says the school should stop using the name of a racist financial supporter, but added he will not remove the names of the slaveholding founders from campus buildings.
Baptist Orthodoxy vs Baptist Heterodoxy: Faith and Fruit Are Inseparable Regarding SBTS Founders
Dwight McKissic responds to Al Mohler’s refusal to remove the names of enslavers from buildings on the campus of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. McKissic argues this isn’t just a cultural war but also spiritual warfare.
Take Out That Flag
It’s not just that we place a national symbol in our sanctuaries while preaching and singing about how God loves the whole world. It’s that with our symbols we’ve proclaimed we’re Americans first and Christians second.