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Speaking at a recent worship service at the Pentagon, Hegseth said the US needs to be ‘in prayer, on bended knee, recognizing the providence of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.’

Within a single week, two historic milestones took place in Amman: the European Baptist Federation celebrated its 75th anniversary and the Baptist World Alliance appointed its first Ambassador to the Middle East.

This issue of A Public Witness looks at four recent promotional videos created by the DoW that co-opt Bible verses to glorify the U.S. military.

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Videos

Church

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.

Ben Boswell promises his new church will ‘dismantle systems of oppression and create justice, equity, and freedom for everybody — for all people.’

‘I do not personally believe The Rev. Robinson is a good representative of the Anglican Church in North America,’ said ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood.

Nation

On Thursday, a delegation of religious leaders from Arkansas gathered at the state capitol in Little Rock to implore Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders not to resume state-sanctioned executions — specifically those using the method of gas asphyxiation.

This issue of A Public Witness looks at the need for those who oppose Christian Nationalism to fight not just with lawsuits but also in the court of public opinion, so we can effectively protect religious liberty.

Empathy is usually regarded as a virtue, a key to human decency and kindness. And yet, with increasing momentum, voices on the Christian right are preaching that it has become a vice.

World

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.

Travis Timmerman of Urbana, Missouri, said he had gone to Syria on a Christian pilgrimage and was not ill-treated while in Palestine Branch, a notorious detention facility operated by Syrian intelligence.

The pope’s appeal was made for the World Day of Peace, coinciding with the launch of the 2025 Jubilee year.

Editorials

Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on efforts by lawmakers across the country to make it more difficult to vote. Such bills attempts to undo the work of faithful advocates during the civil rights movement, and some bills even target Black churches.

Editor Brian Kaylor reacts to comments by Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear, who on Monday attacked those in Southern Baptist life spreading “misunderstandings, distortion, and often outright lies.”

Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on the deaths of two individuals he listened to as a teenager: Christian singer Carman and talk radio show host Rush Limbaugh. And Kaylor considers what those formative voices mean for him today.

Word&Way Voices

Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell reflects on how we might treat each other differently if we literally wore our hearts on our sleeves.

A practical guide to navigating the chaos of modern politics with clarity, empathy, and purpose.

Faithful America’s executive director argues that since Trump and the religious right distort faith for their own gain, calling them out is not an attack on religion but rather a necessary democratic and Christian action.

E-Newsletter

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.

A congregational pastor who also serves as the UCC’s Minister for Disabilities and Mental Health Justice, Sarah Griffith Lund has long been a voice helping Christians gently and wisely wrestle with neurodiversity.

This issue of A Public Witness explores an intra-Catholic Easter weekend as well as multiple Easter sermons from progressive ministers around the United States.

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Recent Episodes

Books

Theologian and pastor Ross Kane articulates a vision of how Christians can engage in public life that begins with the premise that all politics is local.

In "Judaism Is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life," Shai Held explores how a dramatic misinterpretation of the Jewish tradition has shaped the history of the West.

In "Claiming the Courageous Middle: Daring to Live and Work Together for a More Hopeful Future," Shirley A. Mullen tackles the political and cultural polarization has led to suspicion and animosity in our churches.

In "The Emancipation of God: Postmarks on Cultural Prophecy," Walter Brueggemann grinds away at biblical texts that have been muffled, silenced, and disabled to free the text from its cultural entrapments.