Bible-Thumping Bills
In this issue of A Public Witness, we study the political effort behind the Bible blitz. We also quiz this movement to consider the pedagogical and religious problems with such legislation.
As Rabbi was Held Hostage, His Interfaith Clergy Colleagues Gathered to Help End the Standoff
On Saturday, a man took people hostage in Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas. The congregation’s rabbi is particularly well connected to the larger interfaith community and on good terms with many Muslim and Christian leaders.
Scholar: America is Still Reacting to the Religious Right, in More Ways Than One
A religion scholar believes major trends in religion and politics can be traced back to the rise of the religious right in the 1990s, a sea change moment that set in motion an array of phenomena ranging from an uptick in religious disaffiliation to the
The Man Behind Shurtleff v. City of Boston
We introduce you to the man behind Shurtleff v. City of Boston ahead of oral arguments on Jan. 18. Through an unparalleled review of his decades-long advocacy career and an exclusive interview, we look at the man whose case could upend two centuries of U.S. church-state relations.
The Prayers of January 6
In this edition of A Public Witness, we consider the prayers uttered in the U.S. Capitol a year ago by both those seeking to bring the government down and by representatives of the government. We also consider the danger of official government prayers.
Insurrection Epiphany
In this issue of A Public Witness, we journey back to the events of Jan. 6 with a focus on the co-opting of Christian symbols and values. Then we look at the gift of Epiphany’s message and how it can help us find a new way
New Trump Version of the Bible
In this issue of A Public Witness, we take off the extra layers to expose the anti-cheek turning rhetoric employed by the Trump family and their preachers. Then we go the extra mile to consider what we can learn about this effort from another presidential effort
What You Won’t Find in Your Advent Calendar
In this issue of A Public Witness, we countdown the ways the war on Advent is taking off. And while many are accepting the ways of consumerism whole hog, we open up the doors of how the Gospel has a serious message for us in these
Biden: Nation Owes School Shooting Victims More Than Prayers
In a video released Tuesday, President Joe Biden spoke directly to the families of those killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School nine years ago, saying the nation owed families of mass shootings “more than our prayers. We owe them action.”
A Virus of Religious Intolerance
This edition of A Public Witness unpacks troubling examples of when a person’s religious identity became grounds for others to question their fitness for public office.