The lineup of ministers selected to pray at Donald Trump’s inauguration reaffirms the divisions within American Christianity. Conservatives view the selections of, say, Franklin Graham and Paula White, as affirming biblical and patriotic values and as support of unfettered capitalism….
The moment the Church has been working for
Objectively speaking, there has been very little in the political world that one might call good about the months leading up to the election. Now that the election is over (sort of), for Christian leaders everywhere there is at least…
Of presidents and popes: how we’re looking too high
I know a pastor who left a large, suburban church where he served for 25 years to plant a new church in one of the poorest areas of town. He joined with another non-profit and they formed a new LLC…
Clinton campaign answers query from ‘disability vote’
Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged as president to work to ensure that Americans living with disabilities have the same educational and employment opportunities as everyone else in society in response to a request by faith-based organizations for political…
Citing ‘life’ issues, black Southern Baptist pastor says he’ll vote for Clinton
The pastor who persuaded the Southern Baptist Convention to adopt a resolution this summer denouncing display of the Confederate flag says he will vote for Hillary Clinton Nov. 8, because the biggest pro-life issue at stake in this election is…
The year clichés stopped making sense
There is something wrong with 2016. That may be the most self-evident and non-controversial statement to come up in your Facebook newsfeed in quite a while. In fact, it has become an almost universally acknowledged truth. So many of us…
Wondering what it’s like in Hillary’s shoes
Dear Hillary, This election year has me completely on edge, exhausted and frustrated, but I suppose you might be feeling some of that, too. Truth be told, I spend a lot of time thinking about you, but then, so does…
Author says political endorsements by pastors a bad witness
Pastors who endorse Donald Trump for president are putting their allegiance to a political party ahead of Christian principles, a Baptist minister with a Ph.D. in political communication suggests in his latest book. Brian Kaylor, author of Vote Your Conscience:…
Pursuing reverence in a society that doesn’t recognize it
In a recent New York Times column, David Brooks offered an assessment of one of the presidential candidates, noting, “He appears to have no ability to experience reverence which is the foundation of any capacity to admire or serve anything…
The problem with not talking about politics at church
Here’s the problem with saying we must never talk about politics at church: We immediately cede to politicians the right to define what is political and what is theological. And then the church loses its voice on theology because important…
What will it take to get through this political season?
Lately I’ve heard friends talking about how their Facebook feeds seem to be turning into echo chambers — that is, all the political posts they see are posts that reflect their own opinions. This has not happened to me, thanks solely to my online and real life relationship with my cousin Kevin.
The Whore of Babylon: Pimping the Body of Christ to the highest political bidder
“God is on our side” has led to more bloodletting in the form of crusades, wars, colonialism and genocides than any other human caused catastrophe — a truth in which all faith traditions have, at one time or another, participated. All churches have played the “whore,” falling into the temptation of tailoring the liberative Good News to sell a political ideology or party as ordained by God.
Following Christ in our public and political lives
I get nervous about declarations that our current times are the “most” anything in human history. So I hesitate to say our current situation is the “most” critical time to engage contemporary issues in the church.
Why the moment of silence has suddenly become very political
It could be the beginning of the end for one of the most oft-used expressions of humanity in American politics — the moment of silence for those who have died.