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This issue of A Public Witness digs into the hotly debated 'render therefore unto Caesar' Bible verse to consider its usage in a recent notable legal opinion.

In an open letter, the Chicago pastor compares the California pastor to King opponents George Wallace and J. Edgar Hoover, calling MacArthur 'them in postmodern dress.'

This issue of A Public Witness unpacks the unique angle explored in the latest Mike Graves book “Jesus’ Vision for Your One Wild and Precious Life: (on Things Like Poverty, Hunger, Polarization, Inclusion, and More).”

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Dangerous Dogma

Church

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.

Divisions over marriage, sexuality, and inclusion of gays and lesbians are proving insurmountable for the foreseeable future in many sectors of Christianity.

Over its 215-year history, the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem has earned a reputation as the flagship of the Black church in America.

Nation

Using public funds to pay for religious school tuition — especially with generous income limits or none at all — remains controversial as proponents gain ground in Republican-majority states.

'Today’s announcement establishes uniform policies to safeguard Americans from religious discrimination in social services,' said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

A religious instruction program for students to be let out of school to study the Bible is being adopted by more than a quarter of public school districts in Ohio, and across more than a dozen states.

World

The prayers may be too little too late on an issue that has long alienated the church from politicians and peers.

Francis added his voice to increasing calls for binding, global regulation of AI in his annual message for the World Day of Peace, which the Catholic Church celebrates each Jan. 1.

As the world-famous Paris landmark's reopening draws closer, people are beginning to picture their return to the place they call home and are impatient to breathe life back into its repaired stonework and vast spaces.

Editorials

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.

Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on the news that an actor who plays the part of Judas in Jesus Christ Superstar was arrested for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

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

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

This issue of A Public Witness shares some of the meaningful insights we’ve learned from Unsettling Advent this year on the topics of state executions, political anxieties, and bloodshed in Israel.

Did you know Word&Way has a unique connection with the Disney family? In honor of this story and Disney’s anniversary, we’ll give you a special 15% discount if you upgrade or give a gift subscription to our Substack newsletter A Public Witness this week.

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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 "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.

In "Religious Liberty in a Polarized Age," author Thomas C. Berg makes the case that religious freedom for all is part of the cure for our political division.

This issue of A Public Witness explores Andrew Whitehead’s compelling new book "American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel and Threatens the Church."