Some of you may remember Jeffrey Sharlet’s The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power. Most people learned about “The Family” (or The Fellowship) from the 2019 Netflix series based on the book. I reviewed the Netflix...
religion and politics
The Times (London) on Trump’s former court evangelicals and the 2024 election
I was happy to help The Times with this piece. Click here for larger context. Here is a taste of David Charter’s article: John Fea, a historian at Messiah College who studies evangelical culture and politics, said: “This is a...
Trump says evangelicals who have yet to back his 2024 candidacy are disloyal
Some of Trump’s most prominent court evangelicals have yet to back his 2024 presidential candidacy. Trump is not happy about it: More here. Is the contractual relationship over? Trump delivered for conservative evangelicals. They got the Supreme Court. Roe v....
Evangelical roundup: Damar Hamlin and Speaker of the House edition
Here is what evangelical Christians are saying about Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin and the drama that took place today in the House of Representatives: On Hamlin: This is becoming a popular position on the MAGA-loving Christian Right: Lance Wallnau:...
Jay Green on Christian political discourse and the liberal tradition
I hope you get a chance to read historian Jay Green’s piece today at Current. Green writes: “I don’t think there has been a time in my life when the need to secure and reenergize the liberal tradition has been...
Is National Conservatism Christian?
Over at The Bulwark, historian Joshua Tait writes, “Christianity’s emphasis on forgiveness, suffering, the meek and poor runs totally counter to the tendencies of the New Right and National Conservatism. Here is a taste of his piece: Within National Conservative...
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis believes he is God’s anointed one
Donald Trump said this week that he will probably run for president in 2024. Many are saying that Ron DeSantis will also run for president in 2024. This could put some evangelicals in a real dilemma. Will they vote for...
Should America be a Christian nation?
45% of Americans say the United States should be a Christian nation, according to a new study from Pew Research. An even higher number–60%–believe that the founding fathers “originally intended” for the United States to be a Christian nation. And...
Michael Wear, a former Obama faith adviser, launches the Center for Christianity and Public Life
Here is Jon Ward of Yahoo news: At 34 years old, Michael Wear has already been a faith adviser to an American president, written two books and developed a reputation as a thoughtful and connected leader in American politics and...
“Postcards from Babylon”
During the pandemic I participated in this movie. It is now available, at least for the moment, for free. It is worth your time:...
Dinesh D’Souza, a Christian apologist, calls Bill Barr an overweight, immobile, “Fatso.”
Dinesh D’Souza is the former president of a Christian College and the author of What is So Great About Christianity. He is also a financial huckster who needed a Trump pardon. His version of “Christian” politics was on full display...
Episode 38: “The Johnson Amendment”
How to endorse a political candidate without endorsing a political candidate. Episode 38: “The Johnson Amendment” dropped last night. Subscribers to Current at the Longshore level and above have access to new episodes of this narrative history podcast. Here is a teaser: If you...
A.R. Bernard: What were you thinking inviting Chuck Schumer to your church on Easter Sunday?
In case you missed it, Chuck Schumer recently spoke–on Easter Sunday–at A.R. Bernard’s Christian Cultural Center, a megachurch in Brooklyn. Some of you may remember A.R. Bernard. He was one of the original Trump court evangelicals, but quickly left the...
Republicans on the judiciary committee are still very upset at how Amy Coney Barrett’s faith was handled during her confirmation hearings.
Earlier today I wrote about Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson’s faith and her previous connection to an evangelical church and Christian school. In that piece I noted that Texas senator Ted Cruz had used his written questions to Jackson...
The Author’s Corner with Steven K. Green
Steven K. Green is Fred H. Paulus Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Religion, Law and Democracy at Willamette University. This interview is based on his new book, Separating Church and State: A History (Cornell University Press,...
The Author’s Corner with Gene Zubovich
Gene Zubovich is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Buffalo. This interview is based on his new book, Before the Religious Right: Liberal Protestants, Human Rights, and the Polarization of the United States (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2022). JF:...
Joe Biden: Please stop using the Bible in political speeches
After a busy first week of classes I am finally getting around to this story. In the past I have been very critical of politicians who use the Bible to advance political ends. In the last administration I was particularly...
Is religion good for the republic?
The founders believed that religion was important to a strong republic. Republics required virtue–the willingness to occasionally sacrifice self-interest for the public good. If religion could make people more virtuous, the founders promoted it. I am convinced that if there...
The New Republic postpones religion and politics forum. Replaces Eric Metaxas with Peter Wehner
Last month I did a few posts on how The New Republic magazine was providing a platform for evangelical Trumper and conspiracy theorist Eric Metaxas. On April 5, 2021, I wrote about The New Republic‘s decision to publish a “debate”...
Kamala Harris meets with faith leaders, including Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals
Kim was one of the few faith leaders who was actually in the room. Harris said that she wanted to discuss COVID-19 vaccines, immigration, voting rights, and hate crimes. Watch: The staff removed the cameras after Harris’s opening remarks....