Recent Articles
Most Americans Believe Healthcare Needs More Attention in the Presidential Election
According to a recent Gallup poll, more than two-thirds of Americans believe healthcare is not receiving enough attention in the 2024 election. Majorities along the political spectrum, including 53% of Republicans, 67% of Independents and 78% of Democrats, believe this.
For the Fellowship of All Peoples: Honoring Howard Thurman’s Strivings for ‘Radical Inclusion’
October 8th marks the 80th anniversary of The Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples. Co-founded by Howard Thurman and Alfred Fisk, their intentional work at inclusion across multiple divisions remains worthy of celebration.
What Program Are You On?
Some preach about being “you” in this world, while others advocate against individualism. But what if we can have both— a society that values the individual and a collection of people working together?
We Are Exhausted, Not Enraged
The closest thing I saw to a woman at the pulpit was the elderly woman who played the organ, situated about five feet from the podium. Isn’t this the picture of long-suffering women in American churches? Necessary for every function but roped off five feet away from the pulpit.
Covering October 7: A Year Later
Since October 7, we have not always gotten everything right, but we have attempted to listen.
One Year Later: A Reflection on Occupation, Persecution and the Call for Justice
The killing must stop. If we are to embody the teachings of Christ, we must take a stand against the ongoing violence and advocate for peace, justice and the dignity of every human life—Palestinian and Israeli alike.
New Study Measures the Cultural Engagement of Evangelicals
A new Lifeway Research study sponsored by the Institute for Faith & Culture finds that while U.S. evangelicals say they want to engage with the broader society and to share their beliefs, many admit it “doesn’t always happen.” Instead, they are hesitant to challenge the views of others.
Fallen
I have entered a more experiential faith filled with love, justice and freedom. It’s a faith built upon a relationship with my creator and fellow humans. Instead of being centered on doctrinal beliefs, my faith centers around relationships, advocating love, justice, and freedom for all.
10 Things I Wish Churches Knew about Christian Nationalism
When it comes to the rise of Christian nationalism, our problems are as relational as they are political. Here are ten things I’m learning alongside the congregants and seminarians I serve that may be helpful—if not hopeful—for your faith community.
IBTS Amsterdam Welcomes New Leadership, Enters Partnership with Good Faith Media
The International Baptist Theological Study Centre (IBTS) in Amsterdam began a new season by welcoming Dr. Enoh Šeba as its director on October 1, 2024. Šeba succeeds Dr. Mike Pears, who had held the position since 2018. In addition, IBTS and Good Faith Media (GFM) have entered a strategic partnership to help advance each institution’s mission.
New Survey Questions U.S. and Latin American Catholics on Contraception, the Priesthood and Sexuality
Catholics from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the U.S. were asked by the Pew Research Center about their beliefs regarding contraception, the priesthood, and sexuality.
What Can Augustine Teach Anxious Christians About the 2024 Election?
Many Christians feel like the sky is falling. For some, what is falling is a Christian America. For others, it is a democratic America. Either way, we experience anxiety. Might Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, who lived in the 4th century, offer some insight into how to respond to our situation?
Look Back | Kris Exposed Hypocrisy, Injustices I’d Not Seen
The music of Kris Kristofferson points out hypocrisy and identifies social injustice in places some listeners never knew to look. His willingness to confess his own contradictions make it easier for others to do the same.
Asking Challenging Questions in Rural Churches
Rural churches need good theology, too. Our urban centers may have progressive churches, but many families raise their children in more spread-out spaces, seeking reconnection to the land and slower living. Where can they go?
Choices: Prosecutor or Criminal?
Truth makes us look in the mirror and address the flaws we see. Lies make a home in our shadow side, where we tell ourselves we are okay as is.
People of Good Faith | Lilly Hawkins
Lilly Hawkins is the Fall 2024 Ernest C. Hynds Jr. Intern at Good Faith Media. She is a senior professional writing student at Baylor University.
How Evangelicalism Breeds Narcissists – And How We Can Stop It
With self-righteousness in one hand and shame in the other, evangelicalism creates a self-centered ideology where everything is all about me – spiritual narcissism at its finest.
An Attack on a Shining Star in Bethlehem
Dar al-Kalima is an accredited institution of higher education in the West
Bank that focuses on the performing arts, visual arts, and cultural heritage. Such
institutions are dangerous for settler colonialists because they debunk the Promised
Land narrative, which spiritually justifies land theft and genocide.
“Finally Love”: Remembering Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams
Blood boiling, we are all cooked. Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams was put to death and I’m angry that there was nothing we could do about it.
I am a Minister, Not a Professional
Over a lifetime, I’ve collected awkward moments like some people collect charms around a bracelet. I do not know why I am this way, where my thoughts move as fast as a kid bolting for the toy section at Target.
Self-Care for Caregivers: How My Son’s Brain Injury Helped Re-Order My Values
Embracing a more intentional, sometimes slower life centered around my family is more fulfilling than a busy schedule. Despite the necessary changes, prioritizing my son’s new needs has helped us redefine our values.
When Things Go Bad, Keep Swinging
As I read about the lowly ending of the record-setting White Sox season, I could not help but think about all the people feeling like life sometimes mimics a losing streak. People are playing the game of life as hard as they can, but for whatever reason, life seems to be one loss after another.
People of Good Faith | An Interview with Ada Ari
Ada Ari is reimagining African folk tales and promoting the continent’s culture through her children’s books. While readers explore the cultures of each country, the stories offer character lessons and fun facts about its people.
“Nevertheless, She Preached” Imagines a Decolonized Faith
“Nevertheless, She Preached” (NSP) held its annual conference this week at the 04 Center in Austin, Texas. The gathering, now in its eighth year, brought together in-person and virtual attendees from around the world to hear faith and justice leaders preach on the theme of “Liberate: Imagining Faith Decolonized.”
Define ‘Christian’
Last year, while attending an international conference on EMDR Therapy, a modality I practice and teach, a group called “Christian EMDR Therapists” formed on the conference app. Knowing that certain members of the EMDR Therapy community previously used their rights as...
Farming and Agriculture Most Favored U.S. Industry
According to recently released results from the Gallup Poll Social Series, farming and agriculture have bypassed restaurants as the most well-regarded industries in the United States.
Look Back | ‘Cosiendo’ As an Act of Love and Justice
The sound of a sewing machine echoes in my memory. It was a lullaby for me growing up. My grandmother used it to create incredible garments. Her work was an act of love and of justice.
Don’t Ask Me How I Am: A Reflection on Loss, Grief, and Making Meaning When There is None
More and more, I find God in the shattered pieces of my life. Those brave enough to sit with me help me put them back together again, and in turn, I offer those pieces to others.
The Politics (and Religion) of Gen Z: An Interview with PRRI’s Melissa Deckman (Part 2)
I recently visited with Melissa Deckman, CEO of the Public Religion Research Institute, about how Gen Z is making its mark on the political arena. Deckman is the author of “The Politics of Gen Z: How the Youngest Voters Will Shape Our Democracy.” We discussed some of the findings of her book and how Generation Z approaches issues around faith and organized religion.
Maston Foundation Receiving Applications for Doctoral Ethics Scholarships
The T.B. Maston Foundation is receiving applications for its scholarship to cover the 2025-26 academic year, David Morgan, the executive director, announced.