Recent Articles
New Public Religion Research Institute Survey Gauges Relationship Between Religion and Partisanship Among AAPI Voters
Ahead of this year’s presidential election, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) measures the relationship between religion and partisanship among Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
In Bed with a Mosquito
I thought about how easy it is to become discouraged and give up, attempting to reach the end of our small lives with as little stress and involvement as possible. But I remembered a quote from Margaret Mead, which made me reconsider: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
Israel is no longer a functioning democracy
While claiming to protect sensitive information about troop movements, Netanyahu really is targeting news outlets that don’t tell his story the way he wants it told — with him as the hero.
A Church LGBTQ+ Pride Guide: 10 Dos and Don’ts at Festivals and Parades
If your church is planning to support your local Pride parade or festival this year, here are a few things to keep in mind that may help your presence be good news to Pride-goers and a beautiful expression of your church’s ministry of love and justice.
Lessons from Gusty: Heading for the Frady Hole
Even though I am not a proponent of a literal hell, my mind might be changing if we cannot reverse the damage humans have contributed to climate change. We can—and must— do better.
Gallup Survey Charts Americans’ Class Consciousness
A new Gallup survey finds most Americans consider themselves members of the middle or working class. Just two percent identify as upper class.
Suffering in Silence with Autoimmune Conditions
The physical pain associated with a diagnosis is just the beginning. But the emotional toll may be the most difficult.
Pomp and Circumstance: The College vs. Trade School Debate
There are good reasons to interrogate the bill of goods that universities have sold to generations of young people. But this doesn’t mean we should automatically ascribe virtuous intentions to those voices calling for more high school graduates to skip college to do “dirty jobs.”
Dispatches From the United Methodist Diaspora: Remember the Struggle of What Has Been
There has never been a perfect solution for any marginalized person in an institution that prioritizes money and power over human dignity.
Understanding Israel and Palestine: British Israelism and the Roots of Christian Zionism
I will unequivocally and unconditionally say that the war must end, Israel’s decades-long blockade in Gaza must be dismantled, and Israel must partner with the global community in rebuilding what is currently the world’s largest open-air prison. However, a true and lasting peace can only come if we give Jews and Palestinians the voice that antisemitism and Christian Zionism have stolen from them.
A Queer Take on the Man vs Bear Debate
Perfect love may cast out fear, but love isn’t a solo endeavor. Women and LGBTQ+ people are afraid because–by and large–straight, cisgender men don’t love the women in their lives well.
The Spiritual Imagination of Artificial Intelligence
How will AI guide spiritual seekers? I see themes in the religions it invents.
Reflections on Ordination: So, You Have a Dream?
However, something kept me going. The beliefs about women in ministry just felt “off.” Even in the uncertainty, I promised God I would go into ministry if he kept the doors open.
Mental Health Awareness Month: In Praise of Grief
Good grief! Some Christians believe and behave as if talking about grief somehow takes away from God’s glory, God’s goodness, God’s perfect record.
Anne Lamott and Morgan Wallen: Adventures and Misadventures in Cancel Culture
We are about a decade into the social project some call “Cancel Culture” and others refer to as “holding people accountable.” I’m not sure we know what we are doing now, or why we are doing it, any more than we did when we began.
Baylor’s Center for Church and Community Impact Celebrates 25 Years
Social workers don’t fix people, but help unlock the God-given power inside themselves. We see immediate circumstances, but also the challenges faced due to larger systems surrounding them. We come alongside others to amplify their voices and create change.
Pentecost’s Missing Verse
Anger over injustice is always appropriate. Becoming inured, acclimated, to the presence of oppression and subjugation is the very definition of being “conformed to this world” (Romans 12:2).
Empowered to Repair: An Interview with Brenda Salter McNeil, Part 3
he last of a three-part interview with Brenda Salter McNeil, who shares with readers the opposition that is sure to follow those who are called to the ministry of reconciliation. Our time together ends with a word of hope for those who feel compelled to bridge the gap.
From the Corn Fields to Drag Queen Story Time
Out of the cornfields, Christian fundamentalists were doing what they’ve always done–presenting interpretation as certainty and damning anyone different than them.
That Time Jerry Falwell Called Desmond Tutu a “Phony”
In the United States, efforts to fight racism have often been labeled as “Communist.” Simply slap the “c-word” on a movement, and you can dismiss it, denigrate it, and dismantle it with violent force.
Empowered to Repair: An Interview with Brenda Salter McNeil, Part 2
Now we address the perceived absence of the church in the fight for social justice, discuss the question that led to her life’s work, the opposition, both external and internal, that is sure to come for those who are called to the ministry of reconciliation and a word of hope for those who feel compelled to bridge the gap.
By the Way | Redirecting Campus Unrest: A Modest Proposal
Imagine the prospect of campus demonstrations with pro-Palestinians and pro-Israelis demonstrating side by side to end the war in Gaza. That would be a powerful statement, one that would reverberate around the world.
Majority of Voters Believe Antisemitism and Islamaphobia are Significant Issues on College Campuses
After a spring semester that marked significant student protest movements over the war between Israel and Hamas, religious discrimination is at the forefront of many people’s minds. According to the April 2024 CAPS-Harris Poll, the majority of US voters believe antisemitism and Islamophobia are prevalent on college campuses.
Empowered to Repair: An Interview with Brenda Salter McNeil, Part 1
Brenda Salter McNeil offers readers a plan of action in her new book, “Empowered to Repair: Becoming People Who Mend Broken Systems and Heal Our Communities.” Against the backdrop of the biblical narrative of Nehemiah, she builds her case for reparations and reconciliation.
Psalm 137: Assimilation Is Not Belonging
Latines don’t–and never will–belong, even when we attempt assimilation. We are a people in exile, even those born within U.S. borders. Some are here by conquest (Mexico and Puerto Rico), others as consequences of gunboat diplomacy (Central America and the Caribbean), following what has been stolen from us.
More U.S. Adults Identify as LGBTQ+
According to a recent Gallup poll, 7.6% of U.S. adults identify as LGBTQ+, up 5.6% from just four years ago. This percentage is also up from 3.5% in 2012, the first year Gallup surveyed LGBTQ+ identification.
The Status-Seeking Church
We sang, “We are climbing Jacob’s ladder.” Now Christians climb the economic ladder. Rung-righteousness, or “keeping up with Joneses,” is not the same as following Jesus.
Wisdom Wherever You Find It | No Exit
“The word I spoke in anger weighs less than a parsley seed, but a road runs through it that leads to my grave.” I will admit to spending a long time unpacking it before I even got to the rest of this very short work.
If God be God: Notes from “The Fire Next Time”
A compelling assertion from Baldwin’s writing resonated deeply with me: “If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him.”
The Deep State
When Donald Trump declared he would “drain the swamp” by ending political corruption and dismantling the shadow government pulling the strings in Washington, he was drawing on two significant streams of American political thought.