My work on the case of Curtis Flowers over more than a decade exposed me to three kinds of Christians: Kingdom Christians, Culture Christians and Conflicted Christians. I have learned that Kingdom Christians are almost always driven to the margins by the clarity of their convictions.
Advocates seek systemic change in prison justice issues
For the past 15 years, Alan Bean has found himself involved in some of the biggest criminal justice controversies in Texas and Louisiana. In 1999, the mild-mannered Baptist minister founded Friends of Justice and assumed the role of prophet and…
A bizarre (and clarifying) election
By Alan Bean I was in the middle of a radio interview when I learned that Antonin Scalia was dead. A congressman was part of the discussion and his staffer was checking out her Twitter feed as her boss repeated…
Public policy and the heart of God
For the past 15 years, I have directed a faith-based non-profit called Friends of Justice. It all started in Tulia, Texas when a massive drug bust in the summer of 1999 inspired an article in the local paper about human…