“Oh, what a beautiful morning.” Those words obviously were made famous in the song by that title in the Broadway Musical Oklahoma!, which is my home state. I gladly loaned them to Texas on the morning of May 6 and…
If you think we’re out of this pandemic, take a look at the rest of the world
That “love your neighbor” thing you keep hearing as a reason to take precautions against COVID-19 and get vaccinated? It has global implications, too, according to a Christian epidemiologist at the forefront of advocacy during the global pandemic. Because coronavirus…
Book traces the complex story of women’s influence within Southern Baptist Convention
The role of women in the Southern Baptist Convention historically has been much more complex than narratives about female submission to a male-controlled denomination. “There were spaces in Southern Baptist life in which women sought and found agency, supported one…
In Busia, Kenya, a rare look at what became of a mission project 15 years later
It’s a common scenario in church mission work: A congregation goes into an area and provides a much-needed ministry, and then they leave for whatever reason and never see the results that follow. But every now and then a chain…
That’s just the way it is? Don’t you believe it
One afternoon almost 20 years ago, I was sitting in my office at Baylor University when my desk phone rang. Even in those days, I usually ignored it. It was much more likely to be a telemarketer than a student…
Greg Garrett, Baylor prof and BNG columnist, awarded Baugh grant for research on race and media
BNG columnist and Baylor University professor Greg Garrett has received a three-year, $488,000 grant from the Eula Mae and John Baugh Foundation to further his research on how film and other media shape attitudes about race and racism. “I’m so…
Baylor and Buckner remind us: We’ve not yet reckoned with our past ties to slavery
A special commission at Baylor University recently reported on its historical research about the university’s founders and their connection with slavery and the Confederacy. This follows on the heels of a discovery reported in September 2020 that R.C. Buckner, for…
Join BNG webinar with Beth Allison Barr to discuss ‘biblical womanhood’
Join Baylor University history professor Beth Allison Barr in an exclusive webinar with BNG Executive Director Mark Wingfield as they discuss Barr’s new book, The Making of Biblical Womanhood. The free webinar will be offered via Zoom on Tuesday, May…
Contrary to what you’ve heard, study finds churches thrive with racial diversity
Having a racially diverse congregation offers a path toward church growth, according to comprehensive study of The United Methodist Church. The national study found that racially diverse congregations are more likely to have better attendance and membership growth, especially if…
I knew the truth about women in the Bible, and I stayed silent
It was Paul’s women in Romans 16 who finally changed my mind. I still remember the Sunday it clicked. I was upset after the sermon. So upset that I was doing the dishes. The running water soothed my mind as…
Baylor, Baptists and slavery: A way forward
Last week Baylor University, the world’s largest historically Baptist university, released a study revealing the slaveholding and Confederacy elements of its history. The report, commissioned by the Baylor board of regents, considered the stories of Baylor’s founders and those memorialized…
25 faith-based schools named in LGBTQ discrimination case against Department of Education
Three Baptist universities are among 25 faith-based schools named in a class-action lawsuit filed March 29 against the U.S. Department of Education, with claims of unlawful discrimination against LGBTQ students. The suit, filed in U.S District Court in Eugene, Ore.,…