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In the midst of this Holy Week, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker had the chance to interview two authors of seemingly divergent books on White Christian Nationalism in America.

The monthly church attendance of Black Protestants declined 15% from 2019 to 2023, a larger drop than any other major religious group.

The biggest change came among those who said they quit their religious upbringing because of its treatment or teachings of LGBTQ people.

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Dangerous Dogma

Church

Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, head of the Episcopal Church, is the subject of an internal clergy misconduct complaint for his response to abuse allegations against Bishop Prince Singh, the former bishop of the Dioceses of Eastern and Western Michigan.

More than 4 in 10 of clergy have seriously considered leaving their congregations at least once since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and more than half thought seriously of leaving the ministry.

In 2004, Southern Baptists voted to allow their insurance and retirement agency to work with other churches. The latest denomination to sign up is the Global Methodist Church, made up of former United Methodists.

Nation

But those who know Tom Parker say his IVF concurring opinion was not simply a heartfelt expression of faith, but part of a strategy the chief justice has used to create legal precedent for conservative causes.

Whether a humanitarian or a security emphasis resonates the most varies among and within Christian denominations.

The invite is the latest move by the Congressional Freethought Caucus to elevate criticism of Christian Nationalism.

World

'It’s war, it’s terrorism,' Pope Francis said.

'God never turns away anyone who approaches him!' read the document issued by the Vatican's doctrinal department.

Officials in Jesus's traditional birthplace decided to forgo celebrations due to the Israel-Hamas war.

Editorials

In day 18 of our Unsettling Advent devotional series, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on violent insurrections during the time of Jesus’s birth and what that can teach us today.

In day 9 of our Unsettling Advent devotional series, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on racial injustices in the U.S. and how this helps us understand the birth of Jesus.

In day 1 of our Unsettling Advent devotional series, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on starting Advent amid a second year of COVID surges and deaths.

Word&Way Voices

Rev. Carlos L. Malavé of the Latino Christian National Network contrasts our propensity for fear and fighting violence with more violence with an alternative reality revealed to us through this liturgical season.

Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood reflects on how there is nothing pure about the death penalty process. It ensnares us all. So, where does hope fit in?

Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy makes the case that the current progression in transgressive rhetoric is not a Trump problem — it is a human problem. And even more disturbing it is a Christian problem.

E-Newsletter

This issue of A Public Witness introduces you to six ministers who have been charged for storming the Capitol on Jan. 6, offering insights into the dangerous ways Christian Nationalism distorts the Christian witness.

This issue of A Public Witness looks back at Thomas Jefferson’s letter to Baptists penned 202 years ago this week and explores why prominent figures deliberately misrepresent the metaphorical “wall of separation” between church and state.

In this review of 2023, we count down our most popular pieces and then reflect on some other highlights from the year.

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Podcasts

Teddy Wilson, a reporter who runs the newsletter Radical Reports, talks about his research and reporting on political and religious extremism. He also discusses Christian Nationalism, the Jan. 6 insurrection, and his Substack newsletter.

In episode 66, Wendy Cadge, founder and director of the Chaplaincy Innovation Lab, talks about the work of chaplains. She also discusses issues she has written about, including the evolution of the role of chaplains, unique positions like humanist chaplains, and the work of chaplains

In episode 65, Jemar Tisby talks about his books How to Fight Racism and The Color of Compromise. He also discusses his response to a recent controversy at Grove City College, his new "Those Meddling Kids" video series on anti-CRT

In episode 64 of Dangerous Dogma, Bob Smietana, a national reporter for Religion News Service, talks about his new book Reorganized Religion: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why it Matters.

Books

In "Disobedient Women: How a Small Group of Faithful Women Exposed Abuse, Brought Down Powerful Pastors, and Ignited an Evangelical Reckoning," journalist Sarah Stankorb outlines how access to the internet allowed women to begin dismantling patriarchal authority.

In "After Botham: Healing From My Brother's Murder by a Police Officer," Allisa Charles-Findley challenges us to listen to the cries of those who have experienced grief and to puts forth a call to join the struggle for justice.

In "Eucharist and Unity: A Theological Memoir," Keith Watkins offers a personal angle on the interrelated themes of ecumenism, modern American religious history, practical theology, and communion.

In "Saving Faith: How American Christianity Can Reclaim Its Prophetic Voice," Randall Balmer argues that any attempt to arrest the decline of Christianity in America must first reckon with the past.