Weekly Roundup: May 8
Here’s the weekly roundup from A Public Witness. In addition to a look at the impact of this newsletter as it turns five that is free for anyone to read, paid subscribers to A Public Witness received an analysis of a problematic religious “insult” repeatedly used by Pete Hegseth.
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Top 5 at wordandway.org
Review: Early Christian Theology. Robert D. Cornwall reviewed Early Christian Theology: A History by J. Warren Smith.
Did the Founders Create a Christian Nation? No, but Religion Did Shape Their Thinking. Peter Smith talked to historians to offer a more accurate understanding of the United States’ founding.
‘Which Side Are You Going to Be on?’ Kansas Faith Leaders Urge Churches to Protect Immigrants. Grace Hills reported on clergy in the Sunflower State who are organizing to push back against anti-immigrant actions by the federal government.
Evangelical Groups Warn Trump’s Deportations Could Leave 1.3M ‘Torn Apart’ From Families. Jack Jenkins wrote about a new report from World Relief and the National Association of Evangelicals.
After the Los Angeles Wildfires, Clergy Crossed Denominational Lines and Forged New Bonds. Deepa Bharath reported on how houses of worship are rebuilding and working together after devastating wildfires in California.
by Brian Kaylor, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief
A new Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released this week included several interesting findings on how Americans are responding to various religious-political moments. Here are a couple of highlights:
87% disapproved of President Donald Trump posting an AI image depicting himself as Jesus, with only 9% approving. Overwhelming majorities of all faith groups reacted negatively to this.
69% disapproved of Pete Hegseth’s violent prayer at the March Pentagon worship service (which was first reported by A Public Witness) that included a request for “overwhelming violence” and “no mercy” in the war against Iran. Only 27% approved, and even a majority of White evangelicals reacted negatively to the prayer.
66% approved of Pope Leo XIV urging U.S. leaders to reject war and work toward peace, with only 30% disapproving.
It’s great that these items were polled so we can have a better sense of how people are responding. While it was clear that the AI-Jesus image was widely unpopular, I wasn’t sure how Hegseth’s violent religious rhetoric was playing among evangelicals. So it’s encouraging to see most people are rejecting his heretical Crusader theology, though we still have work to do to challenge it and help more people reject it.
The co-opting of sacred language and Bible verses (not to mention movie lines) is discouraging and upsetting. But the good news is it’s a minority opinion, even among Christians. Let us keep challenging those who push heretical theology. But may we also be encouraged that more people already agree with us.
Survey Says…
Other News of Note
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he’s investigating public school districts to see if they’re complying with a state law mandating the display of a highly edited version of the Ten Commandments. Paxton has previously faced investigations himself for committing adultery, bearing false witness, and alleged theft.
Harmeet Kaur of CNN wrote about Pete Hegseth’s use of the word “Pharisees” to attack journalists, with comments from Amy-Jill Levine, Craig Morrison, Sam Perry, and Brian Kaylor.
Laura Pylvänäinen wrote for Religion Unplugged about how the religious Iran war rhetoric by Pete Hegseth and others is dividing Christians in Alabama.
Kimberly Winston wrote for ARC about the longshot California gubernatorial campaign of New Apostolic Reformation preacher Ché Ahn, who claims God called him to run (but then Ahn didn’t make the ballot so he’s waging a write-in campaign).
In a conversation with journalist Jason DeRose and Rev. Gabriel Salguero, NPR looked at how Christians are responding to the Trump administration’s actions against immigrants and the co-opting of Scripture to justify it.
Adrienne Matei of The Guardian reported on the Christian Nationalism inside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“The Christian religion is, by a Wesleyan understanding, inclusive of all nations and concerned with the well-being of all people. … Christian Nationalism is an exclusive ideology that hijacks words and confuses their meaning.” —Rev. Joey Shelton, former professor and dean of chapel at United Methodist-related Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, during a United Methodist Church Council of Bishops meeting.
A bill advancing in Louisiana would criminalize homelessness. Some Christians are speaking out against it.
Faith leaders in Ohio and Tennessee this week waged public advocacy efforts to prevent state executions.
Robert Downen of Texas Monthly wrote a deep-dive look at the religious and political influence of Paul Pressler (who helped spearhead the rightward shift of the Southern Baptist Convention) and his alleged sexual abuse of multiple teenage boys and young men.
Photo of the Week
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