Bonhoeffer Moment No. 1: Claiming Christ But Losing the Gospel
Bill Leonard responds to Tom Nettles's defense of the slavery of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary's enslaver founders. Read full piece
Maryland Episcopal Church Vows to Create $1M Reparation Fund
A Maryland religious institution has pledged to create a $1 million fund for programs benefitting the Black community in an effort to make reparations for its role in slavery and racial injustice. Read full piece
Reading the Bible Like Enslavers
Editor Brian Kaylor considers a common thread between two recent controversies at Baptist schools, and what this can teach us about how we read and interpret the Bible today.
Uncharted Territory: Jesuits in St. Louis Search for Descendants of People They Enslaved
Four years into an ongoing research effort, officially called the “Slavery, History, Memory, and Reconciliation Project,” about 70 people have been identified so far, who, between 1823 and 1865, were mainly forced to work at St. Louis University, its church, and St. Stanislaus Seminary. Read full
Nettles: Celebrate ‘Providence’ that Brought Gospel Through Slavery
A prominent Southern Baptist theologian who sparked controversy for defending the slavery of the founders of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary doubled-down in another essay praising “the wisdom of Providence” that saw the evangelization of enslaved persons through the institution of slavery.
Search for Roots of Historic First Baptist Church in Williamsburg Begins with Song & Prayer
The prayer vigil Sunday served to bless an archaeological project that hopes to unearth signs of that building — First Baptist’s first physical home. The church was organized in 1776 as a congregation of free and enslaved Blacks. Read full piece
Iowa Catholic College to Remove Statue of its Bishop Founder over Slavery
A private eastern Iowa college has announced it will remove a statue of the school’s founder after officials there learned new details about his slave-owning past. Read full piece
Why Should I Reparate?
I didn’t eat the fruit. There is no way I would have eaten the fruit. Everyone says the same thing when it comes to slavery. Read full piece
White Christians Grapple With Their Faith’s Racist Past — & Present
How are white supremacy and white Christianity entangled? And what work is being done today, by Christians inside and outside the church, to break those ties? Listen to the conversation on 1A — including comment by Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor (at the 14:12 mark) Listen to
Records Reveal Buckner was a Slaveholder
Buckner International, a Baptist charitable organization based in Texas, recently learned 160-year-old records show its long-revered namesake founder, R.C. Buckner, was a slaveholder. The 1860 “slave schedule” for Lamar County, Texas, revealed Buckner as the owner of an enslaved 16-year-old Black female.