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Review: Delivered Out of Empire
In “Delivered Out of Empire: Pivotal Moments in the Book of Exodus,” Walter Brueggemann shows how Exodus consistently reveals a God in radical solidarity with the powerless.
One of the Last Remaining Christian Villages in Palestine Is Under Attack
Unless the international community acts decisively and swiftly, Al-Taybeh risks being overrun by Israeli settlers, its lands confiscated, and its people forcibly displaced.
American Baptists Confront Past and Present Injustices
This issue of A Public Witness treks to the Cornhusker State to consider a lost scroll that gained widespread news coverage and a denominational gathering that didn’t.
Church
Nashville’s Christian Music Stars Join Activists in Push to Save PEPFAR
During a mid-June event at Otter Creek Church, musicians and activists praised PEPFAR for saving millions of lives and urged evangelicals to call their representatives and show their support for the program.
A Volunteer Finds the Holy Grail of Abolitionist-Era Baptist Documents in Massachusetts
The resolution shines a spotlight on a critical moment in the history of the Baptist church, signed two years after the issue of slavery prompted southern Baptists to split from northern Baptists and form the SBC.
How to Challenge MAGA’s Biblical Authoritarianism
This issue of A Public Witness features a guest essay centered on four creative proposals to disrupt Christian Nationalism within a distinctively Christian vernacular.
Nation
Plaintiff in Refugee Ban Lawsuit, Pacito v. Trump, Arrives in North Carolina
A 22-year-old Congolese refugee is the lead plaintiff in a suit challenging Trump’s executive order freezing all refugee resettlement.
Baylor University Wins, Then Rejects, Grant on LGBTQ Inclusion in Churches
The $643,401 grant is being returned to the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation, which attributed the decision of the world’s largest Baptist university to an ‘online campaign of fear and misinformation.’
A Century After a Man Was Convicted of Teaching Evolution, the Debate on Religion in Schools Rages
As today’s Supreme Court leans right, there is an ongoing push to infuse conservative Christianity into taxpayer-funded education. Advocates of religious diversity and church-state separation are countering it.
World
Leaders of Holy Land Churches Condemn Israeli Settler Violence During a West Bank Visit
On a rare solidarity visit, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Theophilos III and Latin Patriarch Pierbattista Pizzaballa asserted that Israeli authorities ‘facilitate and enable’ the presence of settlers who have intensified attacks.
A Church Bombing Leads Syria’s Christians To Consider Leaving As Foreign Fighters Remain
The attack has raised fears of a mass exodus of Christians similar to what happened in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the rise of sectarian violence.
As Germany’s Far Right Builds Ties With US Conservatives, Churches Push Back
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.
Editorials
Unsettling Advent 2024, Day 20
Exploring Advent in a time of violence in Lebanon, Brian Kaylor reflects on how history shows us that even mighty empires won’t last forever.
When Caesar Proclaims ‘Peace on Earth’
Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on the meaning of peace declared by the heavenly host on that first Christmas in light of a “Let There Be Peace On Earth” Christmas decoration at the White House.
Unsettling Advent 2024, Day 11
Exploring Advent in a time of dangerous pregnancies, Brian Kaylor reflects on how powerful leaders often seek ways to make women’s journey difficult.
Word&Way Voices
How to Train Your Compassion
Hiccup from the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ movie shows his community a better way to be a Viking in a manner that keenly echoes the life and teachings of Jesus.
‘The Life of Chuck’ Contains Multitudes
A new film by Mike Flanagan, based on a Stephen King short story, deals with the power and significance of one life and points to the Story within the story.
Gaza-Born American Baptist Pastor Discriminated Against
The Trump administration often speaks of protecting Christians from discrimination worldwide. But that concern seems to vanish when Israel is involved — even with a Baptist pastor serving as the U.S. ambassador to Israel.
E-Newsletter
How to Challenge MAGA’s Biblical Authoritarianism
This issue of A Public Witness features a guest essay centered on four creative proposals to disrupt Christian Nationalism within a distinctively Christian vernacular.
