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A group of prominent Christian leaders, including the heads of major denominations, say they submitted a letter earlier this year to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, urging members to examine Christian nationalism and arguing the ideology played a crucial role in the insurrection.

Nathan Empsall, executive director of Faithful America, makes the case that with hundreds of right-wing political candidates using Christ’s name to deny election results, demonize their opponents, and spread discrimination – all with the blessing of far too many evangelical pastors and activists – Christian Nationalism is the single biggest threat to both democracy and the church today.

With the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference beginning this coming Sunday in Egypt, we are offering a piece originally published as the cover story of Word&Way magazine in October 2019 but which has never been published online. In addition to making an argument for why Christians should care about climate change, it includes reports from when Brian attended COP21 in Paris, France, in 2015.

Calvin University’s board of trustees has allowed a group of faculty members to dissent from a clause in a confession of faith that regards sex outside of heterosexual marriage as sinful, thus enabling them to continue to work at the school while also respecting their convictions. The Grand Rapids, Michigan, school is wholly owned by the Christian Reformed Church, a Dutch Calvinist denomination of about 200,000 members.

An ancient Christian monastery possibly dating as far back as the years before Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula has been discovered on an island off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, officials announced Thursday.

Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy offers his take on Robert Jeffress' recent about-face when it comes to embracing the term "Christian Nationalist." Jeffress and those like him reveal a disturbing trend based in the active despising of truth. Democracy can be, in this case, a sacrificial lamb if this is what it takes to impose conservative Christianity on the nation.

In July, the Biden administration established the Faith-Based Security Advisory Council, inviting a group of 25 faith leaders and law enforcement experts to help guide the administration’s efforts to address violent attacks on faith institutions. The council, which will make recommendations to the secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, convened for the first time in early October.

Robert D. Cornwall reviews "The Messiah Confrontation: Pharisees Versus Sadducees and the Death of Jesus" by Israel Knohl translated by David Maisel. This book makes the case that the trial of Jesus should not be a point of contention between Jews and Christians because his death reflects an inter-Jewish debate over whether or not a messiah should be expected and whether Jesus fits the expectation.

In this issue of A Public Witness, we sing a song of lament for how some Christians are helping to dismantle democracy. By looking at Kari Lake, a candidate who represents the threat, we explore her use of religious rhetoric and practices before offering a pro-democracy chorus ahead of next week’s midterm elections.

During the Day of the Dead celebrations that take place in late October and early November in Mexico, the living remember and honor their dearly departed, but with celebration — not sorrow. Marigolds decorate the streets as music blares from speakers. It is believed that during the Day of the Dead — or Dia de Muertos — they are able to commune with their deceased loved ones.