For the approximately two-thirds of Americans who identify as Christian, this is Holy Week, a solemn time of participation in worship services that encourage reflection and repentance ahead of the resurrection celebrated on the holiest day on the Christian calendar, Easter…
The Christian case for democracy
For most of my life, American Christians were cheerleaders for democracy. That’s when we were in charge of the democracy. Today, oddly, many conservative Christians no longer believe in or support democracy. They seem to favor a kind of theocracy…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Ty Seidule
The Lost Cause myth is the original Big Lie, building on cultural, historical and religious elements of culture to try to create (or recreate) a world where white men reign supreme and some version of America is Great Again. One…
Politics, faith and mission: A conversation with Jemar Tisby
Jemar Tisby is one of America’s most important prophetic voices, a historian who teaches us how the American church has failed on issues of race and justice, who helps people who look like me wrestle with the truth. His books,…
White Christian nationalism in a tailored suit
“I don’t believe there are any coincidences in a manner like this. I believe that Scripture, the Bible, is very clear that God is the one that raises up those in authority. He raised up each of you, all of…
To understand white Christian nationalism, look to Doctrine of Discovery, Jones says
The historic fusing of Christianity and white supremacy is a moral and spiritual cancer eating at the body and soul of the American church, Robert P. Jones says in his latest book, The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy and the…
American Idolatry: How Christian nationalism betrays the gospel and threatens the church
This week, I’m sharing a conversation with my friend Andrew Whitehead, who helps us understand the MAGA movement, the insurrection on January 6, and their disturbing religious underpinnings. His important new book, American Idolatry: How Christian Nationalism Betrays the Gospel…
The call is coming from inside the house: White Christian churches as incubators of anti-democratic sentiment
In 1979, “When a Stranger Calls” became a surprise box-office success. The plot, which drew on a common folk legend, wasn’t original, but the harrowing first 23 minutes of the film created a cult following and the film is still…
Banning books, bathrooms and medical care in the name of Jesus is a sin
Recently, when I went to my local grocery store outside Houston, I was greeted by rainbow-colored cups and recyclable grocery bags emblazoned with the message “Y’all Means All” on the front of a Texas-shaped rainbow. “Woohoo!” I exclaimed when I…