News

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 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.

Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Rosary sits in a “religious complex” housing other Christian denominations. And at this church in Qatar, the small Gulf emirate hosting the World Cup, there are some tweaks to tradition.

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?

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.

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 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 to an upcoming execution that also raises concerns.

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "The Book of Revolutions: The Battles of Priests, Prophets, and Kings That Birthed the Torah" by Edward Feld. This book provides us with an intriguing picture of early Judaism by focusing not on historical narrative but on the development of the legal codes.

William Wright of the Faithful Politics Podcast writes that the Brittney Griner prisoner exchange and circumstances that surround it have so many layers to it that it’s a wonder people are naturally retreating to their respective political and cultural camps without spending too much time appreciating the full panoply of details that makes this single issue so meaningful — and equally as confusing.

Warnock not only rebuts the kind of talk that casts Democrats as “godless,” but he also represents a particular brand of social justice-focused Christianity that favors voting rights and prioritizes the poor. By couching those issues in his faith, he offers a prominent counter to the religious right and appeals to the Democrats’ historic base among Black Protestants.