Adding to Our Litany of Lament
This issue of A Public Witness considers the two main ways political and religious leaders are reacting to gun violence, one that is killing us and one that imagines a better world.
Responding to Indigenous Demands, Vatican Rejects Discovery Doctrine
The Vatican on Thursday responded to Indigenous demands and formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery,” the theories backed by 15th-century “papal bulls” that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands and form the basis of some property laws today.
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital With Respiratory Infection
The Vatican clarified that it was not COVID-19 but it would ‘require several days of appropriate medical treatment at the hospital.’
Faith Leaders and Religious Groups Voice Opposition to Biden’s Plan to Restrict Asylum
The new rules mirror restrictions set forth by the Trump administration that were eventually blocked in court by migrant activist groups.
Study: Religious Attendance Dips Slightly After Pandemic
The study found the share of U.S. adults who generally say they attend religious services at least once a month dropped from 33% in 2019, before the COVID-19 outbreak, to 30% in 2022.
Review: Acting in the Wake
"Acting in the Wake: Prayers for Justice" emerged from different occasions where notable theologian Walter Brueggemann was called upon to offer prayers over the past quarter century.
Review & Giveaway: Rebels, Despots, & Saints
The power of retrospectives to inform contemporary pursuits of justice motivated Sandhya Jha, a peace activist, community organizer, and Disciples of Christ pastor, to write "Rebels, Despots, & Saints: The Ancestors Who Free Us & The Ancestors We Need to Free."
Nashville School Shooter Had Drawn Maps, Done Surveillance
The suspect, who was killed by police, is believed to be a former student at The Covenant School in Nashville, where the shooting took place.
‘Purple Church’ Pastors Mull Leadership Strategies in Polarizing Times
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of North Carolina held a leadership forum to help pastors figure out how to speak out without alienating half of their members.
Christian Time or Muslim Time
Lebanon was set to switch clocks forward for daylight saving time early on Sunday, but on Thursday the Lebanese government suddenly announced it would delay the move due to Ramadan — then reversed that decision Monday morning.