Home - Word&Way

Featured

We’re excited to announce this year’s themes for our award-winning Unsettling Advent series, which begins in one month: Advent in a time of religious nationalism, starvation, and soldiers in the streets.

Dissenting former evangelical Christian women are forging a path different from those who have left the church in the decades-long decline in institutional faith.

This issue of A Public Witness looks at the danger of religious attacks against politicians as MAGA comes after Republicans for non-Christian beliefs or for offering kind words to Americans celebrating a non-Christian religious holiday.

No posts were found.

Videos

Church

Queen is the first SBC leader to be charged in an ongoing DOJ investigation into the nation's largest Protestant denomination.

At St. Paul's Episcopal Church, the Rev. Jean Beniste, a Haitian immigrant and Episcopal priest turned internet curses into blessings during an annual blessing of the animals, held in honor of St. Francis.

Nation

The ruling overturned a decision by a lower court where a plaintiff argued World Vision had discriminated against her marital status, sex, and sexual orientation.

Hegseth recently made headlines when he shared a CNN video on social media about the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, showing its pastors arguing women should not have the right to vote.

With Pete Hegseth resurrecting a Confederate memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, this issue of A Public Witness looks back at how prayer was used to bless its White Supremacy ideology.

World

Nicaragua’s government released a prominent Catholic bishop and 18 other clergy members imprisoned in a crackdown by President Daniel Ortega and handed them over to Vatican authorities who welcomed them in Rome. 

This issue of A Public Witness takes a look at past efforts from Christian clergy to bless weapons of war before returning to a current conflict to hear from a pastor in the little town of Bethlehem.

Orthodox Christians packed churches Saturday night for Christmas Eve services during ongoing conflicts including the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Hamas wars.

Editorials

Brian KaylorThe top religious advisor to President Donald Trump defended his policies on detaining immigrant children, claiming Jesus never broke the law. Rather than an aberration, Paula White, the Florida megachurch “prosperity gospel”

Brian KaylorIt seems that since people could write, we’ve had stories warning about powerful people using their power to abuse others and to gain or preserve their power, assets or lustful desires. Homer’s

Doyle SagerIn August of 2017 I made a commitment to preach a series of sermons on rape, abuse and assault. Little did I know that two months later the #MeToo movement would explode

Word&Way Voices

Evangelicals place great stress on the authority of the Bible and have often labeled their interpretation “the biblical view.” Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy outlines the problems with this framing and offers some helpful tips for combating it.

Dr. Gregory Shay, a pediatric pulmonologist, deliberates on anecdotes of sickness and tragedy through a faith-based lens, arguing that it is inherently Christian to show solidarity with vulnerable populations — especially children.

David Rice examines faith healing through the lens of both denominational differences between Baptists and the Assemblies of God as well as his personal struggles living with a disability.

E-Newsletter

While Donald Trump’s win understandingly dominates the headlines, it’s also important to consider the results in the numerous other federal, state, and local races.

This Election Day issue of A Public Witness considers the idea that where you vote might influence how you vote.

The upcoming election is certainly important, but the journey of addressing Christian Nationalism in our churches and nation will continue in the weeks, months, and years to follow.

Sign up to receive full essays in your inbox!

Recent Episodes

Books

Robert D. Cornwall reviews Azusa Reimagined: A Radical Vision of Religious and Democratic Belonging by Keri Day. The book explores how the Azusa Street Revival that began in Los Angeles in 1906 served as the foundation of Pentecostalism and the

Robert D. Cornwall reviews Freeing Jesus: Rediscovering Jesus as Friend, Teacher, Savior, Lord, Way, and Presence by Diana Butler Bass. This book is her attempt to free Jesus from the captivity she has experienced in life and in doing so

We review a book each month at A Public Witness and for this installment, Beau Underwood examines and recommends Beth Allison Barr's The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth. He also discusses some

Robert D. Cornwall reviews Indigenous Theology and the Western Worldview: A Decolonized Approach to Christian Doctrine by Randy S. Woodley. This book serves as a helpful introduction for those who are not familiar with an indigenous/Native American vision of Christianity