Recent Articles
May 8, 2023
The First Campgrounds Took the City to the Wilderness; David French: Tucker Carlson’s Dark and Malignant Influence Over the Christian Right; ‘Nationalism’ Redefines the American Right (and more)
ELCA Commences Participation in Truth and Healing Movement
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has commenced participation in the Truth and Healing Movement. First developed by Indigenous leaders, the movement builds momentum toward developing a Truth and Healing Commission on the U.S. Indian Boarding School policy.
Mental Health Crisis Growing in U.S. Colleges and Universities
There is a growing mental health crisis on college and university campuses across the U.S., according to a report from Gallup and the Lumina Foundation. Mental health and emotional distress were the leading reasons for students considering “stopping out.”
Look Back | How Does Your Church Respond to Mental Illness?
My faith teaches me that we are all equals, having been created in God’s image, and that God seeks to be in relationship with all of us. Because of this, everyone deserves to be respected and cherished as precious children of God.
May 5, 2023
White Christian Nationalist Proud Boys Convicted of January 6 Seditious Conspiracy; White Christian Nationalist Celebrates the Suppression of Women in “Classical Christian Education”; White Christian Nationalists Want More Religion in Public Life. Texas Lawmakers are Listening.; North Texas Church Expects to Receive 100 Migrants Daily after Title 42 Expires (and more)
Road to the Big House: A Case for Inclusion
I stopped by the Biltmore Estate in 2022 with several friends. Seeing the mansion, one friend made a quip about Jesus’ teaching about mansions. After considering how it confounded his earliest disciples, here is what I think Jesus was trying to teach them – and us.
How Screen Time Impacts Teens’ Mental Health
Mental health struggles are increasing across the U.S., continuing a decade-long trend. Even more disturbing is the growing number of high school students who have seriously considered attempting suicide.
Report Highlights ‘Systematic, Ongoing and Egregious Violations’ of Religious Freedom
More than a dozen nations have engaged in “systematic, ongoing and egregious violations” of religious freedom, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom’s 2023 Annual Report.
May 4, 2023
White Christian Nationalist Church in Troy, Alabama Raffling Off Flamethrowers, AR-15 Rifles; White Christian Nationalists are Fighting to Glorify Their Anglo-Saxon God in a Suburban Texas School District; Can Evangelicalism Survive its White, Straight, Conservative Victory? (and more)
Remove Logs, Save Lives: Affirming Trans Youth
Transgender youth are more likely than their straight or cisgender peers to attempt suicide, and most experience symptoms of anxiety and symptoms of depression. The Christian community must take the log out of its own eye so that lives can be saved.
Is Jesus Ambiguous on Violence?
Apologists seeking to save God from God are quick to contrast the God of the Hebrew Bible with the God of the New Testament – seen through the lens of Jesus Christ as a God of love and mercy.
Waiting: The Denouement of Eastertide
We are born with the need to tell and to hear stories. In most stories, after the final climax, there is falling action and the denouement. For the Christian faith tradition, the Eastertide seems like such a period.
May 3, 2023
In NC, a Church Network Turns Unused Church Buildings into Homes for Refugees; Peter Wehner: The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart; Southern Baptist Leader Process Fails Amid Racial Tensions (and more)
A Tract and Transactional Faith
A Campus Crusade for Christ group’s visit to Berry College in the 1970s led to the creation of a spoof tract to critique their evangelism technique. Their approach offered a very transactional faith, which diverged from Jesus’ teachings.
Addressing Mental Health Post-Pandemic
The aftershocks of the pandemic continue to challenge us in the area of mental health. However, it is unwise to place all the blame on the pandemic for the worsening mental health issues in the United States.
Why I Refuse to Save God from God
The Hebrew Bible introduces a tribal deity fighting Canaanite deities for land supremacy, instructing God’s people to do likewise. Is this God responsible for being the cause of both good and evil?
May 2, 2023
Americans Should Move to Russia to Live Under Biblical Laws, Lawmaker Says; Pro-Trump Pastors Rebuked for ‘Overt Embrace of White Christian Nationalism’; Black Baptist Church Founded in 1865 Still Vital Despite Attendance Drop; Rome, Sacred Ground for Nearly 3,000 Years, and Counting (and more)
Churches Can Help ‘Stamp Out Stigma’ Around Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Unfortunately, it remains a stigma for many Christians, who believe that “more faith” is the answer.
‘Nurturing Faith Commentary: Year A, Volume 4’ and ‘Reading John’ Now Available
Two new titles – ‘Nurturing Faith Commentary: Year A, Volume 4’ and ‘Reading John: The Bible’s Transforming Storybook’ – are now available from Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of Good Faith Media.
Slight Decline in U.S. Protestants Who Say Tithing Is a Biblical Command
Fewer U.S. Protestants say tithing as a biblical command now compared to 2017, according to a LifeWay Research report. The church they attend is the most likely organization to which they send their tithe.
May 1, 2023
Why Are Americans Shooting Strangers and Neighbors? ‘It All Goes Back to Fear.’; Baltimore Church Hosts First Social Justice Sunday Discussion; ‘People of Hope and Resurrection’: Mississippi Church Commits to Rebuild After Roaring Fork Tornado (and more)
A Tribute to the Prophetic Life of Harry Belafonte
Harry Belafonte died on April 25, 2023. He will be remembered for many things: thespian, Caribbean folk singer, motion picture actor and highly paid artist. I prefer to remember him as a prophet for our time.
A Question We Should All Be Asking
Earth Day initially emphasized conservation. Five decades later, with incontrovertible evidence of climate change and its impacts, the focus is on whether future generations will have a livable future at all.
Look Back | The Challenge in Challenging Cultural Christianity
My minister friends can relate to this scenario: Following a sermon, a listener tells the conveyor of the message just how wonderful and touching were the words they heard. The conversation lingers and then redirects.
Global Implications of the Conflict in Sudan
The conflict in Sudan over control of the government is not making headlines to the same degree as the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is confusing and troublesome because there are significant global impacts that could result.
Most U.S. Christians See Predatory Lending as Sinful
While one third of U.S. Christians say payday loans are helpful and beneficial in an emergency, many more advocate for governments to protect borrowers. These were key findings from a recent LifeWay Research study.
U.S. Adults: Religious Studies Degree Interesting, Results in Lower Earnings
Religious studies are perceived by U.S. adults to be an interesting degree to purse, but one that typically leads to lower-than-average earnings, according a recent YouGov report.
What the Nose Knows
Our sense of smell is a powerful thing, able to bring back memories and emotions. Some researchers are seeking to recreate smells from the past.
By the Way | The Luxury of Sadness
A question following a recent lecture about the significant shifts in U.S. evangelicalism caught me off-balance. What gave me pause wasn’t a lack of familiarity with the changes, but the adjective my inquirer used.
Majority of U.S. Christians Open to Building-Less Approach to Church
A majority of U.S. Christians are open to being part of a faith community that does not meet in a building, according to a Barna Group report. Even so, most also say that various ministry efforts are more meaningful in-person.