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Featured
‘The Revival Generation’ Wants To Redefine the Gen Z Religious Narrative
‘May this be the first of many events like this at the Kennedy Center. May you use this place mightily to continue to glorify your name, Jesus,’ prayed Abigail Robertson, granddaughter of Pat Robertson, at the documentary premiere.
Palestinian Christians at Chicago Conference Ask Fellow Believers to Stand Against Gaza War
The Church at the Crossroads conference, organizers said, is aimed at moving US Christians from feeling bad about the war in Gaza to taking action to end it.
Not Worth It
In life and in death, Charlie Kirk represented the worst of American politics. He stoked dangerous conspiracies, attempted to silence voices he disagreed with, and utilized violent rhetoric mixed with a godly veneer. Then, someone decided to respond with evil by picking up a gun to silence a life.
Church
Resettling Afrikaners Is a ‘Faustian Bargain,’ Says Episcopal Church’s Sean Rowe
‘Afrikaners don’t fit any definition of refugee,’ said the Most Rev. Sean Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church.
Calvin Robinson, Dismissed for Nazi-Like Salute, Has Priestly License Rescinded, Again
Robinson responded in an Instagram story, saying that ‘perhaps God is sending me a message.’
Can the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission Survive Trump 2.0?
Years of controversy during the Trump era have some Southern Baptists arguing that the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission is more trouble than it is worth.
Nation
Fight Between Library and Church: Theft or Civil Disobedience?
Sixteen volumes go missing after a Kentucky church urges members to check out then never return library books about LGBTQ+ people.
‘There Really Is No Escape’: Faith Leaders Help Immigrants Face Court As ICE Arrests Rise
Clergy are accompanying immigrants to court appointments to provide comfort and information and, in cases where their worst fears are realized, to pick up the pieces of a shattered American dream.
Literally Misreading the Bible
This issue of A Public Witness looks at how one Calvinist voice with connections to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is publicly doing violence to Scripture to justify some disturbingly unChristlike behavior.
World
As Wars Rage Around Them, Armenian Christians in Jerusalem’s Old City Feel the Walls Closing In
The small Christian community has begun to fracture under pressure from forces they say threaten them and the multifaith character of the Old City.
Seeking ‘Advent Not Arms,’ Global Christian Leaders Demand End of Arms Sales to Israel
A letter with more than 200 signatories, organized by Churches for Middle East Peace in the United States and Embrace the Middle East in the United Kingdom, was provided to A Public Witness ahead of its formal release today.
Christians in Syria Mark Country’s Transformation With Tears As UN Envoy Urges an End to Sanctions
Many Syrian Christians, who made up 10% of the population before Syria’s civil war, either fled the country or supported Assad out of fear of Islamist insurgents.
Editorials
It’s Ever Given for Greed to Crash
Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on the Ever Given container ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal. And he connects this modern parable to biblical stories about Egyptian pharaohs and other rulers seeking more wealth and power.
Which Cloud of Witnesses?
Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on the painting behind Georgia Governor Brian Kemp during the signing ceremony for a new law making it harder for people to exercise their right to vote.
We Can’t Massage Away the Scandal of the Gospel
Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on the quick move by a Baptist church in Georgia to kick out the man who killed eight people at three massage parlors. And Kaylor wonders where Jesus would have instead shown up in Atlanta on Sunday.
Word&Way Voices
Mending Broken Hearts
Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell reflects on ancient understandings of the heart and how they relate to our modern grief.
Palestinian and Jordanian Evangelicals Hold Rare Meeting in Amman
Daoud Kuttab reflects on a gathering that took place as the war in Gaza — where at least 23 Christians have been killed — has alienated many Palestinian Christians, who feel their co-religionists around the globe have abandoned them.
Egyptian Evangelical Pastor Issues Prophetic Call for Freedom, Equality, and Justice
Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab documents a recent sermon from an influential pastor of the leading Protestant church in Cairo.
E-Newsletter
The Fake History of a Failed Bible
This issue of A Public Witness opens up the Aitken’s Bible to consider the tale of a flop and how Christian Nationalists misleadingly repackage it as ‘a Bible approved by Congress.’
The Supreme Court Case That Could Dismantle Church-State Separation
This issue of A Public Witness looks at the dustup over St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School in Oklahoma and the religious freedom arguments before eight black-robed justices.
‘Baptizing America’ Wins Top Award From Religion Communicators Council
Our ‘A Public Witness’ newsletter also garners two Best in Class awards in the Specialized Writing and Artwork categories, and Unsettling Advent wins top editorial series for the fourth straight year.
