Recent Articles
New Book Shares Sunday School Lessons From President Jimmy Carter
Whether Gregg’s question was a joke or a serious query is unknown. What is known is that from that moment until January 4, 1981, almost two weeks before the peaceful transfer of the Presidency to Ronald Reagan, Carter would stand in for Gregg as the substitute teacher of the class at least 17 times.
Identity Theology: A Through Line of Violence and Antisemitism
Identity theology is a set of beliefs and practices that has been animating acts of violence and terror by white supremacists for nearly a century.
A Conversation with Jim Wallis
Wallis wants his audience to breathe deeply the true meaning and message of Jesus, hoping it will form and shape them into the humans they were designed to be. He also hopes this will keep them from falling for the noise of the false gospel around them.
Anger Kills, Studies Show
What concerns researchers are chronic feelings of anger, which never experience a resolution, preventing endothelial cells from ever recovering and supporting positive cardiac health.
New Survey Says Most Americans See Gaps in Mental and Physical Healthcare
A new survey from West Health and Gallup finds that most Americans see gaps in mental and physical health. Seventy-five percent of U.S. adults polled say mental health issues and treated worse than physical health issues.
Emerging Voices | Violence Does Not End Violence
But in calling for Columbia University to completely divest itself from Israel, another point of this hypocritical spectacle comes to bear: students are willing to forget about their Israeli peers, who may be, directly or indirectly, affected by the October 7th Hamas attacks or the ensuing military campaign.
The Church of Saul
Known more for who its members hate than for who they love, the North American church often looks and sounds a lot like Saul, the murderer turned missionary in Christian scripture. With sacred writ in one hand and stones in the other, they stand ready to defend their righteousness and seemingly to protect God’s reputation.
New Good Faith Media Podcast Explores Chaplaincy
“Soul Connection,” a three-episode podcast produced and hosted by GFM intern Rev. Delaney Metcalf, offers short interviews with experienced chaplains who share their wisdom and experience.
The Public Religion Research Institute Shares Views on Abortion From All 50 States
Based on 22,000 interviews, PRRI’s 2023 American Value Atlas finds most Americans (64%) support the legalization of abortion in most cases. On the other hand, 35% of Americans surveyed believe abortion should be illegal in most or all instances, while 9% say all abortions should be illegal.
America, A House Divided
The American divide feels more coordinated and intentional than the simple presence of honest political and theological differences. The robust debates over differing issues, with both parties seeking to move the conversation forward, are long gone.
Alabama Moves Closer to Providing Summer EBT Programs
On Tuesday, the Alabama Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee, in a display of bipartisan unity, voted unanimously to allocate $10 million in 2025 for these programs.
Emerging Voices | Election Year and a Religious Agenda
As I grew deeper in my faith, I grew a deeper love for politics. At first, this seemed counterintuitive, but my faith is something I found hope in throughout this time.
They’re Coming
Periodical cicadas, for all their weirdness, are a part of God’s good creation, filling a niche in the larger order.
Good Faith Media Contributing Correspondent Randall Balmer Receives Prestigious Martin E. Marty Award
The American Academy of Religion (AAR) has recognized Dr. Randall Balmer, a Good Faith Media (GFM) Contributing Correspondent, as the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Martin E. Marty Award for the Public Understanding of Religion.
Pro-Palestinian Activism Flows from Student’s Judaism: An Interview with Sam Law
These religious traditions are repositories of human wisdom and lessons about how to take care of each other. When these things are intertwined with our struggles for justice, I think they become stronger.
Students at Baylor, Texas A&M, and the University of Texas Join Nationwide Student Protests against Israel’s War in Gaza
Three Central Texas universities offer a microcosm for this moment in time. The University of Texas in Austin (UT), Texas A&M University (A&M) in College Station, and Baylor University in Waco are separated by 100 miles yet connected by a shared athletic past and recognition as among the nation’s elite research institutions.
Many Southern Baptists Hold to Baptist Teachings Rather Than Christian Nationalist Claims
When asked about their views regarding politics, most Southern Baptists are more aligned with Baptist teachings than the claims of Christian nationalists.
Great Replacement Theory: An Obscure Antisemitic Text Descends a New York Escalator
Like many conspiracy theories, the Great Replacement begins with anti-semitism, which has a deep history among people groups who are now considered to be “white.”
Food Insecurity Increases for Second Straight Year
According to a brief recently released by the Urban Institute, food insecurity among adults increased by almost 2% in 2023 from the previous year.
Reflections on a Warm and Inclusive Theological Community
What struck me most about IBTS was the psychological safety it fostered academically. There was a palpable sense of equality, whether you were just beginning your research journey or defending your thesis.
April 30, 2024
Obstacles Remain as Women Seek More Leadership Roles in America’s Black Church; Catholic Movement in Italy Dedicated to People ‘Far from the Church’; ‘Demolishing Democracy’: How Much Danger Does Christian Nationalism Pose? (and more)
The Raceless Gospel as a Proclamation of Somebodiness
“I’ve been called everything but a child of God.” The raceless gospel follows the longstanding Black Church tradition of affirming the personhood of bodies racialized as black and centering the self-determination of persons of African descent in America, despite dehumanizing and oppressive systems.
Transformation or Invasion? The Case of Puerto Rico
Spells are intended to bring to life whatever the sorcerer wants. In Spain, they wanted our gold, and in the U.S., they wanted our labor. In both cases, they wanted a tropical backyard.
Understanding America’s Overlooked Religious Middle
Amid the hyper-polarization plaguing our nation, we should be looking diligently for institutions that hold us together, not just in comfortable agreement but in good faith debates.
April 29, 2024
New Poll Sheds Light on Southern Baptists’ Views on Christian Nationalism; Charlotte Evangelical Pastor in National Spotlight, Called Trump Bible ‘Disgusting’; How One Evangelical Leader Uses the Bible to Expose the ‘False White Gospel’ (and more)
The Tortured Christians Department
Swift is not attacking God, and her music is not sacrilegious. She is simply holding a mirror up to the hypocrites and sanctimonious, holier-than-thou types in the hopes of inspiring some self-reflection.
Maybe Being the Light of the World Means Laughing More
There is something very tender and caring when we, in love, gently laugh at our own humanness.
Pew Survey Finds a Free Press Remains Important to Americans, but Doubts about an Independent Press Persist
According to a recent Pew Research Survey, the First Amendment’s free press guarantee remains extremely important to U.S. citizens.
April 26, 2024
Heard of Zorastrianism? The Ancient Religion Still Have Fervent Followers; Michigan Catholic Bishop Admits ‘Poor Judgment’ in Calling President Biden Stupid; 4 Queer Christians on What Their Religion Means to Them (and more)
Faith and Science 2024
BioLogos’ Faith and Science Conference was challenging and inspiring. Speakers provided bright, thought-provoking evidence that science and faith do not contradict each other. In fact, faith and science complement each other very well.