Join Us for Online Panel & Class on Church-State Separation
The chair of the Republican Party of Texas declared recently, “There is no separation between church and state.” He’s not alone in deriding the constitutional principle of church-state separation. For instance:
Speaker Mike Johnson argued that “the separation of church and state is a misnomer,” adding that it should be a one-way wall (which is an actual misnomer).
Justice Neil Gorsuch dismissed the concept as the “so-called separation” of church and state.
Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado complained about “this separation of church and state junk” that came from “a stinking letter.”
One-fifth of Americans agree with those politicians that the government should not enforce church-state separation. But such arguments are based on bad history, poor legal reasoning, and troubling theology. That’s why we’re teaming up with Lancaster Theological Seminary and Moravian Theological Seminary (both in Pennsylvania) to educate and advocate for a healthy separation of church and state. Our two online offerings in partnership with those schools start soon, with a webinar tomorrow and a four-week course beginning next week. We hope you’ll join us and register for both today!
Faculty & Guest Zoom Panel, March 11
On Tuesday, March 11 at 7 p.m. (ET), we will join three other scholars for a free webinar to talk about church-state separation, Christian Nationalism, and the need to protect democracy and our gospel witness. Also on the panel will be Dr. Sarah Bogue (a Presbyterian minister and history of Christianity professor at Chandler School of Theology), Dr. Greg Carey (a New Testament professor at Lancaster Theological Seminary), and Dr. Riddick Weber (a Moravian minister and pastoral ministry professor at Moravian Seminary).
During the 90-minute conversation, we’ll discuss some historical developments regarding church-state separation and Christian Nationalism, as well as current concerns and how Christians can advocate for a healthy separation that protects democracy and our Christian witness. We’ll also take questions from participants. Sign up today for this free Zoom webinar.
Online Course, March 17-April 11
In partnership with Lancaster and Moravian, the two of us will teach a four-week course going deeper into issues of church-state separation and Christian Nationalism. The course will include four one-hour online sessions at 7 p.m. (ET) on Mondays March 17, March 24, March 31, and April 7 (but the sessions will be recorded for asynchronous engagement). We’ll even be joined by special guests for two of those sessions.
The course costs just $50 and is worth one Continuing Education Unit credit. You can get a better sense of what we’ll be covering in the course syllabus. We’ll look at historical developments regarding church-state separation, constitutional and legal issues, contemporary threats from Christian Nationalism, and what we can do today to help protect church-state separation. Register today for this online course.
Politicians and preachers pushing Christian Nationalism want to dismantle the wall separating church and state. But we know such separation is what helps protect us from Christian Nationalism. So join us in learning how we got to where we are and what we can do to create a healthier separation between church and state.
Sign up for the free Zoom webinar on March 11.
Register for the online course, March 17-April 11.
As a public witness,
Brian Kaylor & Beau Underwood