A federal judge’s June 21 ruling to protect former Trump administration officials from lawsuits stemming from their actions to forcibly clear Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020, illustrates the near-impossibility of any government official being held responsible for acting in…
We need to remember the scars of our trauma in a post-pandemic world
I went to a Red Sox game a couple of weeks ago for the first time in more than a year. Fenway Park recently reopened its stadium to fans but was selling tickets to partial capacity at the time. Before…
Southern Baptists are still obsessed with Critical Race Theory
The specter of Critical Race Theory loomed large over the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting June 15-16, yet no concrete actions to address it by name were taken. That delighted Southern Baptist pastors and leaders who believe months of debate…
The power of political capital to shape communities and churches
This is the sixth in a series created by a partnership between Baptist News Global and the Campbell University Center for Church and Community. Each month’s columns explore one of the seven types of capital described in the Community Capitals Framework developed by…
When being ‘pro-life’ really isn’t: How I became a Democrat who opposes abortion
The Supreme Court is now set to hear an abortion case originating from Mississippi — a case that both sides of the abortion debate point to as a threat to the continued existence of the rule of law imposed by…
With all this talk of UFOs, what’s a Christian to think?
As senior airman Derek Tarr was flying over the Adriatic Sea in 1999, he suddenly realized he was being followed by a bright light. “We started into a turn and as I look back, it’s just a bright white orb….
Q&A with a traumatologist on how to prevent clergy abuse and burnout
The unwillingness or inability to do the hard work of healing from one’s past is fueling the crisis of abusive behavior among clergy, according to a seasoned traumatologist with theological training. “As Richard Rohr has wisely noted, suffering that has…
There’s controversy again, and more people are attending the SBC annual meeting
The Southern Baptist Convention is on track to have its most attended and most consequential annual meeting in 25 years when it gathers in Nashville June 15-16. Ronnie Floyd, president of the SBC Executive Committee, announced on Twitter that pre-registration…
The saga of Southwestern Seminary and the Pattersons just got stranger, and it’s all in the SBC Book of Reports
In an exceptionally rare move, the administration of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has used its annual report to the Southern Baptist Convention to accuse its former president of theft. Although rumors and intimations of the current seminary administration’s displeasure with…