Baptist News Global

Westboro Baptist Church claims military funeral protests are protected by the First Amendment

TOPEKA, Kan. (ABP) — A fundamentalist Baptist church known for picketing funerals of fallen soldiers argued in a U.S. Supreme Court brief filed July 7 that its actions are protected by the Constitution. Margie Phelps — attorney of record for…

Comprehensive immigration reform boasts broad array of Baptist backers

WASHINGTON (ABP) — As the immigration debate is re-stoked by legislation before Congress and the controversial anti-illegal-immigrant law Arizona recently passed, an unusually broad array of Baptist leaders and groups is backing comprehensive immigration reform. President Obama delivers a July…

Baptists (Cooperative and uncooperative) face the future, Part II

(Editor’s note: This is the second of two commentaries adapted from a presentation that the author gave at a recent retreat for executives from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and its partner agencies. The first is available here.) By Bill Leonard…

A very brief primer on Christian nationalism

By Bruce Gourley Christian nationalism is a hot topic, as a read of recent Associated Baptist Press articles and attendant commentary reveals. To wit, some Christians today insist that America was founded as a Christian nation, and that the concept…

Mormon influence, imagery run deep through ‘Twilight’

LOS ANGELES (RNS) — Ever since Bram Stoker’s Dracula began haunting the imagination in 1897, popular culture has identified Christian symbols — crucifixes, holy water, Communion wafers — as weapons to ward off a blood-thirsty vampire. Kristen Stewart (Bella) and…

Mormon imagery seen in ‘Twilight’

Invitation strikes sour note for Christian music festival

OSHKOSH, Wis. (ABP) — A five-day Christian music festival that kicked off July 7 in Wisconsin is being criticized for inviting progressive evangelical activist Jim Wallis to speak. At least one sponsor has pulled out of Lifest — an annual…

Jim Wallis invitation stirs controversy for Christian music festival

OSHKOSH, Wis. (ABP) — The organizers of a five-day Christian music festival that kicks off July 7 in Wisconsin are being criticized by some conservatives for inviting progressive evangelical activist Jim Wallis to speak. Jim Wallis At least one sponsor…

Baptists (Cooperative and uncooperative) face the future, Part I

(Editor’s note: This is the first of two commentaries adapted from a presentation that the author gave at a recent retreat for executives from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and its partner agencies. The second will be published tomorrow, July 7.)…

Grateful to God for America?

By David Gushee The July 4th weekend found me immersed in Christian political theology as I prepare to teach a course on this theme in Australia in a few weeks. Independence Day itself found me in one of my favorite…

ASK THE ARCHITECT: We’re ready to build! How do we go about it?

So you’re ready to build? Ah, now the fun begins! You have already recognized the need to build, formed the building committee and even selected a few subcommittees. And you have appointed that all-important prayer committee to undergird your journey. It…

Supreme Court slides into partisanship

Before the fireworks, be careful what you drink

The contemptible case of Clarence Thomas

The permanent paradoxes of Christian thinking about war