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In the video, Ryan Walters says religious liberty has been attacked and patriotism mocked ‘by woke teachers unions’ then he prays for U.S. leaders.

Beyond the jump scares, the supernatural elements of horror and its sublime nature pair easily with belief and spirituality — and religion’s exploration of big existential questions.

This issue of A Public Witness looks at the failed efforts to convert White evangelicals in the ballot box and what it means going forward.

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Dangerous Dogma

Church

The church court stripped the Rev. Thomas Jay Oord, of Nampa, Idaho, of his preaching credentials and expelled him from membership in the 2.5 million-member global denomination.

This issue of A Public Witness takes off on a quest to understand what the recent Southern Baptist Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission Brent Leatherwood debacle tells us about religion and politics.

The Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act bars governments from imposing land use regulations that put a substantial burden on religious exercise without a compelling reason for doing so.

Nation

Messner gained lasting affection for stepping out of the strict evangelical, anti-gay doctrine of the time to show compassion and empathy toward a gay minister living with HIV and AIDS.

This issue of A Public Witness explores how challenging White supremacy and Christian Nationalism requires both honesty and repair.

‘Taking what has long been understood as a global message religiously and stamping it with the flag of one nation is the type of thing that for centuries theologians would call heresy,’ said Brian Kaylor.

World

There are 182,000 Christians in Israel, 50,000 in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and 1,300 in Gaza, according to the U.S. State Department. The vast majority are Palestinians.

Buildings have sunk into the Atlantic Ocean, an increasingly common image along the vulnerable West African coast.

This issue of A Public Witness explores how a hidden 17th-century church in Amsterdam can teach us lessons about the need for religious freedom and a pluralistic public square.

Editorials

Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on legislation pushing the teaching of the Bible in public schools. He explores significant church-state problems that would arise from such efforts.

Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on news that DNA evidence tested FOUR years after the execution of a Black man in Arkansas suggests the state killed an innocent man. Kaylor also highlights the Baptist prophet who tried to stop the execution.

Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor responds to a claim by Al Mohler of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary that Methodists who disagree on LGBTQ issues are from “two different religions.” Perhaps Mohler is right.

Word&Way Voices

Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell explores 'hidden' stories that stood right next to the biblical scriptures as having a valuable word to say about who we are as a people of faith.

The story of this former youth pastor and Jan. 6 insurrectionist is worth highlighting because his more recent words show a person facing the prospect of prison and also now confronting the notion that he was duped by his religious elders.

Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy explores how recent rhetoric from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas surrounding 'illegitimacy' reveals broader stakes for democratic deliberation.

E-Newsletter

This issue of A Public Witness explores how a hidden 17th-century church in Amsterdam can teach us lessons about the need for religious freedom and a pluralistic public square.

This issue of A Public Witness addresses the ways in which American Christians are part of the problem as explored in “The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith.”

This issue of A Public Witness takes you inside the SBC meeting to explore debate over the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance and other moments where Southern Baptists considered issues of patriotism, politics, and Christian Nationalism.

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Podcasts

In episode 40 of Dangerous Dogma, Wendell Griffen, an Arkansas circuit judge and pastor of New Millennium Church in Little Rock, talks about pastoring, racism, and justice.

In episode 39 of Dangerous Dogma, Brian Zahnd, lead pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, Missouri, talks about his book When Everything's on Fire: Faith Forged from the Ashes. He also discusses reading the Bible, fundamentalism, beauty,

In episode 38 of Dangerous Dogma, George Marsden, emeritus professor of history at the University of Notre Dame, talks about the new edition of his classic book Fundamentalism and American Culture.

In episode 37 of Dangerous Dogma, Mark Chancey, professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University, talks about issues involved in teaching the Bible in public schools. He mentions his study of how Texas school districts taught the Bible.

Books

Carolyn Chen’s "Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley" explores how work has displaced religion in so many people’s lives. If we can’t serve both God and mammon, it feels like a lot of people have chosen

In "The Gospel According to James Baldwin: What America's Great Prophet Can Teach Us About Life, Love, and Identity," Greg Garrett invites new readers and longtime lovers of the great writer into a thoughtful exploration of his continued relevance.

For this issue of A Public Witness, Brian and Beau briefly highlight 15 of their favorite books beyond those from our monthly giveaway reviews.

In "Unexpected Abundance: The Fruitful Lives of Women Without Children," Episcopal priest Elizabeth Felicetti deepens our understanding of the many ways to be fruitful.