We are in the midst of an American civil war. This time, wool uniforms have been replaced by whistles, backpacks and face masks worn by ICE agents, and drafts have been replaced by calls from community organizers and federal recruitment…
The TheoBros are getting the war they want in Minnesota
John Piper’s Minnesota minions are apparently rejoicing in answered prayers tonight as yet another one of their neighbors has been shot dead by ICE. Two weeks ago, Andy Naselli, pastor of Christ the King Church in Stillwater, Minn., and professor of…
A second civil war
The Civil War began in April 1861 when Fort Sumter (in the harbor of Charleston, S.C.) was attacked by local rebels. Even with all the rhetoric for years, the United States was caught off guard. What became the Confederate States…
In 19th-Century America, Two ‘Christian Nations’ Took Up Arms
In his second inaugural address, delivered as the Civil War neared its end, Abraham Lincoln turned not to politics but to theology.
Contrasting two second inaugurals
Permit me to begin with a confession. After writing several op-eds for Baptist News Global regarding the presidential contest of 2024, it became clear to me America’s collective decision was to return America’s First Felon to the White House. That…
We’ve been here before
Over the weekend, I finished reading Jerome E. Copulsky’s new book, American Heretics: Religious Adversaries of Liberal Order, just in time to watch the second inauguration of Donald J. Trump into the office of the presidency. As Copulsky demonstrates time…
Look underneath Lady Liberty’s skirt
Did you know there are broken shackles representing the end of slavery partially hidden underneath the skirt of the Statue of Liberty (Lady Liberty)? Wow! It is amazing the extent to which we have been and continue to be willing…
‘Broken Churches, Broken Nation?’ A crisis of our times
“The very worst omen of the times is the fact that the religious (people) of the country stand apart to so great an extent in this hour of trial. Most of the Churches have split on the very rock upon…
White Christian nationalism is an ‘unholy alliance’ between fundamentalism and politics, Tisby tells BNG crowd
An event that occurred outside Atlanta more than a century ago presaged the violent, racist God-and-country resurgence of white Christian nationalism that pervades America today, historian and author Jemar Tisby said during the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s General Assembly in Atlanta…
Humor and hope mark the dark journey taken by a creative and brave photojournalist
Have you ever been death tripping? Journalist Jeff Sharlet recently took an unusual trip through the rural roads of Wisconsin. His trip became much more than a run-of-the-mill ride through the countryside. Instead, his trip was more like a pilgrim’s journey…
Learning from the political worship songs of our American past
The American Civil War was “a war with a musical soundtrack,” according to Christian McWhirter. And that soundtrack continues to echo through the American church today, illustrating the different life experiences of Black and white Christians in particular, once again…
How does the period before the Civil War resemble our current social climate?
Taking lessons from history can be challenging. History is not static. It is not one thing, and historians are constantly revising and changing their interpretations and frameworks for thinking about the past. It may not be helpful to compare the…