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Pete Hegseth, who likes to call himself ‘secretary of war,’ read a prayer during the latest government worship service that echoes a scene written by Quentin Tarantino calling for ‘great vengeance and furious anger.’

In significant sectors of American evangelical Christianity, Israel is a theological object beyond moral scrutiny. This is not political support for an ally. It is worship. And by Christianity’s own doctrinal standards, it is sin.

Drawing on her vocational insights and personal experiences, Episcopal priest, historian, and spiritual director Rhonda Mawhood Lee offers a compassionate vision for understanding and responding faithfully to suicide.

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Church

After years of scrambling to preserve the community and the church’s mission during renovations, the church now wants to get back to its social justice work.

In a March 27 executive order, Trump alleged that Smithsonian exhibits had disparaged the nation's history via a ‘divisive, race-centered ideology.’

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.

Nation

With the growth of worship services by leaders in a Christian Nationalist administration, it’s worth revisiting the most significant previous effort to craft religion within the federal government: the church of Nixon.

‘There was a request for clergy to show up’ at the scene, said one Minneapolis minister. ‘I was out the door.’

A mile apart, supporters of the Jan. 6 rioters and clergy whose churches were assaulted five years ago, commemorated the historic events at the U.S. Capitol.

World

He offered an ethical take on an issue that is increasingly on the agenda of international summits, government policy, and corporate boards alike.

Ordained and lay representatives from the five major global religions — Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism — have been working together for months to set up a shared hall in the Olympic village.

He recalled that Saturday marked the 10-year anniversary of a peace prayer he hosted in the Vatican gardens, attended by then-Israeli President Shimon Peres and Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas.

Editorials

As with most theological topics, a wide diversity of opinions exists among Baptists on the nature of hell. In fact, Baptist theologians and preachers — much like church leaders in the first centuries after Jesus — have long been found in the various hell camps.

Last year, my wife and I saw the famous Leonard da Vinci mural “The Last Supper.” To be honest, I went because it seemed like something we should do while in Milan. But I was truly impressed by the mural.

There’s a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and its dictator “won” an unfair election last year to hold power. But if the recent past in Latin America — and elsewhere — teaches us anything, it’s that military invasions and coups destabilize nations, spark civil wars, devastate local economies and result in

Word&Way Voices

Edward Walsh reflects on his experiences in the Middle East and what following the teachings of Jesus should look like in this time of conflict.

Contributing writer Sarah Blackwell champions the idea that churches can offer counter-cultural recreational programs to put youth sports back at the right size and scale.

While Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lampooned sanctuary cities by sending buses full of desperate people seeking safety for themselves and their families, he did not anticipate that they would be received with open hearts, houses, and churches.

E-Newsletter

This issue of A Public Witness takes you inside a recent academic gathering to hear from some of the nation’s leading scholars as they offer ways to push back against a dangerous ideology.

Why does Charlie Kirk, the new face of Christian Nationalism, say the church is in ‘wartime’ when Trump is in the White House and his party controls D.C.?

In her new book, journalist and pastor Angela Denker ventures into contested spaces to help readers understand what is going on with the radicalization of American boyhood.

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Recent Episodes

Books

In "Corpse Care: Ethics for Tending the Dead," Cody Sanders and Mikeal Parsons spark new conversations that reclaim responsibility for faith communities from the funeral directors and other deathcare providers that professionally process our corpses without much reflection on their

In "We Will Be Free: The Life and Faith of Sojourner Truth," Nancy Koester brings to life the powerful story of a complicated woman whose voice still needs to be heard — especially at this moment when so many Christians

In "Elusive Grace: Loving Your Enemies While Striving for God’s Justice," Scott Black Johnston brings healing to the divides present in our congregations so that together we might become agents of justice and voices of healing.

In "Resisting Apartheid America: Living the Badass Gospel," Miguel A. De La Torre challenges readers and makes a strong case that EuroChristianity, defined by White Supremacy, is the greatest threat to the United States.