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
On September 2, my next book comes out, with Orbis press. Job in Exile: A Guide for Spiritual Refugees (Orbis Books) is a treatment of the majestic, complicated, wonderful Book of Job. I have been fascinated with Job since my high school days. It struck me then as wildly, dangerously out of step with the rest of
The Book of Job as Breakthrough Text for Post-Evangelicals and Other Spiritual Refugees
Note: On Friday, May 22, I enjoyed the distinct honor of being awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity at Franklin College in Indiana. I also gave this baccalaureate address. It foreshadows themes that will appear in my future book with Bloomsbury on Christian humanism. I. GREETINGS President Prather, distinguished faculty, proud families and friends, and
Toward a New Religious Humanism
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
André Trocmé, Le Chambon, and the refusal to surrender moral judgment There are basically three kinds of people who know what happened in the small French village of Le Chambon during World War II. The first group is Jewish survivors of the Holocaust, and their descendants, who remember with gratitude and awe the fact that
“I Was Simply Trying to Be a Good Christian”
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