Recent Articles
What Food Reveals About Shame Culture and Insufferable High Horses
At the end of a workday, I turn to cooking and food podcasts to find connection with others and to renew my spirit. Chef David Chang and the variety of opinions about food offer insight into the shame culture found in many faith communities.
U.S. Majority Says Religion Important, Minority Attend Services Regularly
Most U.S. adults say that religion is important in their lives, according to a YouGov / The Economist report. Prayer is a more common expression of faith than religious service attendance.
January 30, 2023
Church Provides Winter Light in Norweigan Arctic Mining Town Where Sun Never Rises; Tyre Nichols Case Revives Calls for Changes in Police Culture; Waco-Area Methodist Churches Seeing Denomination’s Split (and more)
GFM Managing Editor Zach Dawes Headed to the Classroom
Zach Dawes Jr., the managing editor for news and opinion at Good Faith Media (GFM), will leave later this year to pursue a long-held interest in teaching. He is praised for his work ethic and commitment to responsible journalism.
Lincoln Lessons: Real Church, Real Theology
This week, I sat down with David Wood, former pastor of the United Church of Lincoln. His 38-year tenure at the congregation was memorable and meaningful, some of which I had the privilege to hear about during our conversation.
How Prescription Drug Development Is Funded
Americans spent over $335 billion on prescription drugs in 2018 compared to $30 billion in 1980. What accounts for the $305 billion increase in costs in less than 40 years?
January 27, 2023
First Baptist Jacksonville Requires Members to Sign Homophobic ‘Statement on Biblical Sexuality’; New Book Suggest Florida Cult Inspired Waco’s David Koresh; ‘Utopia is a Place that Accommodate Every Body’ (and more)
People of Good Faith: Randall Balmer
Randall Balmer is the John Phillips Professor in Religion at Dartmouth College, an Episcopal priest, and the author of more than a dozen books, with commentaries appearing in newspapers across the country. He is a contributing correspondent at Good Faith Media.
Why the Inflation Reduction Act Is Unlikely to Reduce Prescription Drug Prices
The median list price for new drugs approved in 2022 by the FDA was $222,003, up from $180,000 in 2021. The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 is unlikely to impact this trend anytime soon, so what can be done?
Entering the Second Half of Life
Richard Rohr’s book ‘Falling Upward’ speaks about there being two halves to life. For me, this transition hasn’t been so much about the calendar but about a change in mindset and an openness to the Divine.
January 26, 2023
Pope Opens Up on Sex Abuse Cases, Says Church Must Do More; South Carolina Committee Advances Limits to Classroom Teaching on Race; How Southern California Helped Birth White Christian Nationalism (and more)
Can I Get a Witness?
A trip to a movie theater to watch whatever was playing next led me and a friend to view the film “Devotion.” One scene was powerful and impactful, leading me to reflect on the importance of having people in our lives who support and encourage us.
When We Lose Our Moral Compasses, We Lose Our Way
Community schools and houses of faith are two key locations where we learn how to live in community with others. Teachers and faith leaders serve as moral compasses, but tragically these professions are seeing an exodus.
How We Can Help ‘Spare’ Children
Prince Harry’s autobiography is making international headlines and it quickly reached the top of the best sellers’ list. Despite my lack of curiosity about the British monarchy, the book’s title caught my attention and raises an important issue.
January 25, 2023
How Today’s Parents Say Their Approach to Parenting Does – or Doesn’t – Match Their Own; ‘Moment of Silence’ Bill in Nebraska Legislature Spurs Debate on Prayer in Schools; Baptisms Turn Deadly with South African Floods (and more)
Politicizing Creation Care Damages Both Nature and Witness
Protecting natural resources was an integral part of my youthful experiences with the great outdoors. There was nothing remotely political about our orientation; saving souls and saving the planet didn’t seem at odds.
Good Faith Advocates’ Monthly Calls Begin February 2
The first Good Faith Advocates meeting will be Thursday, February 2, featuring MSNBC political analyst and author Matthew Dowd. The first advocates’ monthly meeting is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Many White Christians in U.S. See Immigrants as a Threat
White Christians in the U.S. are the most likely faith group to see immigrants as a threat to the nation’s customs and values, according to a new report. They’re also the most likely group to affirm the replacement theory.
January 24, 2023
Demonic Politics: The Rise of Spirit Warriors on the Christian Right; Another Church Shutters in NC. What Others Must Do to Survive.; On Migrants and Immigration: What Are We Afraid Of? (and more)
‘Becoming Human’ Offers Breath of Fresh Air on Race, Racism
‘Becoming Human: The Holy Spirit and the Rhetoric of Race,’ the latest book by Luke Powery of Duke Divinity School, offers breath of fresh air for churches and religious institutions that no longer want to treat race as a taboo topic.
Why Churches Need More Afternoon Services
As a child, I hated getting up early to go and sit in a humid sanctuary packed with members so there was only room for the Holy Ghost to move. As I grow older, my perspective changes. Here is why.
A Brief History of the U.S. Debt Ceiling
The U.S. has reached the limit for the amount of money it is authorized to borrow, with the Treasury Department taking extraordinary measures to avoid the nation defaulting on its debt. Here is a brief history of the debt limit.
January 23, 2023
Faith Leaders and Organizers Unite on Reproductive Freedom for Roe’s 50th Anniversary; How the Catholic Church Helped Shape the Anti-Abortion Movement in America; Whitehead and Perry: White Christian Nationalism Isn’t Pro-Life. It’s Pro-Order; Science Won’t Ever Make Philosophy or Religion Obsolete; (and more)
Lincoln Lessons: Creating Art, Telling Stories
Reed Prescott is an award-winning artist, living and working next to the General Store in Lincoln, Vermont. I visit to his workshop this week, visiting with him about his life and work.
People of Good Faith: Demetrius Sadler
Demetrius Sadler is Good Faith Media’s Ernest C. Hynds Jr. intern for the spring 2023 semester. He is a recent graduate of the University of Rochester, holding a degree in digital media studies and audio engineering.
Few U.S. Adults Encounter Chaplains Outside Hospitals, Most Report Positive Interactions
A minority of U.S. adults report having an interaction with a chaplain. A strong majority of those who do describe the encounter in positive terms. These are two findings from a recent Gallup report.
January 20, 2023
Evangelical Leaders are ‘Disloyal,’ Trump says. His Real Worry is Broader.; Evangelical Christians Represented Significant Faction of Capital Rioters in Brazil; US Professor Sues University Over Prophet Muhammad Image Row (and more)
“Protect the Children” and the Sanctity of Drag Queens
Proposed legislation would make it illegal for drag events to occur in public spaces, stating that they are “adult, sexually explicit content” unsuitable for minors to view – no exceptions. This is problematic, and it isn’t about “protecting the children.”
Demetrius Sadler Serving as GFM’s Spring 2023 Intern
Demetrius Sadler is Good Faith Media’s Ernest C. Hynds Jr. intern for the spring 2023 semester. A recent graduate of the University of Rochester, he holds a degree in digital media studies and audio engineering.
Wisdom Wherever You Find It: Say Something
My mother-in-law had a wide smile, a set of very expressive eyebrows and no patience for whining. Her response to empty complaints was frequently voiced, and it remains sound wisdom today.