The Academy Awards are not the final word in film, but like any institution they reflect the power dynamics of American society, including those in the church. That’s why the Academy denying Greta Gerwig a nomination for best director for…
Why Gina Stewart’s sermon matters to Baptists
On Jan. 22-25, the National Baptist Joint Board Session convened in Memphis, Tenn. The Joint Session is a meeting of the four predominantly African American Baptist conventions in the United States — National Baptist Convention USA, National Baptist Convention of…
Why are conservatives so afraid of Taylor Swift?
The Kansas City Chiefs have booked their fourth trip to the Super Bowl in five years behind the leadership of head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes, two of the best individuals ever at their respective roles. With 269…
SBC agency vows to ‘advocate for the complete end of abortion’ in America
When conservatives gained control of the Southern Baptist Convention and its agencies and seminaries in the late 20th century, a top priority was to convert the Christian Life Commission into an anti-abortion advocacy group. That came true with the first…
Here’s what I’m learning about the ‘nones’
I interact with the “nones” nearly every week, and I’m constantly surprised at how religious they are. In recent years, American religious leaders have been obsessed with classifying, describing, understanding, discussing and evangelizing the “nones,” those people who when asked…
From Scrooge McDuck to Zacchaeus to 21st century wealth inequality
It’s hard to believe a full month has passed since Christmas. Technically, there is more daylight in January than in December. The sun is slowly but surely rising sooner and setting later. Yet, the world feels darker now that Christmas…
What grief, denial and fear have to do with the evangelical fascination with Trump
“Whether Trump means it or not is kind of irrelevant because he’s saying the things to people who are hurting,” filmmaker Michael Moore told a gathering of voters in his 2016 documentary TrumpLand. “It’s why every beaten down, nameless, forgotten working stiff who…
SBC’s ‘conservative resurgence’ has brought two decades of baptism declines
The year conservatives consolidated control of the Southern Baptist Convention is the last year a key marker of denominational growth showed an overall upward trend, according to new annual data released by Lifeway Christian Resources. Even a slight rebound in…
Historian shows how America became Israel’s best friend and biggest defender
Ever since Hamas terrorists killed 1,200 Israelis more than 100 days ago, Israel has relied on America, its best friend and biggest defender. If you want to understand how that came to be the case, check out On the Road…