How ‘In God We Trust’ Bills Help Advance Christian Nationalism
“In God We Trust” became the national motto 65 years ago this month. But over the past few years, a string of bills and city ordinances has sought to expand its usage and presence.
Behind the Pulpit: Timothy Peoples
Senior Editor Beau Underwood interviews Timothy Peoples, senior minister of Emerywood Baptist Church in High Point, North Carolina, for the latest installment of our “Behind the Pulpit” series intended to pull back the curtain on the minister’s life.
Baptists Among Clergy Detained Following Cuba Protests
Cuban authorities have detained religious leaders — including at least three Baptists — in the wake of nationwide protests, action that drew rebuke from the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Read full piece
I’m an Infectious Disease Doctor: Here’s Why Pastors Need to Lead their Flocks to be Vaccinated
Don’t sit on the sidelines waiting for a miracle to happen; the miracle is happening now. Read full piece
Want to Support Haiti? Prevent Western Exploitation
Western powers repeatedly use periods of Haiti’s “destabilization” as a pretext for exploiting the nation’s resources and people. Read full piece
How a Book about Evangelicals, Trump, & Militant Masculinity became a Surprise Bestseller
When historian Kristin Du Mez’s latest book, “Jesus and John Wayne,” came out in the summer of 2020, it received little attention from mainstream gatekeepers and reviewers. But the book, which explores evangelical fondness for former president Donald Trump and strong masculine figures, has since sold
Christian Right Bill Mill, Project Blitz, Hasn’t Gone Away, It’s Just Gotten More Secretive
In the Fall of 2019, the secretive Christian Right state legislative campaign, Project Blitz, became even more of a secret. When RD first reported on Project Blitz in April 2018 the website featured their annual state legislative playbook of model bills and talking points. Read full
Mainline Struggles in the Rural Midwest
Ryan Burge writes that there’s been a cultural shift that has gone basically unnoticed in small-town America: mainline Protestant churches have become an increasingly endangered species. This poses a problem for people who would still like to be a Christian but can’t be an evangelical.
Billionaires Gone Wild
We wonder if the new space race between billionaires actually represents progress. In this issue of A Public Witness, we look not toward the stars but back on Earth to consider the moral lessons we can learn from these men so rich they are literally choosing
United Church of Christ Declares Racism a Public Health Crisis
The United Church of Christ kicked off its Special Edition General Synod on Sunday by passing a resolution declaring racism a public health crisis. Delegates to the mainline denomination’s biennial meeting are meeting virtually this year.