I was going through a box of my things while I was home a few months ago, and it was a reminder of how my obsession with baseball goes back to my childhood. Through the years, I have collected countless…
White evangelicals: An American cult
White evangelical support for Donald Trump — especially its intensity and near-unconditional nature — is rooted in a complex fusion of religious identity, political strategy, cultural anxiety and existential fear. This alliance has evolved into something disturbingly cult-like, forming a…
Here are all the words Trump wants banned — in one article
American democracy faces its greatest peril since 1861. President Donald Trump and his Project 2025-infused zealots are ripping through two centuries of progress in human rights, civil rights, sexual rights and democratic rights. Historically, race always has been the elephant…
Hegseth shuts down Women, Peace and Security program
It’s hard to surprise me these days. Still, even I was stunned to learn the U.S. Department of Defense is shutting down the “Women, Peace and Security” program — a bipartisan initiative signed into law in 2017, by President Trump….
Tryin’ to get the feelin’ again
I am not embarrassed to admit that Carol and I recently joined thousands of other Fanilows at Radio City Music Hall. The line moved slowly. If there had been an AARP discount, 90% of us could have used it. I…
Why Mohler is wrong about the ERLC
While it greatly pains me to contradict Southern Baptist Theological President Al Mohler, an evangelical and Southern Baptist leader I have held in highest esteem for most of my adult life, I feel compelled to offer a respectful rebuttal to…
Integrity matters
On the morning of April 21, Pope Francis died. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the Vatican camerlengo — the chamberlain or acting head of the Vatican in the interim period between the death or resignation of one pope and the inauguration of…
Dear men who support women in ministry …
Many years ago, a senior pastor said to me: “We don’t have a Sunday to celebrate women in ministry at our church because we already support women in ministry. It’s a nonissue for us.” At the time, I accepted his…
‘Privilege, not a right’ is language of abusive control
If you know anything at all about how abusers talk, you’ll recognize the danger in one of the Trump administration’s favorite explanations for its tyranny: “It’s a privilege, not a right.” Here’s what the White House Press Office said about…
As the white smoke dissipates, Leo XIV isn’t exactly Francis 2.0
Catholics and non-Catholics alike are riding high on emotions over two words: Habemus papam. (We have a pope.) However, once the honeymoon is over and reality sets in, enthusiasm for Pope Leo XIV likely will subside as some supporters of…
JD Vance should listen to Pope Leo
Vice President JD Vance is in a curious position now that Pope Leo XIV has assumed office, since Vance is both a Catholic in good standing and a figure who regularly clashes with Catholic leadership. On Jan. 29, the newly…
A letter to Pope Leo XIV from a Baptist brother in Christ
Like much of the world, I was glued to my television this afternoon as you were introduced as Saint Peter’s successor. While I am a lifelong Baptist, my own personal faith always has been marked by a decidedly Catholic tinge,…