Recent Articles
Faith and Democracy | Election 2024: What if Trump Wins?
The following Faith and Democracy series does not endorse a candidate or party in the upcoming election. Its purpose is to consider the scenarios that could play out if former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris wins the election.
Will & Harper’: An Ode to Friendship and the Risks It Requires
This is the thread running through “Will & Harper.” If we approach everyone with curiosity, trust that they are who they say they are and give it some time, we may eventually see magic.
Most Voters, Including Less than Half of His Supporters, Don’t Believe Trump Will Concede the Election if He Loses
A recent Pew Research poll found that less than a quarter (24%) of all eligible voters polled believe former President Donald Trump will concede the upcoming election if he loses. Less than half (48%) of Trump supporters say he’ll concede if he loses, with only 4% of those who support Vice President Kamala Harris.
State-Sponsored Spiritual Abuse
People in a country like the United States have every right to practice their religious beliefs. However, practicing these beliefs becomes abusive when they attempt to inflict them on me.
Equal Justice USA Expanding Work in the South and Midwest
Equal Justice USA (EJUSA), a national organization working to transform the nation’s justice system, recently announced it is expanding into four new communities to build new restorative justice initiatives.
“Extreme” Label Isn’t Sticking for Harris or Trump
About half of all voters believe that Trump is too conservative (48%) or that Harris is too liberal (51%). These rates are consistent with national polls, suggesting only each candidate’s base believes the other candidate is too extreme.
A Love Offering: When Writing Requires That You Pay Through the Nose
As the fifth season of The Raceless Gospel podcast ends, I look at my hands and wonder how it came to this. How did it end up costing so much?
First Baptist Church of Asheville Provides Free Market for Neighbors Recovering from Hurricane Helene
First Baptist Church of Asheville is providing free supplies, including food, water, toiletries, pet food, and other items for residents to pick up for themselves or to distribute. The church also provides hot showers, laundry services, and twice-daily hot meals.
Multiracial but Not Multiethnic Churches
But even though the number of multiracial churches is growing, they are not always welcoming places for people of color, especially Black people. Many of them have multiple races but are still not multicultural.
National Coming Out Day: Seeking Refuge in the Oasis of Risk-Taking Love
What would it look like for Christianity to return to its ancient roots of understanding love as a risky endeavor? I don’t mean in the “you could die” sense, but in the “loss of social collateral” sense.
National Coming Out Day: Following the Example of Jesus
Jesus serves as a kind, persistent, yet unyielding example of what it means to come out. The truth about his identity was paramount to the way he chose to exist within the world. And on National Coming Out Day, for Queer folx, that is a source of immense hope and inspiration.
Nurturing Call
God’s call may look different in everyone’s life, but nurturing that call is done through and alongside beloved community. Nurturing call means being open to the hard questions and the unknowns. While difficult, these can be beautiful testaments of what God can do with your life when you don’t hold on too tightly.
Hope for Permanent Peace in Israel and Palestine at Historic Lows
When asked if permanent peace will ever be achieved, around two-thirds of Israelis (66%) and Palestinians in the West Bank/East Jerusalem (68%) responded “no.”
The Anti-Christ Lives Today
Dispensationalism was a bizarre 1870s invention of John Nelson Darby, who divided human history into seven dispensations. Evangelists like D. L. Moody and C. I. Scofield adopted this dispensationalist dogma to create a unique manifestation of Christianity, which was fundamentalist, conservative and very white.
Local Polling Variations Will Once Again Create a Chaotic Election Night
National elections in the U.S. are administered on a local level, which has many pros and cons. The chief advantage is that decentralized control and a diversity of systems provide good checks and balances, making it more difficult for single entities to tamper with an election. A primary disadvantage is that there are 50 different systems to understand, which is nearly impossible for most citizens to keep up with.
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.