Charlie Kirk was what historians call a “controversialist.” Prior to his tragic death, Kirk flourished by picking a side in the culture war and telling his people exactly what they wanted to hear. Many in the MAGA movement credit Kirk…
Maybe Christian filmmaking is on the verge of a mainstream middle
This summer brought a curious announcement in the history of Christian filmmaking: 21 years after his hit biblical epic The Passion of the Christ became one of the most important touchstones in religious filmmaking history, Mel Gibson’s long-rumored sequel finally…
In an ironic turn, Baylor University mirrors Southern Seminary
What went around for Southern Baptist Theological Seminary three decades ago has come back around for Baylor University this fall. Woe be unto Baylor. In 1995, Southern Seminary’s newish president, Al Mohler — who publicly questioned the role of social…
The gospel of MAGA in their own words about Charlie Kirk
Last April — long before Charlie Kirk’s untimely and horrific assassination Sept. 10 — I wrote an article about his rise from college dropout to Trump influencer. Since Kirk’s murder, I’ve watched with fascination the battle over his legacy. The…
On the indictment of James Comey
Donald Trump always has been brutally honest about his intentions to get even with his enemies. In a speech to business leaders, Trump said: “You know in all fairness to Wharton, I love ’em, but they teach you some stuff…
The kingdom of God is not about gold
I had not heard of “MAGA pastor” and Trump supporter Shane Vaughn until reading Rick Pidcock’s BNG opinion piece, “This Is Not an Idol. This Is A Sculpture.” Referring to the “12-foot-tall golden Trump statue holding out a Bitcoin” which…
Evangelical worship is the sugar that helps the poison of power go down
In today’s world of white supremacist politics, white evangelical worship is the sugar that helps the poison of power go down. And perhaps no event has put this more clearly on display than the Charlie Kirk memorial service. When many…
‘This is not an idol. This is a sculpture’
In just four years, we’ve gone from Trump supporters erecting a gallows in front of the U.S. Capitol building to a 12-foot-tall golden Trump statue holding out a Bitcoin. The official story is that this golden Trump statue was built…
The making of a martyr
The gunshot that killed Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University Sept. 10 changed everything. The conservative activist’s assassination tornadoed through America’s Christian nationalist movement, which reeled at the loss of one of its greatest warriors in a battle for the soul…
Here’s the real context for understanding Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk supporters have spent the better part of a week lambasting writers like me for allegedly quoting him “out of context,” so I’m giddy at the prospect of discussing context. The No. 1 criticism received at BNG over the…
New BNG podcast tells the stories of Kanakuk abuse survivors
A child is sexually assaulted every 9 minutes in the United States, according to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network. Over the past two decades, there have been more than 60,000 documented cases of child sexual abuse. Three out…
Online ads touch hearts, but do you know where your gift goes?
As life has moved online, so has fundraising for ministries. But often, online ads don’t give donors the full story on where their money goes. If you plan to donate online during the busy year-end giving period, be aware of…