Review: Oral Roberts and the Rise of the Prosperity Gospel
Jonathan Root's Oral Roberts biography offers insights into a significant element in American Christianity as well as a cautionary tale about crass materialism.
Ministers Reflect on Praying in Death Chambers
Four ministers who have been in a death chamber in recent months during state executions shared their experiences Saturday during the annual meeting of Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty.
For Church Worship Teams, Auto-Tune Covers a Multitude of Sins. Especially Online.
The boom in livestreaming and the ubiquity of Auto-Tune and other technologies have led churches to up their game when it comes to sound technology. But has it gone too far?
In Europe’s Empty Churches, Prayer and Confessions Make Way for Drinking and Dancing
Across Europe, the continent that nurtured Christianity for most of two millennia, churches, convents, and chapels stand empty and increasingly derelict as faith and church attendance shriveled over the past half century.
Wrestling With History
This issue of A Public Witness provides a seat to listen to a recent lecture by Diana Butler Bass as she considers the stories we tell about history, especially about race and religion.
In Church Remains, German Archaeologists Discover the Truth of ‘Atlantis of the North Sea’
After a century, a legendary North Frisian city that has lived in church sermons, chronicles, and art across the region for six centuries has been found.
Vatican Confirms Synod Topics Will Address Questions of LGBTQ+ and Women Deacons
The document addresses inclusivity toward LGBTQ+ faithful, the issue of female ordination, and welcoming toward divorced, remarried, or polygamous couples.
Review: Ancient Echoes
In "Ancient Echoes: Refusing the Fear-Filled, Greed-Driven Toxicity of the Far Right," influential biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann speaks to ideologies and efforts that are rooted in appeals to fear of the other, the one who is different.
After Calendar Change, Many in Ukraine Are Looking Forward to a New Christmas
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine has further cemented its split from the Russian counterpart it used to be a part of by adopting a new liturgical calendar.
William Barber Departs Pulpit of Greenleaf Church With an Ode to the Power of Disability
The sermon, which capped his 30-year tenure as pastor of the Disciples of Christ church in Goldsboro, North Carolina, was unusually personal.