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Notre Dame Conference Addresses ‘Pressing Crisis’ of Christian Nationalism
This issue of A Public Witness takes you inside a recent academic gathering to hear from some of the nation’s leading scholars as they offer ways to push back against a dangerous ideology.
Review: Evangelical Idolatry
In “Evangelical Idolatry: How Pastors Like Me Have Failed the People of God,” Jeff Mikels is concerned by the evangelical church’s embrace of cultural and political idols.
Inside Turning Point USA’s Pastors Summit
Why does Charlie Kirk, the new face of Christian Nationalism, say the church is in ‘wartime’ when Trump is in the White House and his party controls D.C.?
Church
Signing Church Services for the Deaf Is a Work of Love — and a Willingness To Learn the Bible
'One missed sign or one missed concept can prevent others from working out their service salvation on that day', said Bronte Stewart, who founded an ASL interpretation program at her church in 2014.
Canceling a Saint
This issue of A Public Witness considers the act of removing a saint and what it might teach us about other religious symbols that have also been co-opted.
Got an Empty Church Lawn? Why Not Turn It Into a Dog Park?
For some churches, starting a dog park turns underused church property into a place for community.
Nation
Trump’s Pick To Run White House Faith Office Sparks Theological Turf War
Idaho pastor Doug Wilson referred to White-Cain as an ‘erratic woman preacher who has been all over the map.’
An Interfaith Response to Trump’s Attacks on Religious Communities
Interfaith Alliance conducted a briefing featuring several notable speakers who covered the Trump administration’s unprecedented violations of religious freedom during its first month and discussed the best ways to counter through collective action.
Lazarus for Mayor of New York City?
This issue of A Public Witness heads to the city that never sleeps to combat a zombie version of a famous biblical story.
World
Hundreds March in Brazil to Support Religious Freedom As Cases of Intolerance Rise
Experts say that while most neo-Pentecostal proselytizing is peaceful, the spread of the faith has been accompanied by a surge of intolerance for traditional African-influenced religions.
Takeaways From AP’s Report Updating the Cult Massacre That Claimed Hundreds of Lives in Kenya
The evangelical leader of Good News, Paul Mackenzie, is accused of instructing his followers to starve to death for the opportunity to meet Jesus.
Sudanese Anglican Cathedral Is Now a Graveyard for Civil War Victims, Archbishop Says
The Sudanese civil war is the world’s largest displacement crisis today.
Editorials
Justice & Not-Yet Justice
Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on the guilty verdicts in the trial of Derek Chauvin and the concept of justice. Kaylor argues that while holding someone accountable for murdering George Floyd is a step toward justice, we must not confuse it with justice itself.
Word&Way Excluded from SBU Trustee Meeting
Word&Way Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor responds to the decision by Southwest Baptist University to bar Word&Way from attending an upcoming SBU trustee meeting. Kaylor questions the motivations behind the decision to limit media access.
Church Isn’t Like a Manicure
Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reacts to recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on coronavirus restrictions and worship. He argues a majority of the justices wrongly compare worship gatherings to commercial activities.
Word&Way Voices
Donald Trump, Bible Salesman
Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy explores the various meanings behind Trump’s recent endorsement of Lee Greenwood’s ‘God Bless the USA Bible.’
A Century Ago, One State Tried to Close Religious Schools − A Far Cry From Today
On April 2, Oklahoma’s Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in a case that could allow a Catholic charter school to open — which critics say would demolish the line between church and state in education.
Let’s Not Destroy What We Helped Build
Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell explores what our role is as Christians when it comes to public schools.
E-Newsletter
Former President Jimmy Carter Dies at 100
This issue of A Public Witness reflects on the moral exemplar Jimmy Carter offered not only after his presidency but also during his underappreciated time in the Oval Office.
2024 in Review
In this review of 2024, we count down our most popular pieces and reflect on some other highlights from the year.
‘Perverted Justice’
Clergy blast Missouri Gov. Mike Parson for freeing the police officer who was convicted of killing 26-year-old Cameron Lamb.
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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: With the Best of Intentions
In "With the Best of Intentions: Interreligious Missteps and Mistakes" more than three dozen scholars and practitioners of many faiths explore cases of missteps and outright failures of interfaith encounters.
Love Letter/Review: The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory
Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy pens a love letter to Tim Alberta's "The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism" for its masterful understanding of the Trump alliance.
Review: Scenes With My Son
In "Scenes with My Son: Love and Grief in the Wake of Suicide," Robert Hubbard takes readers on a journey with a family shaken by mental illness so they can share in hard-won joys in defiance of depression.
Baptizing America
Word&Way’s own Brian Kaylor and Beau Underwood wrote a new book, “Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism,” which is available for pre-order now.