Cooperative Baptists Remember Historical Injustices, Confront Contemporary Ones
This issue of A Public Witness takes you inside the recent CBF annual gathering to consider how Christians can speak truthfully about the past and speak truth to power today.
John Pavlovitz Has Jumped the Shark
This issue of A Public Witness highlights a prominent progressive Christian voice as a case study in the dangers of election denialism festering in anti-Trump circles.
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183. Shannon Fleck of Faithful America
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Shannon Fleck, the new executive director of Faithful America. She discusses Christian Nationalism in Oklahoma and nationally. You can watch a video version of his conversation on YouTube. Fleck's predecessor, Rev. Nathan Empsall, previously appeared on episode 61 of Dangerous Dogma. He also wrote several columns… -
182. Ruth Braunstein on When the Wolves Came
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with sociologist Ruth Braunstein about her documentary podcast When the Wolves Came. You can also find her writings at her Substack newsletter Democracy Is Hard. Mentioned in the episode is Caleb Campbell, who previously appeared on episode 150 of Dangerous Dogma. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to… -
181. Angela Denker on Disciples of White Jesus
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with journalist and Lutheran minister Angela Denker about her forthcoming book Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood. You can watch a video version of this conversation here. You can also hear an earlier conversation with Denker in episode 68, and a conversation with Caleb Campbell… -
180. David Swartz on Rebel on Main
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with historian David Swartz about his new narrative podcast project Rebel on Main, which offers a historical and contemporary exploration of a Kentucky county and its unusual Confederate statue. You can watch a video version of this conversation here. (You can also hear an earlier episode with… -
179. Munther Isaac on Christ in the Rubble
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Rev. Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, about his forthcoming book Christ in the Rubble: Faith, the Bible, and the Genocide in Gaza. He also talks about Donald Trump's plan to "take over" Gaza, the importance of using the terms "genocide"… -
178. State Senator Shows How NOT to Read Proverbs
On Tuesday (Feb. 25), a session of the Oklahoma Senate transformed into a spontaneous Bible study. Or perhaps more of a Bible study cosplay demonstrating how not to read the Bible, specifically how not to read the Book of Proverbs. In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor unpacks the errors in how Proverbs was cited… -
177. Countering Sean Feucht with Karrie Gaspard-Hogewood
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Karrie Gaspard-Hogewood, a sociology doctoral fellow at Tulane University, about a protest march she organized to counter an event by Christian Nationalistic musician Sean Feucht in New Orleans on Feb. 8, 2025. You can learn more about Feucht at A Public Witness, including reports on his… -
176. Paul Raushenbush & Trump's Targeting of Christians
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Rev. Paul Raushenbush, president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance, about various ways the Trump administration has targeted Christian groups, including Episcopalians, Catholics, and Lutherans. You can read more about the recent attacks on Lutheran charity work in a report at A Public Witness and in a memo from… -
175. Mariann Budde, John Danforth, & Prophetic Preaching
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with John Danforth, a former U.S. Senator and Episcopal priest, about the controversy over Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde's sermon during an inauguration prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. You can read more about the issue at A Public Witness, including a report on the sermon, a look… -
174. Joe Blosser on To Love Our Neighbors
Joe Blosser talks with Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about her new book To Love Our Neighbors: Radical Practices in Solidarity, Sufficiency, and Sustainability. He also discusses understandings of how a neighbor is, church food pantries, and economic neoliberalism. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense…
Books
Review: Green Street in Black and White
In the novel “Green Street in Black and White: A Chicago Story,” Dave Larsen takes us back to a 1960s summer of social upheaval, when youthful mischief collided with the weight of adult fears.
Summer Reads 2025
We’ve once again asked several Word&Way writers to recommend books perfect for wherever you find your happy place this summer.
Review: In Accordance With the Scriptures
In “In Accordance With the Scriptures: The Shape of Christian Theology,” Orthodox theologian John Behr reveals how the scriptural arc from Adam to Christ is recapitulated in our own growth as humans.
One Year of Baptizing America
It really has been quite a year — and one that, unfortunately, showed how important it is for Christians to address Christian Nationalism in society and our churches.