Brittney Griner is a professional basketball player. Her story reads like the all-American girl she is, but now she is in a Russian prison, and her critics are saying she is “unpatriotic,” “un-American,” and not worthy of our mercy and…
Study finds congregational leaders report LGBTQ conversations are worth the pain
Engaging in transparent discussion about LGBTQ inclusion is a painful process for congregations but almost always worth it in the end, according to one of the most extensive surveys of congregational practices yet undertaken. A research team from Baylor University’s…
There’s something odd about this Mary, did you know?
When one of the foremost progressive Protestant preachers of the day cites your academic paper — at length — in a sermon at one of the most-watched annual gatherings of the year, you should be prepared for a sudden influx…
Baylor’s Drew recounts journey from basketball scandal to national championship
When Scott Drew became head coach of Baylor University’s men’s basketball team in 2003, he took on arguably the worst job in all of college sports. Almost two decades later, he looks back on the Bears’ road to recovery and…
At Baylor University, the debate about LGBTQ students also is shaped by a network of churches embracing conversion therapy
While Baylor University has been in the news for its on-campus treatment of LGBTQ students, there’s another side to the story happening off campus that involves the controversial practice of conversion therapy. Sexual orientation change efforts, or conversion therapy, are…
Accountability to God increases sense of well-being, study finds
Prayer, meditation and corporate worship aren’t the only religious factors that contribute significantly to emotional and mental well-being, a study by Baylor University and other researchers has found. The team of social scientists announced that believers who cultivate accountability to…
Mercer University dedicates new $50 million Medical School campus
Trustees and administrators of Mercer University dedicated a new $50 million Medical School campus on the banks of the Chattahoochee River in Columbus, Ga., April 22. Mercer is the only university with historic ties to the Southern Baptist Convention that…
$3 million gift to Baylor will integrate faith and learning in Honors College
Baylor University has received a $3 million gift that will help undergraduate honors students study about the intersection of faith and learning in higher education. The gift from Jim and Sharon Harrod of Horseshoe Bay, Texas, will establish an endowed…
White liberation: Toward a theology of recognition and repentance
Over the past month, I’ve had the great gift and responsibility of traveling the country talking to primarily white Christians about racism in the church and in America. At Trinity Church, Wall Street, America’s wealthiest congregation, I shared some of…
A new scholarship for students who advocate care and justice for LGBTQ persons garnered the most support on Baylor Giving Day
While Baylor University regents and administrators continue to walk a tightrope over LGBTQ inclusion, rank-and-file donors made their voices heard on the university’s annual Baylor Giving Day March 16. The event’s leaderboard shows the new Paul Eddie Dwyer Endowed Scholarship…
Baugh Foundation grants $2.7 million to Perkins Baptist House of Studies
Amid the continually shifting sands of American theological education, a Baptist House of Studies at a Methodist seminary has received a $2.7 million grant from a Baptist-oriented foundation. The John and Eula Mae Baugh Foundation awarded the three-year grant to…
Focusing on the kingdom of God instead of empire can free white people from being so defensive, Meeks says at Baylor seminar on race and the white church
Whites must go beyond acknowledging their part in racism to recognizing how they have been traumatized by it, a noted racial healing advocate said during a three-day symposium on race at Baylor University’s Truett Seminary. “Part of the wound is…