A recent lay ministry licensing ceremony capped a multi-year ordeal for Joel Dugan, a 63-year-old transgender man who overcame the rejection of a Baptist association to live into his calling to serve his church and the LGBTQ community. The feeling…
Buffalo massacre is more evidence of white Christian nationalism, sociologists say
The May 14 grocery store massacre in Buffalo, N.Y., was a demonstration of how white Christian nationalist ideology energizes all kinds of violence, two sociologists said during a webinar hosted by the group Christians Against Christian Nationalism. Samuel Perry and…
Professor writes book to explain his journey from inerrantist to historicist
Like many Christians, Bill Thomason was raised to view the Bible as the inerrant word of God derived from pristine, original manuscripts penned by the individuals actually credited with authoring them. “I grew up in a fundamentalist Baptist church believing…
Accountability to God increases sense of well-being, study finds
Prayer, meditation and corporate worship aren’t the only religious factors that contribute significantly to emotional and mental well-being, a study by Baylor University and other researchers has found. The team of social scientists announced that believers who cultivate accountability to…
Progressives need to stop letting Christian nationalists set the agenda, author asserts
Adopting some of the tactics of the Religious Right may be instrumental in opposing the movement’s assault on democracy and faith freedom, said Katherine Stewart, an investigative journalist and author who tracks Christian nationalism in the U.S. and globally. “They…
There’s a path for Ukrainian refugees to the U.S. but the process remains too slow
Refugee and immigration activists are praising the White House for creating an expedited channel for 100,000 Ukrainian war refugees to enter the U.S., but they insist the assistance must go further and move faster. “It’s important for our political leaders…
In Charlottesville, an effort to reuse bronze from Lee statue for new public art
A plan to melt down and ultimately reuse the bronze from the Robert E. Lee statue that white supremacists violently rallied to save in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 is an inherently spiritual undertaking that should appeal to many people of…
Three transgender ministers tell their stories and offer counsel to churches
Being transgender and Christian doesn’t have to create distress, trans minister Donnie Anderson said during a webinar held to familiarize churches with that segment of the LGBTQ community. “I hope young people today, and other people as well, will never…
In North Carolina and Texas, Baptist ministers are running for school board seats
Two Baptist ministers have waded into the hyper-combative arena of public education by seeking school board seats in an era of unprecedented hostility, in some places bordering on violence, aimed at district leaders and educators. Both men — Jonathan Grant…