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193. News Roundup: Elections, Government Shutdown, & Clergy Challenging ICE
This episode of Dangerous Dogma features a conversation between Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor, Lutheran minister and journalist Angela Denker, and Disciples pastor and author Beau Underwood. The conversation includes consideration of religious attacks in elections this week, impacts of the ongoing government shutdown on churches, and clergy protesting against ICE. Watch a video version of… -
192. Hannah Kardon, United Methodist Pastor Arrested During Anti-ICE Protest
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Hannah Kardon, a United Methodist minister in the Chicago area. Kardon was violently arrested during a protest outside an ICE facility on Oct. 17. Video of the incident can be viewed here. Other issues discussed in this episode include ICE actions at churches, the legal pushback… -
191. William Stell on Evangelicals & Antigay Christianity
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with William Stell, a religious studies professor and author of the forthcoming book, Born Again Queer: A History of Evangelical Gay Activism and the Making of Antigay Christianity. Kaylor is also joined by guest cohost Jared Burkholder, scholar in residence at Moravian Theological Seminary. This is the… -
190. Angela Parker on Evangelicals, Biblical Interpretation, & White Supremacy
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Angela Parker, an associate professor of New Testament and Greek at the McAfee School of Theology at Mercer University, the author of If God Still Breathes, Why Can't I?: Black Lives Matter and Biblical Authority, and coauthor of the Unsettling Lent devotional. This is the second… -
189. Randall Balmer on Evangelicals & Church-State Separation
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Randall Balmer, a historian of American religion and author of the new book, America's Best Idea: The Separation of Church and State. Kaylor is also joined by guest cohost Jared Burkholder, scholar in residence at Moravian Theological Seminary. This is the first in a three-part series… -
188. Brian Kaylor on The Bible According to Christian Nationalists (with guest host Beau Underwood)
In this episode, guest host Beau Underwood interviews Word&Way President Brian Kaylor about his new book The Bible According to Christian Nationalists: Exploiting Scripture for Political Power. You can watch a video version of this conversation on YouTube. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter A Public Witness that helps you make sense… -
187. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver on Faith & Politics [Reissue]
In this episode originally recorded in 2021, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) about faith and politics as a United Methodist minister and U.S. congressman. Cleaver also discusses his experience on Jan. 6, attacks on voting rights, and what gives him hope. First released four years ago, this episode is being… -
186. Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty on Authentic Christian Freedom
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, a professor at Union Presbyterian Seminary in North Carolina and author of the new book Authentic Christian Freedom: Deconstructing the American Gospel of Liberty. She discusses issues of Christian ethics, liberty, fundamentalism, ministry, and seminary education. Note: Don't forget to subscribe to our award-winning e-newsletter… -
185. Mara Richards Bim on Holding Prayer Vigils Outside an ICE Office
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Mara Richards Bim about a weekly interfaith prayer vigil being held outside an ICE office in Dallas, Texas. She talks about how denominations are fighting back in court and the how Department of Homeland Security is co-opting Bible verses to justify ICE actions. She also discusses… -
184. Warren Throckmorton on Getting Jefferson Right
In this episode, Word&Way President Brian Kaylor talks with Warren Throckmorton, a retired professor who has spent years debunking false claims by Christian Nationalist pseudo-historian David Barton. Throckmorton is coauthor of Getting Jefferson Right: Fact-Checking Claims About Thomas Jefferson and author of the forthcoming The Christian Past That Wasn't: Debunking the Christian Nationalist Myths That…
![Listen to 187. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver on Faith & Politics [Reissue]](http://images.weserv.nl/?url=static.libsyn.com/p/assets/d/c/4/8/dc48d37e1c129b96d959afa2a1bf1c87/DANGEROUSDOGMA-20250903-9imi1p7mi1.jpg&w=100)
Books
Review: Ministers of Propaganda
In "Ministers of Propaganda: Truth, Power, and the Ideology of the Religious Right," Scott Coley trains a critical eye on the fusion of evangelicalism and right-wing politics.
Review: Mornings with Schleiermacher
In "Mornings with Schleiermacher: A Devotional Inspired by the Father of Modern Theology," Chad Bahl seeks to introduce a contemporary audience to the theological ideas of Friedrich Schleiermacher, one of the most important Christian theologians of the nineteenth century.
Review: Hebrews (Commentaries for Christian Formation)
In "Hebrews (Commentaries for Christian Formation)," New Testament scholar Amy Peeler offers insights into Christology, the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, and the letter’s canonical resonances.
Review: Irreverent Prayers
In "Irreverent Prayers: Talking to God When You’re Seriously Sick," Episcopal priests Elizabeth Felicetti and Samantha Vincent-Alexander offer readers a more candid way of communicating with God.