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Even if members are politically active and many leaders are often outspoken about issues and candidates they support, most congregations make great efforts to keep politics out of the church when they gather.

Director D.J. Caruso hopes to tell Mary’s story through her own eyes and appeal to new generations.

Exploring Advent in a time of dangerous pregnancies, Angela Denker reflects on how pregnancy is both incredibly vulnerable and incredibly powerful.

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Dangerous Dogma

Church

SBC leaders also set up a new department to deal with the issue of abuse, though the fate of a long-delayed database of abusers remains unknown.

The new denomination, with 4,715 congregations, will meet to adopt a constitution and iron out its governance structure.

Brittany Packnett-Cunningham’s rise to be one of her generation’s best-known racial justice activists reflects the promise and power of the ministry of her late father, who was senior pastor of St. Louis’ historic Central Baptist Church.

Nation

This issue of A Public Witness looks at the failed efforts to convert White evangelicals in the ballot box and what it means going forward.

He has maintained throughout the years that the West Bank belongs to Israel, and recently said ‘the title deed was given by God to Abraham and to his heirs.’

The judge said the law is ‘unconstitutional on its face’ and plaintiffs are likely to win their case with claims that the law violates the First Amendment.

World

Responding to crisis, a coalition of church organizations is providing education, skills trainings, and farming equipment to help refugees become self-reliant.

Several evangelical pastors, Catholic priests, and human rights organizations have denounced the surveillance, harassment, and the imprisonment of Nicaraguan faith leaders in recent years.

An event advocating for the treaty was organized as part of the Season of Creation, an event observed annually by Christian denominations and Christian climate activists from Sept. 1 to Oct. 4.

Editorials

As the Jan. 6 insurrection showed, our democracy is under attack. And Christian nationalism, which seeks to privilege one faith tradition over others, has fueled the anti-democratic efforts. Rather than serving as a balm for our fractured nation, religion is being used to further divide us.

With the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference beginning this coming Sunday in Egypt, we are offering a piece originally published as the cover story of Word&Way magazine in October 2019 but which has never been published online. In addition to making an argument for why Christians should care about

MAGAchurch preaching occurs in sanctuaries across the country. But the prominence of First Baptist in Atlanta and his involvement in an important Senate campaign makes Rev. Anthony George a particularly important case study. So, in this issue of A Public Witness, I introduce you to George and his sermons before

Word&Way Voices

Faithful America’s executive director argues that since Trump and the religious right distort faith for their own gain, calling them out is not an attack on religion but rather a necessary democratic and Christian action.

Contributing writer Rodney Kennedy argues that MAGA evangelicals have basically accepted the conclusion that Trump is not a good person — but this doesn’t change their vote due to the power of figurative language.

Palestinian journalist Daoud Kuttab documents how a leading evangelical group recently took a bold step away from pro-Trump American evangelicals.

E-Newsletter

This issue of A Public Witness unpacks how Kamala Harris’s decision to skip the Al Smith Dinner — and the legacy of Smith (the first Catholic nominee for president) — offers important insights into this year’s campaign.

Matthew Taylor makes a compelling case that the New Apostolic Reformation, whose leaders and ideas have migrated from the fringes to the center of American evangelicalism, is a dangerous threat to democracy.

This issue of A Public Witness reflects on the current escalation of violent hostilities between Israel and Lebanon and the historic Christian population caught in the crossfire.

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Podcasts

Mike McMahon, executive director of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, talks about the work of the Hymn Society. He also discusses music and issues like COVID, welcoming immigrants, and scandals involving Hillsong.

Christopher Beem, an associate research professor and the managing director of the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Pennsylvania State University, talks about his book The Seven Democratic Virtues: What You Can Do to Overcome Tribalism and Save Our Democracy.

Paul Raushenbush, the new president and CEO of the Interfaith Alliance, talks about the organization. He also discusses Christian Nationalism, religious liberty, and his family's heritage.

Liz Bucar, professor of religion at Northeastern University, talks with about her new book Stealing My Religion: Not Just Any Cultural Appropriation. She also discusses trying yoga, walking the Camino de Santiago, and leading the Sacred Writes program.

Books

In the face of a rising threat to both church and democracy, “Baptizing America: How Mainline Protestants Helped Build Christian Nationalism” exposes the undercurrents of a dangerous ideology.

In "The Scandal of Leadership: Unmasking the Powers of Domination in the Church," JR Woodward outlines why church leaders often fail and offers a robust theology of power.

This issue of A Public Witness addresses the ways in which American Christians are part of the problem as explored in “The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith.”

In “Christmaker: A Life of John the Baptist,” esteemed New Testament scholar James F. McGrath turns his critical eye to overlooked details in Scripture and long-neglected sources to discover who this influential figure really was.