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Editor’s Note: This article first appeared in Religion News Service on July 15, 2024. Did God save the former president, but not those who died instead? (RNS) — I’m…
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White Christian Nationalism isn’t Christian at All: Part 1
White Christian Nationalism isn’t Christian at all. As we remember the events of January 6, 2021, I want to reflect on the deep story that informs white Christian nationalism and…
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Excerpt from “He Called Me Sister: A True Story of Finding Humanity on Death Row”
I hadn’t even realized that, although we had visited in various combinations at random times, we had not all four been there together for a while. He counted the minutes…
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On Mother’s Day: Faith leaders call to end gun violence
By RLC EditorEditor’s Note: This press release first appeared on Religion News Service on May 2, 2023. Over 550 faith leaders call for Mother’s Day to be declared a national day of…
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How Our Naivete Keeps Us From Doing Justice (and what to do about it)
For way too long, I went through life second-guessing people who told me about different types of mistreatment they experienced, witnessed, or heard about. I doubted that what they were…
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Excerpt from “More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew”
By John BlakeExcerpted from MORE THAN I IMAGINED © 2023 by John Blake. Published by Convergent, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. No part of this…
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Democracy is Not a Spectator Sport!
Our nation has gone through a great deal since its founding. Particularly around the issue of racism. We started as a nation built on the backs of slaves stolen from…
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Introduction to Christianity & Critical Race Theory
Content taken from Christianity and Critical Race Theory | Baker Academic by Robert Chao Romero and Jeff M. Liou, ©2023. Used by permission of Baker Academic www.bakeracademic.com. I first came…
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Why the US Senate Needs to Affirm Equal Rights for All Citizens
Editor’s Note: Previously published on RNS on April 27, 2023. It is time to abolish the myth of ‘differently equal’ once and for all. (RNS) — “As pernicious as the…
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INHERIT YOUR CALLING TO JUSTICE
By Ross MurrayI held my fortieth birthday party at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. Yes, the same Stonewall Inn where in 1969 a three-day riot—led by transgender women, drag queens,…
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Opening the Door to Women’s Ordination
Editor’s Note: Published on April 29, 2023 on WomensOrdination.org blog, The Table. Sitting behind the cantor podium in a candlelit chapel adorned with poinsettia and pine, I was first struck…
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What Does It Really Mean to Be Pro-Life?
Editor’s Note: Originally published on Stefan Weathers’ blog on April 6, 2023. With Women’s History Month ending last week and this week being Holy Week, the week leading up to…
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Why Do We Drink?
When I meet with a recovery coaching client for the first time, I ask for a brief history of their relationship with alcohol. I listen for the narratives inside a…
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Fault Lines in the Faith
By Sue FulmoreA small gap, poised to shift, turns deadly. A fault line holds the potential of an earthquake— a catastrophe waiting to happen. Life near a geological fault requires a suspension…
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Capitalizing on Panic
I saw a story in The Washington Post where a man named Kevin Thomas started making pop-up safe rooms for schools – kind of like the panic rooms that became a status symbol…
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60 Years Ago: MLK’s Letter from Birmingham Jail – A Reading
By RLC Editor60 years ago today, Dr. King wrote his letter from the Birmingham jail. It speaks to the moment we are living in right now. A few years ago @RedLetterXians faith…
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Recovering Rest, Recovering Humanity
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published on the Church Anew Blog on March 8, 2023. Republished here by permission. One summer in high school I painted barns with “Uncle Billy” Cook and…
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“TELL THE REST” an excerpt
Excerpt from Tell the Rest, by Lucy Jane Bledsoe In this excerpt from a much longer scene, Delia returns to the church and office of the pastor who’d sent her…
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“for small activism” & “for seeing color”
for small activism O You Who Plant Trees from Mustard Seeds, When my daughter becomes despairing over the state of the world —which she will— when she realizes that her…
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Struggles of Faith in the Journey of Peacemaking, Part 2
By Peggy GishPart II As we continued to work alongside many creative and courageous Iraqi human rights workers, we became more conscious about rooting out aspects of colonialist attitudes or patterns of…
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Struggles of Faith in the Journey of Peacemaking, Part 1
By Peggy GishPart I It was 5:35 in the morning, March 20, 2003—in Baghdad—when I woke to the sound of the first explosions. The dreaded war had begun. I had been in…
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Trump’s “Unholy” Week: Theology and Politics Take Center Stage
Editor’s Note: This piece first appeared on Diana Butler Bass’ blog, The Cottage on March 30, 2023 and is used here with permission. Donald Trump was indicted this afternoon. We…
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Crucifixion Complex
By Brian KaylorEditor’s Note: originally published at Word & Way, A Public Witness, by Brian Kaylor, President & Editor-in-Chief, Word & Way and is reprinted here with permission. Over the weekend, former…
