Recent Articles
November 1, 2023
Israel-Hamas War Live Updates; Open Hatred of Jews Surges Globally, Inflamed by Gaza War; Funded by White Supremacist Christian Billionaires, the Far Right Wing of the Texas GOP is Going On all In on Hitler-Like Authoritarianism; Democrats Divisions on Israel-Hamas War Boil Over in Michigan as Detroit-Area Muslims Feel Betrayed
Confessing to a Syncretic Faith
Syncretism is the amalgamation of things— like ideas, cultures, and religious thoughts and practices. We often see this in the blending of two distinct traditions into one that bears the marks of each of them.
October 31, 2023
Exploring the Origins of Halloween: Turnip Jack-O’-Lanterns, Soul-Stealing Fairies and Other Tales; Louisiana’s ‘In God We Trust’ Law Tests Limits of Religion in Public Schools; Survey: Majority Oppose Book Bans, Back Bible Electives Classes (and more)
A Call for Caution When Removing Books and People
But a book was banned from being displayed. It was regulated, moved and pushed to where it couldn’t be as easily seen. I can’t help but think of the disturbing similarities of a time not long ago when we regulated, moved and pushed something else from being displayed anywhere but the back of buses, away from lunch counters, and to predetermined red-line parts of towns throughout this country—marginalized people.
Introductions to Violence
My introduction to violence was intimate and domestic. My father’s fist met my mother’s face at night. Maybe that’s why I never want to see it again.
Fall Fundraising Campaign: Big Projects, Little Gifts
Sometimes, it’s a big project and other times, it’s a little gift. But all the work is done to promote the common good.
By the Way: Whatever Happened to Iowa?
I can’t be sure why Mrs. Bolin (if that is her name) directed me to Styron’s Confessions. But that was an important moment. In today’s Iowa, sadly, Mrs. Bolin’s actions would likely lead to her arrest.
Was the Church Ever Diverse?
Some say that churches are all the same. But were they ever diverse?
October 27, 2023
What Does it Mean When People Say Israel and Hamas are Fighting a ‘Holy War?’; Violence Forced Them to Flee. Now Faith Sustains These Migrants on Their Journey to the US; Oak Park Church Spending Thousands to Help Migrants in Chicago (and more)
The Echoes of the American Buffalo
Ken Burns recently released a new documentary on PBS, “The American Buffalo.” The film chronicles the harmonious, complex and deadly relationship between America’s greatest indigenous animal and the humans living alongside it.
Native American Grief Work and Oklahoma’s State Constitution
The influence of Native American grief work in the writing of the Sequoyah Constitution on the Oklahoma State Constitution is precisely what is under assault by the influence of White Christian Nationalists on politics in Oklahoma.
October 26, 2023
How We Talk About the Israel-Hamas War; Documentary on Black Millennials Depicts Wide Range of Religion, Rebellion; ‘Christ’ Tattoo Discovered on 1,300-Year-Old Body in Sudan (and more)
Reimagining Satan as Trickster
Halloween is just around the corner. As I decorate my house with hideous diabolical symbols, my thoughts return to a book Albert Hernandez and myself wrote a few years back titled The Quest for the Historical Satan.
End-Times Theology Creates Apathy Toward Human Suffering
If you believe that Jesus is all-powerful, then it’s illogical to also believe that any human action could prevent the Second Coming. If something as small as the presence of the “wrong people” in the Holy Land is enough to keep Jesus from returning, then your Jesus is weak indeed.
October 25, 2023
World Leaders Seek to Suspend Israel-Hamas Fighting for Gaza Aid; Man Linked to White Supremacist Group Pleads Guilty to Drag Hosting Church Firebombing; Church Parking Near Stadiums Scores Big in a Win-Win for Faith Congregations and Sports Fans (and more)
Riding Out of West to Well-Deserved Accolades
Reluctantly, but with understanding and appreciation, Benny and Juanita are moving to Memphis to be near family. But their hearts will always be closely held by the western gateway to America’s first national park.
Embodying Inclusion
I think we need to go back to our roots, back to whom we claim to follow— Jesus.
Confidence in U.S. Media at a Record Low
Confidence in U.S. media hits a record low, according to a report released by Gallup on October 19.
That No One Would Suffer
How I wish that no one would suffer and that we would work towards healing what sharply divides us. I think we need to talk about it. “War is what happens when language fails,” Margaret Atwood said.
Fall Giving Campaign: Help Us Grow Our Audience
Interacting with Good Faith Media on social media does not cost you anything. Liking a post on X or reposting a graphic on your Instagram stories is a quick and easy way to show your support.
October 23, 2023
Israel Strikes Gaza, Syria and West Bank as War Against Hamas Threatens to Ignite Other Fronts; Church of England Joins Catholic Church, Orthodox Churches Calling for Ceasefire After Israel Kills Christian Palestinians; David French: The Worst Scandal in American Higher Education Isn’t in the Ivy League. It’s at Liberty University (and more)
Killing Capitalism
Capitalism is devouring itself. The greatest threat to entrepreneurship is the savage neoliberal global economic order which has developed.
The Lamentable but Inevitable Israeli- Hamas War
Deplore war all we may, eventually people who’ve suffered oppression without satisfactory recourse through peaceful means will embrace violent means to determine their own destiny rather than continue suffering oppression. As President John F. Kennedy said in 1962, “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
October 20, 2023
Biden Says Aid Could Enter Gaza on Friday as Israel and Egypt Give Go-Ahead; FBI Director Warns of Increase in Domestic Threat Reports Linked to Israel-Hamas War; Religion Professor: Babe Ruth, Patron Saint of the Home Run, Turned the Ball Field into a Church – and Lived His Own Catholic Faith in the Spotlight; Camels Lived in Texas Before Migrating to Asia and the Middle East (and more)
My Brother’s Keeper
As I think about the events unfolding in the Middle East over the last week, I am reminded of this biblical story—along with a slew of others chronicling conflict between brothers.
A Spiritual Perspective on Political Conflict: Unveiling the Intersectionality of Hate
As we peer into the Middle East, we see a microcosm of this global struggle. Yet, the crisis is not confined to this region alone. It resonates through the corridors of power and echoes in the hearts of people across the United States.
October 19, 2023
Synod on Synodality ‘Cannot Remove Pages from the Bible,’ Anti-LGBTQ Synod Archbishop Says; NC Pastor’s Son Accidentally Shoots 2-Year-Old Brother in Head Outside NC Church, Pastor Says; ‘Come and Take Them:’ America’s Number One Source of Stolen Firearms in 2022 was Parked Vehicles, Many with Gun Stickers (and more)
Messianic Trump Syndrome: The “Shared Psychosis” of Trumpianity
Millions, dismissing Jesus’ inclusive, compassionate and peaceful life and teachings, hang on their extremist political messiah’s every word. So widespread is Trump’s messianic following that some mesmerized adherents of Trumpianity have been known to praise their savior’s divinity on billboards and in books.
Like a Rolling Stone: The Church and Rock ‘N’ Roll United by a Hard Truth
What does the church have in common with Rolling Stone? A recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner reveals a truth that hits hard for the church, too: White men rule the roost, and the people in charge like it that way.
October 18, 2024
Hostages Languish in Gaza and Israel Rethinks Prisoner Swaps; ‘War Knows No Religion’: Gaza’s Oldest Church Shelters Muslims, Christians; Black Success, White Backlash; In Alabama, Where Abortions are Banned and Maternal Mortality Rate High, Maternity Units are Closing and Women Have to Travel Further for Care (and more)