In the study of insurgency and the disaster it leaves in its wake, few countries in recent years have suffered as much as Nigeria and Burkina Faso, two multiethnic and religiously diverse societies located in West Africa. Both countries have…
Talking about politics
“No one is talking about politics.” I saw this assessment of the communities responding to the utter devastation of Hurricane Helene and noted the takeaway was people could put aside differences in crisis. Being able to work together despite differences…
Christians and Muslims overrepresented in world’s migrants
Christians make up close to half the world’s 280 million migrants, followed by significant numbers of Muslims, agnostics and atheists, according to a new study by the Pew Research Center. Released in August, “The Religious Composition of the World’s Migrants”…
How MLK’s questions became my questions too
When Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his “Letter from Birmingham Jail” in April 1963, I was a sophomore Bible major at a church-related college in the South, studying to become a preacher. None of my professors suggested that I read…
The GOAT in religion
Americans love greatness. We love great wealth, great success, great possessions, great entertainers, great CEOs, great athletes. I’m old enough to remember when Muhammad Ali declared, “I am the greatest.” And in the world of boxing, he likely was. We…
Framing the conflict: How religion is a factor of Hamas war
After the International Criminal Court recently issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar for their crimes against humanity, it is becoming clearer that the war between Israel and Hamas since the Oct. 7 attacks has reached…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Kaitlyn Schiess
One of the most significant questions in this election year revolves around how American Christians reconcile their faith and their politics, and sadly, we often do it badly, trying to shape our faith and the Scriptures to support the political…
What is ‘religion’? From football to faith to faithfulness
In my home state, folks make regular pilgrimages to a revered shrine where they engage in rituals, sing songs, pray, engage in charismatic hand lifting, and often speak in mysterious tongues indiscernible to outsiders. Sometimes adherents express the ecstasy of…
Not all Black Americans are highly religious, BJC podcast explains
The assumption that Black Americans are highly religious, and almost universally Christian, overlooks the theological and ideological complexity of the African American community, Anthony Pinn said on the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty’s “Respecting Religion” podcast. But a clearer…