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The story of Christ’s birth is deeply intertwined with the realities of occupation, displacement, and struggle.

Exploring Advent in a time of dangerous pregnancies, Brian Kaylor reflects on how powerful leaders often seek ways to make women’s journey difficult.

Monday’s federal lawsuit seeks to overturn the state’s decision not to allow Joseph Corcoran’s minister to be present in the execution chamber — a constitutional right granted by a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

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Videos

Church

Regionalization has been framed as an undertaking of decolonization. But the plan is also an acknowledgment that cultural and theological differences are driving Methodists apart, especially regarding sexuality.

'Fresh Expressions' is a denominational initiative intended to connect people who may not be interested in church but are interested in learning a new skill or making new friends.

Even after the departures, 24% of North Carolina clergy remaining in the denomination disagree with allowing LGBTQ people to get married and ordained within the denomination.

Nation

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Episcopal Church, and the United Methodist Church — among other Christian denominations — have committed to divestment from the fossil fuel industry. 

Messner gained lasting affection for stepping out of the strict evangelical, anti-gay doctrine of the time to show compassion and empathy toward a gay minister living with HIV and AIDS.

This issue of A Public Witness explores how challenging White supremacy and Christian Nationalism requires both honesty and repair.

World

Though he has allowed new houses of worship to be built and old ones to be reopened, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan needs to do more, observers say, to restore respect for a truly pluralistic society as much as for church property.

Archbishop Welby spent several days in Jerusalem last week following the attack on Israelis by Hamas on Oct. 7 and the ensuing assaults on Gaza by Israeli forces.

Draft law 8371, which requires another vote before moving to the president’s desk, would give Ukrainian authorities power to examine the connection of religious groups in Ukraine to the Russian Federation and to ban those whose leadership is outside of Ukraine.

Editorials

In a Polish museum dedicated to the “Warsaw Uprising” of 1944, one room stood out in particular for me — the one dedicated to the role of the press. In the midst of the fighting, a vibrant free press community continued.

We celebrate many early Baptist giants. Thomas Helwys. Roger Williams. John Leland. Adoniram and Anne Judson. Luther Rice. But there’s one we generally don’t know: Jack.

Throughout much of the book of Judges a consistent pattern emerges: the Israelites disobey God, find themselves oppressed for many years, a judge arises to bring peace for a few decades, and then they start the cycle all over.

Word&Way Voices

Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy writes that we will never understand conservative evangelicals until we understand the theological construction of the dominant trope that "Democrats are devils." This has become the most successful propaganda campaign in American politics.

Rev. Darron LaMonte Edwards writes that he is feeling weary from the announcement that another unarmed Black man was killed. But as a Christian community, we cannot afford to get tired of speaking up for victims like Tyre Nichols. This problem has solutions.

Rev. Angela Denker reflects on the church life her kids don't get to live and how at times it feels like it would be easier to uncompromisingly champion a strong and central Church, one that can afford to take for granted its place at the center of American community and

E-Newsletter

This issue of A Public Witness looks at feedback we received on social media from proponents of the lesser magistrates philosophy and explores why Christians should instead value democracy.

This issue of A Public Witness examines how numerous states are considering bills to limit or ban marriage for minors, which has garnered opposition from several conservative Christian ministers and activists.

This issue of A Public Witness takes you inside the Family Research Council’s “National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance” featuring Speaker Mike Johnson and a couple dozen other Republican lawmakers.

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Recent Episodes

Books

Robert D. Cornwall reviews Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible by Dietrich Bonhoeffer with a new introduction from Walter Brueggemann. While Bonhoeffer was thoroughly trained in the historical-critical method of biblical interpretation, in his book on the Psalms he

Robert D. Cornwall reviews Words of Love: A Healing Journey with the Ten Commandments by Eugenia Anne Gamble. This book reflects on the Commandments in a manner that is both deeply spiritual and personal and we see aspects that people

Robert D. Cornwall reviews Churches and the Crisis of Decline: A Hopeful, Practical Ecclesiology for a Secular Age by Andrew Root. This book explores the question of what the church might look like in the future as it experiences a

In this issue of A Public Witness, we both join with six other people to each suggest two books for your consideration. We hope you’ll find at least one good book to help in your own formation this summer.