Word&Way News: April 28
Here’s the weekly roundup from Word&Way. In addition to a report from the Summit for Religious Freedom that is free for anyone to read, paid subscribers to A Public Witness received a look at an effort to require public schools to post the Ten Commandments in classrooms.
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Top 5 at wordandway.org
Ahead of Accrediting Body Review, SBU’s Governance Documents Still Clash. Brian Kaylor reported on the ongoing issues at Southwest Baptist University.
Are You There, World? It’s Me, God. Juliet Vedral reflected on faith lessons from the new movie Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.
The Mall, the Tiger, and Our Unendurable Isolation. Angela Denker reflected on the cultural implications of both evangelical megachurches and suburban shopping malls.
Review: Christianity and Critical Race Theory. Robert D. Cornwall reviewed Christianity and Critical Race Theory: A Faithful and Constructive Conversation by Robert Chao Romero and Jeff M. Liou.
Kansas Senator’s Message to Non-Christian Constituents: ‘I Would Be Happy to Try and Convert You.’ Rachel Mipro reported on a controversial comment by a Christian lawmaker (who denied making it despite an audio recording).
Dangerous Dogma
This week: Jeremy Duncan on Upside-Down Apocalypse
Another noteworthy podcast this week:
Gena Thomas appeared on the CBF Podcast to talk about immigration, politics, and human dignity.
by Brian Kaylor, Word&Way Editor-in-Chief
MAGA Christian musician Sean Feucht, who is on a tour to perform at state Capitols, recently spoke at a church where he embraced the term “Christian Nationalist.” As he explained, he thinks the kingdom of God should be the government, adding, “We want believers to be the ones writing the laws.”
Feucht is a troubling figure who has campaigned for politicians pushing Christian Nationalism and backs Donald Trump’s false claims about the 2020 election. But what’s more troubling is to see politicians embracing him and his message.
As I reported a few weeks ago from his Capitol stop in Missouri, a couple of lawmakers joined him on stage to endorse his effort. That trend continued in other states last weekend. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt joined Feucht’s concert at the Capitol to speak and receive a blessing from Feucht. And in Kansas, State Attorney General Kris Kobach and several state lawmakers joined Feucht at their Capitol.
With their presence and words, these governmental leaders offered their endorsement to Feucht and his Christian Nationalistic vision where one slice of conservative Christianity has more power and privileges. These politicians are rejecting the basic ideals of democracy, equality, and religious liberty for all. They are proving they cannot actually represent “we the people.”
Survey Says…
Other News of Note
Although Fox News agreed to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million for lies about the 2020 election, MinistryWatch noted that litigation continues against some Christian influencers for making similar election claims.
With the 2024 presidential race heating up, several GOP candidates spoke to the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition.
David Jackson of USA Today reported on how Ron DeSantis’s trip to Israel could appeal to Jewish and evangelical voters in the United States.
Tony Frangie-Mawad wrote for Foreign Policy about how Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is reaching out to evangelical leaders ahead of his reelection campaign next year.
“We seem to be witnessing the sorry sunset of that choral dream of peace, as the soloists of war now take over.” —Pope Francis while in Hungary, where he also urged the nation to welcome immigrants while anti-immigrant Prime Minister Viktor Orbán listened.
A group of conservative Anglican church leaders met in Rwanda to declare they no longer have confidence in the Archbishop of Canterbury because he will allow priests to bless same-sex couples.
Daniel Silliman of Christianity Today wrote about a report showing “18 Christian colleges closed since the start of COVID-19.”
With declining religious attendance, what to do with church buildings will be a growing concern. Rick Reinhard wrote for Baptist News Global about various options.
CNN reported on a Moravian church in North Carolina that is canceling medical debt for people as a form of biblical Jubilee.
Photo of the Week
Thanks for reading!
Re the pastor/person/legislator of Sean Feucht who wants the US governed by the Kingdom of God. I agree, but the problem is he wants the KOG interpreted by him, not scripture or other revelation.