A War with Christmas
Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on Russian pro-war propaganda dressed up like a Christmas decoration, which he calls a sacrilegious assault on celebrations of the birth of the Prince of Peace.
Unsettling Advent 2022, Day 25
Professor Greg Carey writes that hope is an essential strategy for Christians. As the apostle Paul said, three things abide: faith, hope, and love. Love may be the “greatest,” says Paul, but hope stands in the top three.
German Churches Save on Heat, Still Help the Needy Warm Up
Churches have joined in Germany’s efforts to save on heating costs this winter, forcing their congregations into ever more layers of clothing. But at the same time, they are providing warm spaces for the homeless and for people who are struggling to pay their bills.
Review: Unruly Saint
Robert D. Cornwall reviews "Unruly Saint: Dorothy Day's Radical Vision and its Challenge for Our Times" by D.L. Mayfield. This book recognizes a degree of saintliness about Day's life but fears she might get domesticated by a church that might use her memory in ways
Lessons from Unsettling Advent
In this issue of A Public Witness, we want to share some of what we’ve learned from our Unsettling Advent series this year. We hope these insights will be meaningful in these last few days before we celebrate the birth of Jesus.
Unsettling Advent 2022, Day 24
Terrell Carter writes that unfortunately, mass shootings and other acts of violence have become an ordinary experience in our world. Some might say that this upward trend in violence epitomizes the “ordinariness of suffering,” the fact that violent things regularly occur in the world.
William Barber Launches New Center at Yale, Will Retire From Church
Yale Divinity School is launching a new Center for Public Theology and Public Policy, an advocacy-focused body to be led by pastor Rev. William Barber II. Barber has emerged as a prominent activist over the past decade, launching several major protest movements that have attracted
Anti-abortion Priest Pavone Defrocked for Blasphemous Posts
The Vatican has defrocked an anti-abortion U.S. priest, Frank Pavone, for what it said were “blasphemous communications on social media” as well as “persistent disobedience” of his bishop.
This Advent, Churches Urged To Assess Worship for Inadvertent Antisemitism
The Council of Centers on Jewish-Christian Relations has asked Christians to evaluate their own theologies and teachings for anti-Jewish sentiments. Much of Christian preaching today acknowledges a Jewish Jesus born into an expressly Jewish context, but also implicitly paints a portrait of a Jesus whose
Pope Urges ‘Humble’ Christmas, with Savings Sent to Ukraine
Pope Francis called Wednesday for a “humble” Christmas this year, with savings from reduced spending on gifts donated to help the “suffering people of Ukraine.” Francis called for “concrete gestures” of charity for Ukrainians this holiday season during his weekly general audience.