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Palm Sunday Reflection
Here’s a little reflection on the subversive anti-imperial meaning of Palm Sunday. (originally posted to Facebook on March 28, 2021). https://www.facebook.com/ShaneClaiborne/videos/276427290741332
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Christ, Not Guns: A Reflection on the Nashville Shooting
It happened again. This time, 6 people were killed, three of them 9-year-old children. Gun violence has hit nearly every community in our country – from small towns like Hesston, KS to…
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Prison Profiteering and Princeton Theological Seminary
Prison profiteering is a serious justice issue occurring in the United States. Anywhere from commissary items, clothes, phone calls, and even housing has become a multi-billion-dollar industry. Incarcerated people and…
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The People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series: Herman Lindsey – The Forgotten
By RLC EditorThe People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series Death Penalty Action, in conjunction with Red Letter Christians and The Wonder Brothers, has been working for over a year to fund…
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The People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series: Ron McAndrew – The Warden
By RLC EditorThe People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series Death Penalty Action, in conjunction with Red Letter Christians and The Wonder Brothers, has been working for over a year to fund…
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The People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series: Derrick Jamison – The Innocent
By RLC EditorThe People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series Death Penalty Action, in conjunction with Red Letter Christians and The Wonder Brothers, has been working for over a year to fund…
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The People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series: SueZann Bosler – The Daughter
By RLC EditorThe People vs. The Death Penalty Film Series Death Penalty Action, in conjunction with Red Letter Christians and The Wonder Brothers, has been working for over a year to fund…
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The Malnourished
Excerpt from Lancelot Schaubert’s, Least of these Least, published 2023. Used by permission. St. Paul said if a man does not work he will not eat. Yet Jesus fed the…
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White Jesus, Black Stories
The following article is adapted from KTF Press’ new book, Faith Unleavened by Tamice Spencer-Helms. You may also listen to the podcast episode of Shake the Dust to hear Tamice…
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20-year Anniversary of the “Shock and Awe” Bombing
By RLC EditorShane Claiborne and Diana Oestreich in an impromptu and powerful revisiting of the events of the Iraqi bombing from 20 years ago. https://www.facebook.com/redletterchristians/videos/20-year-anniversary-of-the-shock-and-awe-bombing/770310827614867/
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Rest in Power: My Final Conversation with Arthur Brown, Jr. (Immediately Before His Execution)
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published by Jeff Hood at Patheos and is published here with permission. *This is my account of the final conversation I had with Arthur…
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“Let anyone who is without sin…” : On Serving as Arthur Brown Jr.’s Spiritual Advisor During his Execution
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published by Jeff Hood at Patheos and is published here with permission. I used to think that God was everywhere…but God don’t live in…
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Kairos Center Prophetic Voices In The Public Square featuring Shane Claiborne
By RLC EditorProphetic Voices in the Public Square, a collaboration between Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice and University of Pennsylvania’s Office of Social Equity & Community, focuses attention on the life and…
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What is Resistance?
Resistance always begins with curiosity, with questions. We often do not ask our questions, not because we are afraid of the answer, but because there might not be a clear…
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Love Small
“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of…
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Deconstruction, Fear, and the Sermon on the Mount
When I was thirteen, I had a green faux leather Living Bible with illustrations of a very 70s Jesus. For whatever reason, I flipped to the beginning of the New…
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Making Room for Opposing the Death Penalty on the Evangelical Agenda
By Sam HeathUntil speaking with Columbus megachurch pastor Rich Nathan, I never knew about the “gloomiest city in America” list. I live in Charlottesville, VA, which regularly makes the “happiest city in…
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How to Love God
By Jon CanasAn extract from the essay of the same name from the recently published book, Religion, Politics, and Reclaiming the Soul of Christianity: A Spiritual Imperative for Our Time and Our…
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Abide in Me: Excerpt from Lent Reflection
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. –…
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A Prayer for Those Experiencing Trauma
By Kevin Burns1Gracious and Eternal God: You are the God and Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ. Lord God, I thank You for Your grace and Your mercies; And…
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I’ve Been Praying for You
By Kevin RiggsIt all started with an article in my local newspaper. The article stated over the next 13 months Tennessee would carry out 11 executions! It had been over a decade…
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On Longing and the Asbury Revival
Editor’s Note: This piece originally appeared on The Corners by Nadia Bolz-Weber. Shared with permission. As I write this, I have a YouTube livestream open and playing in the background, listening to…
