When Baptist News Global Executive Director Mark Wingfield asked me five years ago if he could publish my piece comparing King George in Hamilton to Calvinism’s God, I had no idea the opportunities his invitation would bring me. One of my favorite…
All the people the recently proposed Obscenity Act does not protect
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah has proposed the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act. The bill would change the legal definition of obscenity across all 50 states, redefining the term with more vague language than before. It aims to do this by…
Kanakuk survivors speak on nondisclosure agreements at House hearing
Last Wednesday, Kanakuk survivors and other activists spoke at the Missouri House of Representatives in front of a Judiciary Committee hearing on one of multiple bills currently being considered related to child sexual abuse. The bill under discussion is part…
BNG’s top analysis pieces in 2024 looked at megachurch pastors and Project 2025
The most-read Baptist News Global analysis pieces in 2024 were dominated by instances of clergy sexual abuse and the misogyny and hyper-masculinity being preached from megachurch pulpits. Embattled personalities like Mark Driscoll and Matt Chandler were among the leaders whose…
Paris Hilton’s ‘Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act’ passes with bipartisan vote
A week before Christmas, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act in a bipartisan — and nearly unanimous — vote of 373-33. Earlier in the week, the Senate passed the bill unanimously, and President Joe…
‘The Gift of Christmas’ and other over-the-top celebrations of Jesus’ birth
A few weeks ago, I woke up to a text message saying it had snowed overnight, despite there having been no measurable snowfall in North Carolina since 2022 nor any forecasts of snow for that morning. Intrigued, I looked out…
A divinity student’s post-election playlist: Hymn-singing through times of tension
Amid all the feelings this past political week has drawn out, several of my friends and colleagues lack words. Or have too many words to make sense of. Or fear their words have been ignored or will be silenced as…
Why we should care about the food we waste
The food we waste may fall out of our memory pretty quickly, but it doesn’t disappear. The French fries you couldn’t finish at lunch, the leftover casserole from the church potluck, the moldy loaf of bread you forgot about, the…
What your faith community needs to know for Suicide Awareness Month
This article discusses suicide and suicidal ideation. If you are in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You know someone, even if you don’t know it. You work with someone. Go to school with someone….
Divinity school diaries: Reflections from year 1
This past week, I watched as my social media pages were flooded with “first day of school” photos. My friends’ school-aged children stood by their front doors, or perhaps a nice tree in their yard, smiling and adorned with new…
What does freedom mean to you? Black Baptist women and the fight to vote
What does freedom mean to you? On July 26, former president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump told Christians at The Believers’ Summit, an event hosted by Christian nationalist advocacy group Turning Point USA: “Get out and vote. Just this…
What are they wearing in District One? The Met Gala, Gaza and another real-life connection to the Hunger Games
On May 6, celebrities waltzed into the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the year’s biggest night of fashion, extravagance and outrageous displays of wealth: The Met Gala. One ticket to the Met Gala costs around $75,000, which the BBC points…