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'It is wrong for the highest court in the land to criminalize homelessness,' said the Rev. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign.

The required text prescribed in the new law and used on many monuments around the U.S. is a condensed version of Scripture with ties to “The Ten Commandments” movie from 1956 and commonly associated with Protestants.

This issue of A Public Witness takes you inside Trump’s Faith & Freedom Coalition remarks as he framed himself in messianic terms as the only one who can save Christians from the alleged persecution of the Biden administration.

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Dangerous Dogma

Church

This issue of A Public Witness looks at an Episcopal Church resolution, a PC(USA) recommendation, and a regional UMC resolution to see how some mainline Protestant groups are wrestling — or not — with their own complicity in spreading Christian Nationalism.

The new statement of values, which passed with 80% support, is the first wholesale revision of the Unitarian Universalist covenant clause since 1987 and reflects over three years of feedback and discussions.

Wood will replace Foley Beach, who has been the archbishop of ACNA for a decade.

Nation

The directive is the latest salvo in an effort by conservative-led states to target public schools: Louisiana has required them to post the Ten Commandments, while others are under pressure to ban books and lessons about race, sexual orientation, and gender identity.

MAGA evangelicals grab all the headlines. But it’s swing state faith voters — Catholics, mainliners, and Black Protestants — who will likely decide the election.

The high court determined the school board's vote to approve the application by the Catholic Archdiocese for the St. Isidore of Seville Virtual Charter School violates both the Oklahoma and U.S. constitutions, as well as state law.

World

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.

Despite their cultural and religious differences, a rowdy pack of more than 100 comedians from around the world embraced the ‘warmth and openness’ they experienced.

He offered an ethical take on an issue that is increasingly on the agenda of international summits, government policy, and corporate boards alike.

Editorials

Brian Kaylor reacts to claims that God is sending a message through a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook the northeastern part of the U.S. on Friday or a solar eclipse going across much of the U.S. on Monday.

During a recent debate in the Missouri Senate over a proposal to create rape and incest exemptions to Missouri’s abortion ban, one lawmaker argued against such exceptions by defaming God.

For the final devotional exploring Advent in a time of bloodshed in Israel, Brian Kaylor reflects on how Gaza is significant in a biblical story that doesn’t explicitly mention the place.

Word&Way Voices

A Jordanian worship band has made it their mission to perform and record hymns composed around the middle of the 20th century that might have otherwise been lost to time.

Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy explores how the pilgrimages made by various politicians to Trump’s Manhattan trial are all about religion.

Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon of Churches for Middle East Peace argues we need a new foreign policy that stops alienating young people, Muslim and Arab voters, and millions of American Christians committed to justice.

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 101 of Dangerous Dogma, Nijay Gupta, a professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary, talks about his book Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church. He also discusses issues related biblical translations,

In episode 100 of Dangerous Dogma, Isaac Sharp, a visiting assistant professor at Union Theological Seminary, talks about his book The Other Evangelicals: A Story of Liberal, Black, Progressive, Feminist, and Gay Christians ― and the Movement That Pushed Them

In episode 99 of Dangerous Dogma, Jeremy Duncan, a pastor in Calgary (Alberta, Canada), talks about his book Upside-Down Apocalypse: Grounding Revelation in the Gospel of Peace. His also discusses issues related to metaphors, nonviolence, and COVID.

In episode 98 of Dangerous Dogma, Cody Sanders and Mikeal Parsons about their book Corpse Care: Ethics for Tending the Dead. They also discuss issues related to green burials, funeral practices, and COVID.

Books

In “Machen’s Hope: The Transformation of a Modernist in the New Princeton,” Richard E. Burnett crafts a nuanced narrative of J. Gresham Machen’s intellectual journey from enthusiastic modernist to stalwart conservative.

We’ve once again asked several Word&Way writers to each offer two books perfect for curling up with at the beach, on your couch, or in your backyard as you listen to the singing of the cicadas.

In "Thinking About Good and Evil: Jewish Views From Antiquity to Modernity," Rabbi Wayne Allen traces the most salient ideas about why innocent people suffer, why evil individuals prosper, and God’s role in such matters of (in)justice.

In "Miracles for Skeptics: Encountering the Paranormal Ministry of Jesus," Frank G. Honeycutt draws out the deeper truths in the weird incidents from the Bible.