Church

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 arrival made Judaism obsolete.

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.

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?

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.

The conversation about Advent imagery of dark and light — and how readily it can be associated with skin color — is one many Christians are having years into a racial reckoning for both the church and the country, sparked by the murders of George Floyd and other Black people in 2020.

Across the country, United Methodist churches are voting to leave the denomination by following an exit plan approved by its leaders more than three years ago. But in Florida and North Carolina, some churches have decided to sue United Methodist regional bodies. The denomination is undergoing a wholesale splinter after decades of rancorous debate over the ordination and marriage of LGBTQ members.

Does it take a big pageant to put the melody of the greatest story in our hearts? We won’t explore this question with three spirits, but we will try three acts. In this issue of A Public Witness, we’ll take you on a visit to big megachurch shows of Christmases past. Then we ponder in the present what it means to give our best to Jesus before offering a vision of what future celebrations could look like.

Professional degrees are gaining traction at theological schools across the U.S. and Canada, while the traditional ministerial degree, the master of divinity, is faltering, according to new data released late last month. Master of divinity programs constitute 35% of enrollment at theological schools overall – that’s a significant decline from the 43% of total enrollment for master of divinity degrees a decade ago.

 “I would permanently ‘defrock’ Johnny Hunt if I had the authority to do so,” Bart Barber, sitting president of the Southern Baptist Convention, said in a statement released Tuesday. Hunt, who served as president of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination from 2008 to 2010, stepped aside from public ministry in May after allegations that he had sexually assaulted another pastor’s wife were made public.

Juliet Vedral makes the case that the life and faithfulness of Mary Magdalene are a witness in this Advent season of light breaking through darkness and hope appearing where it’s least expected. Vedral spoke to Elizabeth Tabish, an actress from the television show The Chosen who plays Mary as a woman recovering from sexual assault and mental illness.