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Why students at a Kentucky Christian school are praying and singing round the clock
By RLC EditorEditor’s Note: This piece originally appeared in Religion News Service. Students have packed the chapel and overflow spaces at Asbury University for nearly a week, holding round-the-clock prayer and worship. Last Wednesday (Feb.…
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Bless Their Hearts: A Southerner’s Response to Christian Nationalism and other “Ordinary Radicals”
I have lived in the south, specifically Georgia, for my whole life. My family is from the mountains of Appalachia, the stickiness of Macon, the giant KFC robot chicken in…
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An Excerpt from “Reparations: A Plan For Churches”
Introduction Six years ago, Georgetown University acknowledged that in 1838 it sold 272 enslaved people of African descent to prop up its failing finances. The university followed that acknowledgment with…
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Being Jesus’ Instruments For Life, Justice, and Amplifying The Voices of Those In The Margins
By Curt MartinAs Christ-followers, we are to live as Paul states in Galatians 2:20a. “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in…
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Launching TODAY! Shane Claiborne’s “Rethinking Life”
Chapter 1: Life Is Good Our goal is to develop a comprehensive, all-encompassing ethic of life that compels us to be champions of life, to cherish life, and to defend…
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What Black History Means to Me as a White Woman
By Emily JonesAt a time of increasing backlash to the teaching of America’s racial history, one might ask, “What does Black history mean to America?” and, “What does Black history mean to White…
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Launching Next Week! Shane Claiborne’s “Rethinking Life”
By RLC EditorIntroduction An Invitation to Love Life I grew up in the heart of the Bible Belt, in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. I fell in love with Jesus there.…
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A Pastoral Word from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry (Episcopal Church) on the Death of Tyre Nichols
By RLC EditorEditor’s Note: Originally published on the Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs website on January 28, 2023. Shared with permission. Sense cannot be made of the murder of a young…
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White Privilege from a White Male Perspective
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published in TRENDS in Global Grassroots Organizing, December 2022 issue. These days the expression ‘white privilege’ is becoming more prevalent. Unfortunately, it is used…
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Gandhi and Coretta Scott King: A Short Tribute for Two Heroes
75 years ago today, Gandhi was assassinated. Gandhi was assassinated on Jan. 30, 1948 Coretta Scott King died on Jan. 30, 2006. Grateful for both of them today… and every…
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Tyre Nichols. Tyre Nichols. Tyre Nichols. Say His Name!
By RLC EditorSay his name… #TyreNichols His life matters. It more than matters – his life was, and is, precious. He should still be alive. RLC Editor’s Note: The post and video…
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What Is an Orphaned Believer?
By Sara BillupsGod loves the sojourner. Deuteronomy 10:18 says, “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you.” When I talk about orphaned believers,…
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John Francis O’Mara’s “Kill the Dreamer” and Dr. Martin Luther King: The Story of the Song
By RLC EditorBack in 2003, singer/songwriter/musician and activist John Francis O’Mara was inspired to write a song, “Kill the Dreamer”, that only grows in intensity and meaning every day. Like the dream…
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It’s Time for a Franciscan Renaissance
Editor’s Note: This piece was originally published in TRENDS in Global Grassroots Organizing, December 2022 issue. We live in a time of conflict and polarization — in the church in…
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Shane Claiborne, Co-Director of Red Letter Christians, Honored with the 2023 Beloved Community Social Justice Award from The King Center
By RLC EditorAnnually, The King Center leads the observance of the national holiday commemorating the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Beloved Community Awards is one of the marquee programs…
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As We Enter Black History Month, ‘Do Not De-Radicalize King’
Editor’s Note: Originally published on the RLC Blog January 31, 2018. Editor’s Note: As we move towards the month where we celebrate the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther…
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Philadelphia Activist Shane Claiborne to be honored at The King Center’s 2023 Beloved Community Awards
By RLC EditorAuthor, Activist, & Co-Founder of Red Letter Christians to be honored alongside Dolly Parton For immediate release Press Contact: Mary Grace Puszka January 9, 2023 | Philadelphia, PA – Shane Claiborne,…
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To the Christian Nationalists Who Attacked the Capitol in Jesus’ Name
Editor’s Note: This piece originally appeared in Religion News Service. In the New Testament’s Letter of Paul to the Galatians, the apostle Paul wrote, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting…
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January 6 Shows Us the Path to Religious Freedom is Not Christian Nationalism
Political pundits will fine tooth comb the January 6 committee’s highly anticipated report. As faith leaders, that is not our job. Our work is to reach into the moral conscience…
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Becoming a New Person
By Morf MorfordThe new year, in every calendar and every tradition, is usually both a time of reflection and a time of renewal. In most, if not all traditions, it is an…
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Say ‘No’ to Christian Nationalism: Condemning Christian Nationalism’s Role in the January 6th Insurrection
