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.
In These Polarized Times, Even a Prayer Could Be Up for Debate
In October, Christian Churches Together, an ecumenical group of Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Christians, gathered for its annual forum to address a topic that has plagued the church and society beyond it: polarization.
Should the Walls Come Tumbling Down?
In this edition of A Public Witness, we explore some of the complexities that have emerged from the fire that gutted Middle Collegiate Church. To what degree should historic preservation laws limit what churches can do with their buildings?
Unsettling Advent 2022, Day 19
Jeremy Fuzy writes that it is an American tradition to believe in the myth of redemptive violence — the idea that we can get violence under control by using more violence. But state-sanctioned killings, whether by police or the death penalty, do nothing to stop
Beyond the Secular vs. Religious Divide
Professor Marcia Pally makes the case that in nations descended from Abrahamic traditions like the U.S., religion is not somehow conservative and anti-democratic while secularism is progressive and pro-democracy. Abrahamic principles are at the core of democracy.
Shopping for a New Church? Your Politics May Determine Which Pew Fits
A new study examines the role that politics plays in how Americans choose a new church. When it comes to politics, Mainline Protestant churches are in a difficult spot because they are more politically diverse than evangelical churches.
Unsettling Advent 2022, Day 18
Brian Kaylor writes that ten years ago today an armed man walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and opened fire. This massacre at Christmastime evokes memories of part of the biblical story we tend to leave out of our nativities and pageants.
Christmas Executions
The capital punishment system is often implemented and supported by those who currently celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace. So in this issue of A Public Witness, we look at the state of the death penalty in the United States and introduce you