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This issue of A Public Witness explores the problem with Trump’s call for Nov. 5 and proposes an alternative date for a more authentic “Christian Visibility Day.”

The declaration commits Christian leaders to preaching on moral issues and rejecting a political movement it says is exploiting traditional values to undermine democracy.

In "A Quilted Life: Reflections of a Sharecropper’s Daughter," Catherine Meeks describes the adventures and adversity she encountered on her path to becoming an empowered voice for change.

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Dangerous Dogma

Church

The percentage of Americans who never attend services outnumbers those who go every week, according to a new report.

The lawsuit, filed by former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Adam Greenway, is the latest of the seminary's long-term fiscal woes.

Jeff Iorg, the longtime president of the SBC’s only seminary outside of the denomination’s historic Bible Belt heartland, is the incoming president and CEO of the denomination’s Executive Committee.

Nation

This issue of A Public Witness looks at the false claims of Christian persecution leveled against Biden in the midst of an acrimonious campaign.

U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, a Republican from Michigan who used to serve as a Baptist pastor, suggested at a town hall during Holy Week that the Gaza Strip should be nuked.

Many chaplains and interfaith organizations oppose the campaign, calling the motivation offensive and dangerous — especially without standards around proselytizing or serving students from different religious backgrounds.

World

The pro-Kremlin Lukashenko last month signed into law a measure requiring all religious organizations in the country to reregister with authorities or face being outlawed if their loyalty to the state is in doubt.

This issue of A Public Witness explores the subversive power of public mourning — like what happened recently after the state murder of Russian political dissident Alexei Navalny — to better understand a Beatitude of Jesus.

Judges across Europe are having a tough time deciding whether asylum-seekers claiming religious persecution are ‘genuine’ Christians.

Editorials

Brian Kaylor reflects on the 1914 “Christmas truce” during World War I and why it he does not find it to be an inspiring take on what “peace on Earth” could look like today.

Editor-in-Chief Brian Kaylor reflects on Russian pro-war propaganda dressed up like a Christmas decoration, which he calls a sacrilegious assault on celebrations of the birth of the Prince of Peace.

Brian Kaylor writes that ten years ago today an armed man walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, and opened fire. This massacre at Christmastime evokes memories of part of the biblical story we tend to leave out of our nativities and pageants.

Word&Way Voices

The story of this former youth pastor and Jan. 6 insurrectionist is worth highlighting because his more recent words show a person facing the prospect of prison and also now confronting the notion that he was duped by his religious elders.

Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy explores how recent rhetoric from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas surrounding 'illegitimacy' reveals broader stakes for democratic deliberation.

For the final day of Advent, contributing writer Sarah Blackwell ponders what we should focus on as we watch the Christ Candle lit once again this year.

E-Newsletter

This issue of A Public Witness unpacks a recent faith-based political ad from Josh Hawley to consider what it tells us more broadly about the state of the 2024 election cycle.

This issue of A Public Witness digs into the recent Paul Pressler news and responses from leaders to investigate the roots of the SBC’s “conservative resurgence” and consider a more appropriate response than just continuing to water the tree.

This issue of A Public Witness looks back at the 'kneel-ins' of the civil rights movement to consider recent protests at prominent churches.

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Podcasts

In episode 93 of Dangerous Dogma, Michael Budde, a professor of Catholic Studies and Political Science at DePaul University in Chicago, talks about his book Foolishness to Gentiles: Essays on Empire, Nationalism, and Discipleship. He

In episode 92 of Dangerous Dogma, William Yoo, a professor of American religious and cultural history at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia, talks about his book What Kind of Christianity: A History of Slavery and Anti-Black Racism in the

Jennifer Garcia Bashaw, a professor of New Testament and Christian ministry at Campbell University, talks about her book Scapegoats: The Gospel through the Eyes of Victims. She also discusses theories of atonement and the mistreatment of women, poor and disabled

In episode 90 of Dangerous Dogma, Jeff Hood, author of The Execution of God, talks about his advocacy against the death penalty. He also discusses his ministry to people on death row, including last month as he stood in a death

Books

This issue of A Public Witness cues up the soundtrack of American evangelical Christianity as covered in Leah Payne’s “God Gave Rock and Roll to You: A History of Contemporary Christian Music.”

In "Wounded Pastors: Navigating Burnout, Finding Healing, and Discerning the Future of Your Ministry," Carol Howard Merritt and James Fenimore offer guidance for pastors who have been hurt by the church.

In "Hunting Magic Eels: Recovering an Enchanted Faith in a Skeptical Age," Richard Beck argues that modern malaise has profoundly dulled our religious imaginations — but it doesn't have to be this way.

In "Gratitude: Why Giving Thanks Is the Key to Our Well-Being," Cornelius Plantinga makes the case that being grateful is the key to understanding our relationships with one another, the world around us, and God.