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Featured
The Fight for the Empty Tomb
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.
Review: The Church Must Grow or Perish
“The Church Must Grow or Perish: Robert H. Schuller and the Business of American Christianity” examines Schuller's indelible imprint on the American church.
Tributes to Pope Francis
This issue of A Public Witness offers short highlights from four reflections by Catholic writers on Pope Francis and his papacy.
Church
Winter Solstice Is Having a Moment — in Churches, Too
In mainline Christian circles, winter solstice celebrations and longest night services are growing in popularity.
Pennsylvania’s Bethlehem: The City Founded by Moravians on Christmas Eve Keeps Its Traditions Alive
The Moravian Church is one of the world's oldest Protestant denominations. Its name comes from the historical provinces of Bohemia and Moravia in what is now the Czech Republic.
Religious Traditions Can Help With Holiday Blues, Mental Health Experts Say
'During the holidays, we are practicing relational spirituality and engaging in our awakened brain,' said one professor of psychology.
Nation
As White House Considers Abandoning Foreign Aid, Faith Groups Say They Can’t Do It Alone
A discussion centered on whether the federal government should be dispensing foreign aid, which government officials referred to as ‘philanthropy.’
Giving Up Billionaires for Lent
As we enter a season of Lent amid the chaos of Elon Musk and an oligarchy-fueled administration, this issue of A Public Witness reads the Bible and the Forbes Billionaire List to decide this day who we will serve.
On Capitol Hill, Faith Leaders Mark Ash Wednesday With Criticism of Trump and GOP
The Lenten season that began on Wednesday, normally one of introspection and personal spiritual observances, has become a season of resistance this year.
World
Rwanda Government Shuts More Than 5,000 Churches, Claiming Code Violations
‘The government gave us five years to comply and kept giving us reminders. That ended last year in September,’ said Anglican Archbishop Laurent Mbanda.
Bethlehem Moravian Church Settlement in Pennsylvania Named World Heritage Site
Founded in 1741 by a small band of Moravian Church immigrants, the historic district joins a list that includes the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids of Giza, and the Eiffel Tower.
Surviving Rwanda: God, Remembrance, and Reconciliation on the Genocide’s 30th Anniversary
As painful as it is, many survivors remain committed to remembrance. They are willing to reopen their wounds year after year, hoping that no genocide is ever committed again.
Editorials
A Sign of the Times for White Evangelicals
Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on how many White evangelicals moved in less than five years from condemning Donald Trump as a dangerous man to backing Trump’s assault on American democracy.
The Road Between Marshall & Lafayette
Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on Jesus’s parable in Luke 10 about being a good neighbor after learning of the death of a man in the roadway on Christmas Eve just blocks from his church.
Oh, To Be the Magi
Editor Brian Kaylor reflects on the Magi in the biblical story and how they inspired his imagination as a child and still today. They’re mysterious, magical, powerful, wise
Word&Way Voices
Unsettling Advent 2023, Day 17
Former pastor of Gaza Baptist Church Rev. Hanna Massad writes that we find solace in knowing that, like Mary and Joseph, we have a place of refuge — the “ark of the cross.”
Unsettling Advent 2023, Day 16
Rev. Alex Awad, a retired minister who served as pastor at East Jerusalem Baptist Church and a professor at Bethlehem Bible College, reflects on modern-day Herods and how the Christmas story gives oppressed people around the world hope.
Unsettling Advent 2023, Day 15
Rev. Dr. Mae Elise Cannon, executive director of Churches for Middle East Peace, offers this first entry in our week exploring the theme of Advent during a time of bloodshed in Israel.
E-Newsletter
Lessons From Unsettling Advent
In this issue of A Public Witness, we share some of what we’ve learned from our series of devotionals this year on Advent in a time of rulers clinging to power, dangerous pregnancies, and violence in Lebanon.
Review & Giveaway: Religion for Realists
In his latest book “Religion for Realists: Why We All Need the Scientific Study of Religion,” Samuel Perry challenges some of our most cherished assumptions.
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.
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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 & Giveaway: Work Pray Code
Carolyn Chen’s "Work Pray Code: When Work Becomes Religion in Silicon Valley" explores how work has displaced religion in so many people’s lives. If we can’t serve both God and mammon, it feels like a lot of people have chosen
Review: The Gospel According to James Baldwin
In "The Gospel According to James Baldwin: What America's Great Prophet Can Teach Us About Life, Love, and Identity," Greg Garrett invites new readers and longtime lovers of the great writer into a thoughtful exploration of his continued relevance.
Our 2023 Books of the Year
For this issue of A Public Witness, Brian and Beau briefly highlight 15 of their favorite books beyond those from our monthly giveaway reviews.
Review: Unexpected Abundance
In "Unexpected Abundance: The Fruitful Lives of Women Without Children," Episcopal priest Elizabeth Felicetti deepens our understanding of the many ways to be fruitful.