I mentioned in an earlier post that I am reading deeply in literature that attempts to help us understand how the US arrived at the dire political condition in which we now find ourselves — and that I will use this page to report on what I am discovering. Today I want to tell you […]
Understanding the MAGA New Right: A Review of Laura K. Field, “Furious Minds”
Three traditions that taught me why democracy is still worth defending As Americans arrive at another Independence Day, it is worth asking a question that many people once assumed did not need to be asked: Is democracy worth defending? The question feels urgent. Around the world, and right here at home, democratic institutions are under
A Christian Case for Democracy
How one controversy taught me what religion can—and cannot—do in American public life. Note: As we approach July 4, and the 250th anniversary of our nation’s official birthday, I will be posting reflections that I have developed during my career related to faith, public life, patriotism, and so on. The following was a speech offered
Faith in Public: Seven Truths I Learned During the Torture Debate
I have a growing stack of books that all, in one way or another, aim to answer the question, “How in the world did we get to the point where Donald Trump became president twice and has dominated our politics for ELEVEN ENDLESS YEARS?!” Each of these “how did we get here” books pinpoints different forces, figures,
The Long Road to Trump: John Ganz’s When the Clock Broke
Note: This is the formal text of my address to the wonderful Festival of Homiletics conference in May 2025, which gathered over 1400 primarily mainline Protestant church leaders from around the world. I am re-releasing for my many new readers since then. INTRODUCTION: PROBLEMATIZING THE QUESTION The theme of this conference, as you know, is
Proclaiming the Moral Teaching of Jesus
I want to offer a few propositions for where our country is politically after this week’s round of primary voting, mainly in the South. President Donald Trump continues to destroy the careers of those Republican politicians who demonstrate independent judgment. The latest victims are Rep. Thomas Massie (Kentucky) and Sen Bill Cassidy (Louisiana). These exercises of
After Primary Day, Where Are We?
I want to consider some cautiously good news today. The good news is that certain cultural, political, international, and legal guardrails are holding against Donald Trump and his government right now. Democratic resilience is appearing from three directions at once: institutional resistance, civic mobilization, and international democratic solidarity. This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new
The Guardrails Preserving Our Democracy
Boston marked my 4th national Post-Evangelical Collective (PEC) conference. In order, they have been Denver (2023), Raleigh (2024), Nashville (2025), and now Boston (2026). The Dallas 2027 meeting has already been announced. Here are some things that I noticed about this exciting, joyful conference. SPONSORS LIST GROWING The list of sponsors is growing, and it
A Report from the Post-Evangelical Collective National Meeting in Boston
There is much handwringing about the “state of the church” these days. I want to suggest that handwringing is a bit exaggerated. I know the statistics. There are certainly many US churches that are struggling and some that are closing. But I can tell you something from personal experience on many a Sunday of guest
Post-Evangelical Churches Are Succeeding
The recent, entirely predictable, online attack by Donald Trump on Pope Leo XIV has made an argument over values into a personal dispute. But the issue between the two men is not a personal dispute. It is instead a powerful illustration of the value of a moral tradition when brought to bear on transgressions against
Pope Leo, Donald Trump, and Moral Plumblines