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During a gathering in Nashville, scholars looked at the theology, money, and music reshaping how Americans worship and experience God.

Civil rights advocates on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a Texas law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments, teeing up a potential new test of state-sponsored religious expression in classrooms.

This issue of A Public Witness reports on how pastors are responding to news that undercover federal agents secretly spied on them, and includes updates about more incidents revealed at a Baptist church that is covered by a federal injunction blocking such warrantless DHS actions.

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Videos

Church

Rice’s win is a triumph for critics who argue that the nation’s largest Protestant denomination has lost its way in recent years.

Thousands gathered for the Texas event as young women increasingly abandon religion.

Even as the convention's membership shrinks, the annual meeting in Orlando serves as a bellwether for religious and political trends among evangelicals.

Nation

In a subdued message to churchgoers, Rev. Locke claimed federal agents broke into his home and searched it for hours after receiving reports of alleged financial misconduct.

'I am sick and tired of waking up every morning to see another loved one is dead,' said Charlene Walker, head of Faith in New Jersey.

An hour before the faith leaders gave remarks to reporters at the Statehouse, Gov. Laura Kelly denied clemency requests from brothers Reginald and Jonathan Carr.

World

While many Christians see persecution, analysts and officials say the country’s long-running conflict is driven largely by insecurity, land disputes, and criminal networks affecting both Muslims and Christians.

While figures like Franklin Graham and Pete Hegseth bet on a holy war where God is on their side, many Christian leaders in the U.S. and around the world were quick to condemn the so-called ‘Operation Epic Fury.’

Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel who calls himself a Christian Zionist, made the comments in an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson that aired Friday.

Editorials

In this issue of A Public Witness, Brian Kaylor introduces us to 10 gifts the proud “Christian Nationalist” on your list will love. But please don’t buy these unless you want to end up on the naughty list (and make the baby Jesus cry). Instead, these gift suggestions show us

For day 1 of our Unsettling Advent devotionals, Brian Kaylor reflects on the importance of learning from those who have lived under authoritarian occupation like what is happening today in Ukraine.

Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reacts to being called a "Marxist pastor" by political trickster Roger Stone. The incident arose because of Kaylor's critiques of the ReAwaken America Tour at which Stone has spoken.

Word&Way Voices

It seems if we are to have an honest conversation about persecution against Christians, we should first and foremost consider the migrant who is our neighbor, who is made in God’s image, and who needs our collective voice and support right now.

As Christmas nears, may we continue to not run away from seeing the injustices in our communities. But hold that in tension with the joy that we should all be feeling as we anticipate Jesus’s birth.

To launch our week reflecting on Advent in a time of soldiers in the streets, Rev. Jorge Bautista writes about getting shot in the face with a pepper round by a U.S. immigration agent while at a peaceful prayer vigil in Oakland, California.

E-Newsletter

This issue of A Public Witness unpacks why the upcoming ‘Rededicate 250’ gathering was planned for May 17 and the Christian Nationalist fight to remake the past and present.

Given Pete Hegseth’s insistence on co-opting a biblical term and employing it out of context as an insult against reporters doing their job, this issue of A Public Witness takes a look at the real Pharisees and the lesson the ‘secretary of war’ is missing.

Join us as we celebrate five years of our ‘A Public Witness’ newsletter and highlight the best from the 115 pieces we’ve published over the past 12 months exploring the intersection of faith, culture, and politics.

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Recent Episodes

Books

For this issue of A Public Witness, we briefly highlight 15 of our favorite recent books beyond those from our longer giveaway reviews. It can be a great resource for gifts or your own wishlist.

In this eyewitness account, Valentyn Syniy recounts how the Russian invasion of Ukraine upended life for students, teachers, and staff in a seminary community.

Two recent books, each co-authored by two pastors, offer insight to church leaders who feel stuck and congregations struggling to muster hope in a time where maintaining a successful religious community is more difficult than ever.

Through honest storytelling, spiritual reflection, and practical wisdom gained from a pilgrimage journey, Andy and Kara Root offer parents and pastors a refreshing alternative to the exhausting cycle of trying to control outcomes.