Home - Word&Way
logo
mobile-logo

Featured

With Pentagon prayer services continuing into the Christmas season, this issue of A Public Witness peeks inside Pete Hegseth’s monthly effort to establish his brand of rightwing Christianity inside the government.

In 2025, the U.S.-led global fight against AIDS grew more complicated as the Trump administration dismantled most foreign aid and barred State Department employees from commemorating World AIDS Day.

As wannabe tyrants arise and the authoritarian logic of empire finds purchase among Christian Nationalists, sincere followers of Jesus should listen afresh to Mary this Christmastime.

No posts were found.

Videos

Church

A new White House initiative encouraging people to pray for America claims to have the backing of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. But a spokesperson for the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee told Word&Way that’s not accurate.

Churches across Chicago braced for Trump’s threat of a National Guard deployment and apocalyptic force, even as Chicago’s rates of violent crime have dropped substantially in recent years as part of a national trend.

A report from the Louisville Institute found that the kinds of discrimination faced include gender bias, limited opportunities for leadership, and adverse expectations related to work/family balance.

Nation

‘If you come for one United Methodist, you have come for all of us,’ said a Chicago area UMC pastor.

Although the Infancy Gospel of Thomas didn’t make it into the New Testament, it remained popular among Christians for centuries.

This issue of A Public Witness looks at the DoL’s use of religion in its recent propaganda posters that push Christianity as part of a vision of a patriarchal, White nation.

World

Catholic and Protestant leaders in Germany are challenging a connection among far-right politicians in Germany and the U.S. that is built on a common rejection of immigrants.

‘This is not just about Kenya,’ said climate researcher Godfrey Khamala. ‘This is about how climate change is eroding not only coastlines and crops, but culture, heritage and spiritual life. These churches are the canaries in the coal mine.’

This issue of A Public Witness unpacks President Donald Trump’s invoking of God during his speech announcing the U.S. had dropped massive bombs on Iran, thus joining Israel recent war against Iran.

Editorials

As the Jan. 6 insurrection showed, our democracy is under attack. And Christian nationalism, which seeks to privilege one faith tradition over others, has fueled the anti-democratic efforts. Rather than serving as a balm for our fractured nation, religion is being used to further divide us.

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

MAGAchurch preaching occurs in sanctuaries across the country. But the prominence of First Baptist in Atlanta and his involvement in an important Senate campaign makes Rev. Anthony George a particularly important case study. So, in this issue of A Public Witness, I introduce you to George and his sermons before

Word&Way Voices

In the latest effort to sidestep the separation of church and state, Republicans in the Texas legislature want an official month dedicated to God.

Although researchers have long discussed Christian Nationalism, it’s fairly new to public discourse. Let’s clarify some points that are often misunderstood so we can have an effective, organized response.

There is something beautiful, even sacred, about having third space communities. They do not just happen, though. The first step is committing to becoming a “regular.”

E-Newsletter

Before the memorial service started, two hours of songs from the biggest worship artists today served to frame everything that followed as part of a church service — sending the message that Kirk’s politics were from God.

This issue of A Public Witness takes you to the heart of Texas to consider the promise of public education and church-state separation.

As Sen. Josh Hawley makes a push to require every federal building across the country to post “In God We Trust,” this issue of A Public Witness looks back at the real history of our national motto.

Sign up to receive full essays in your inbox!

Recent Episodes

Books

In “Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope,” New Testament scholar Esau McCaulley demonstrates an ongoing conversation between the collective Black experience and the Bible.

We are excited to announce a new book unpacking seven types of misuses of Scripture by influential preachers and politicians pushing Christian Nationalism today, officially out Oct. 7 from Chalice Press and available for pre-order now.

In “The Traveler's Path: Finding Spiritual Growth and Inspiration Through Travel,” pastor and scholar Douglas J. Brouwer challenges readers to go beyond tourism and embrace the religious dimension of travel.

In “Evangelism in an Age of Despair: Hope Beyond the Failed Promise of Happiness,” Andrew Root contextualizes evangelism for our times and reimagines what the call to outreach means in today’s world.