(EXCERPT) Mark David Hall’s new book, “Who’s Afraid of Christian Nationalism: Why Christian Nationalism is Not an Existential Threat to America or the Church,” shows that Christian nationalism does not, as its critics claim, pose “an existential threat to American democracy and the Christian church in the United States.” As well, it critiques the handful of Americans who advocate for Christian nationalism.
Read MoreWhile a majority of American evangelicals may be united by fundamental spiritual beliefs, they are by no means in agreement on a variety of hot-button subjects, according to a new study. Eight months before the 2024 presidential election that will feature a rematch between President Biden and Donald Trump, the report brings into sharper focus what evangelicals think about a host of issues that could impact the election.
Read MoreAIPAC lobbyists are headed to Capitol Hill this week to increase pressure on Congress to pass a bipartisan Israel aid bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson has so far resisted bringing a $95 billion foreign aid bill to a floor vote. That bill, approved by the Senate last month, would support Ukraine in its efforts to repel Russia’s invasion, and send $14.1 billion to Israel, which is fighting against Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah on its northern border.
Read More(OPINION) Are you a Christian nationalist if you love Jesus and love your country? Are you a Christian nationalist if you are simply a patriotic Christian? Are you a Christian nationalist if you believe that America was founded on Christian principles and that, the more we adhere to those principles the more our nation will be blessed? And were the Founding Fathers Christian nationalists?
Read More(ANALYSIS) Assuming it’s game on for an inevitable rerun of Trump vs. Biden, with a predicted narrow victory margin, what religious dynamics will be playing out?
Read More(ANALYSIS) Religion is likely to play a big role in voters’ choices in the 2024 presidential election — much as it did in previous years. Despite an overall shift away from participation in organized religion in the U.S. populace, religious rhetoric in the political arena has intensified.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I swear I don’t try to write about abortion so much, but I always end up there. I just think it’s this issue that is like no other when it comes to social issues. What really spurred this post, was a previous one that I put together called, “Liberals Have Won the Cultural War.”
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the religion takeaways from this week’s Election Day and the GOP presidential debate. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreVoters across the country cast ballots on Tuesday to elect a governor in Kentucky, decide legislative control in Virginia and determine whether the Ohio state constitution should be changed to enshrine the right to have an abortion. Republicans and Democrats are using the results to give them an inkling of trends that could affect next year’s races, including the 2024 presidential election.
Read More(ANALYSIS) There is no doubt in my mind that politics is one of the main culprits for the emptying out of American religion. That was my starting point for this piece. What follows is a peek inside how I think through a problem like that.
Read More(OPINION) Since the media and the internet are crazy over lists (is this David Letterman’s doing?), how about a well-reported article — not about our American era’s top 10 religious celebrities but which ones exercise the most influence, seen or unseen?
Read More(OPINION) One reason the media often fail to “get” American evangelical Protestantism is that it’s a complex mashup of elements, not simply an alliance of conventional church bodies. This overlapping empire is important, and over the decades it rallied prominently at trade shows for retailers and broadcasters and the annual National Prayer Breakfast.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Despite efforts to convince the American public that the religious left is a potent force in American politics — the data just does not support that assertion. In fact, it shows that Democrats are significantly less religious by any objective measure of the term compared to their Republican counterparts.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops assembled in Baltimore to elect a new president. Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Military Services, tasked with overseeing Catholic ministries to members of the U.S. armed forces, was elected to lead the USCCB. What does it mean for the Catholic Church in the United States?
Read More(ANALYSIS) Turnout will likely play an outsize role in the 2022 midterms, too, as voters determine what political party will have control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in January 2023. If the data is any guide, there are two key communities political analysts often overlook: atheists and agnostics.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Polls show that voters care more about inflation, but Democrats are hoping that talking up abortion will get out their base. Abortion, however, isn’t just a political issue. As President Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic, promises to make abortion a federal right should Democrats keep a majority, tension among him and prominent U.S. bishops has heated up again.
Read MoreA majority of Catholic voters in six key battleground states say they plan to vote for Republican candidates in the upcoming midterm elections, a new poll reveals. A majority of voters in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada listed the economy, jobs, inflation and rising interest rates as their top concern.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Whether it’s on issues like abortion or same-sex marriage, transgenderism and school curriculums, faith voters will play their part. If the recent past is any guide, Catholics will play an outsized role in the outcomes depending on the state, especially in the so-called swing states.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A Republican politician with presidential aspirations visits a Christian college. What happens next, in terms of the way the event is covered by the mainstream press, is predictable — during this era of niche news, with stories written to appeal to the beliefs of specific political flocks. The politician in question is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the school is Hillsdale College in Michigan.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in offers five takeaways from Kansas voters’ surprising decision not to remove the right to abortion from the state’s Constitution. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines from the world of faith.
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