By RLC EditorEvangelical Leaders Statement Condemning Christian Nationalism’s Role in the January 6 Insurrection As leaders in the broad evangelical community, we recognize and condemn the role Christian Nationalism played in the violent,…
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Hundreds of Organizations Urge President, AG to Halt Federal & Military Death Penalty
By RLC EditorEditor’s Note: Please consider this call to action from one of our co-conspirators. For Immediate Release January 2, 2023 Abraham Bonowitz, Death Penalty Action [email protected] 561-371-5204 Hundreds of Organizations Urge…
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Basic Instructions for Seeing What’s True, an Excerpt from “Start With Hello”
Our ability to relate with others is largely tied to our exposure. Because of systems put into place across time immemorial, most of us live sequestered from the wisdom and…
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Greeting the Prince of Peace 10 Years After Sandy Hook
Editor’s Note: This piece originally appeared in Religion News Service. The Christmas season makes room for commemorations of violence done against the innocent. It’s now been 10 years since the shooting at Sandy…
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Racism: My Upward Climb
Editor’s Note: This article begins with a description of racialized violence that may upset some readers. I watched the video of George Floyd’s murder from the comfort of my cozy…
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Amanda Tyler Speaks to Congress on Christians Against Christian Nationalism
Editor’s note: Red Letter Christians is a supporter of the Christians Against Christian Nationalism campaign. If you haven’t already signed the statement of principles, we encourage you to do so. Amanda Tyler,…
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The Shooting in Buffalo Happened within a Context of Complicity with White Supremacy
By Jemar TisbyEditor’s note: this piece first appeared on the RLC blog on May 16, 2022. On Saturday, May 14, 2022 a young man entered a grocery store in predominantly Black neighborhood…
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An Interview with Charles Keith, Impacted Communities Liaison of Death Penalty Action
By RLC EditorCharles Keith is the brother of Kevin Keith and Impacted Communities Liaison of Death Penalty Action. This Advent, Red Letter Christians is highlighting how God shows up for us at…
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Waiting in a Right Now World
We live in a time of instant mashed potatoes and overnight shipping. No longer do I have to go with our family to Blockbuster to pick a movie, which took…
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Magnificat: The Mothers of Advent
Mary didn’t fight; Mary sang. She stood in the tradition of Deborah, wise judge and mighty warrior, singer of the oldest song in scripture. She channeled the canticles of Hannah…
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Red Letter Christians’ 2021-2022 Annual Report Now Available
We’re thrilled to share Red Letter Christian’s 2021-2022 Annual Report. The report outlines our priorities, showcases direct actions we took together, and provides transparent financial information to our growing network of…
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It’s been a week since the Club Q shooting. Let’s not move on.
Note: This piece originally appeared in Religion News Service. The LGBTQ community continues to bear a disproportionate amount of hateful gun violence in America. It has been a week since the…
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Do Not Worry: A Communal Approach
Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear?’ -Jesus (Matthew 6:31) Don’t worry about what you’ll eat. Don’t worry…
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On Thanksgiving: An Honest Home in the Uncomfortable ‘Both’
But this little plot of land, where my son swings from oak branches beside the bayou . . . where we make mashed potatoes for three instead of twenty-three .…
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Let’s Uproot the Bias that Holds Us Back
Book excerpt taken from Color-Courageous Discipleship: Follow Jesus, Dismantle Racism, and Build Beloved Community. (Waterbrook, November 2022) Permission available upon request. Like the ancient Greeks, we tend to envision ourselves…
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Cross > Sword, an Excerpt from “Everyday Activism”
By J.W. BuckA few years ago, I read a groundbreaking book called Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict. In this book, two political scientists named Erica Chenoweth and…
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A White Person’s Guide to Racial Justice and Reconciliation
As a white person, speaking into the racial justice and reconciliation space can often feel like a loaded deliverable. Questions about the validity of my voice and how it should…
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Make the vision plain on November 8. Vote to save our democracy.
How should we respond when our democracy is being torn asunder in the name of our Christian faith? Recently I answered the call of Faithful America and local clergy to…
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Gethsemane Standoff: Resisting the Temptation to Justify Violence (Even in Ukraine)
By Bob EkbladThe conflict in Ukraine has been rapidly escalating, drawing Western nations deeper into war with Russia– with increasing and grave risks of a nuclear confrontation. Followers of Jesus are inclined…
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Why the False Prophets of Christian Nationalism Don’t Speak for Me
This article was originally published by Word&Way and is shared with permission. In an important panel discussion with the Christians Against Christian Nationalism initiative and Jim Wallis last week, Episcopal Church…
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The silence of the witnesses hurt more than the shouted bigotry
(RNS) — Recently, I visited my local DMV to renew my driver’s license. As I waited in a crowded room of about 25 people, a middle-aged man with a graying…
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There Is Only Us, an Excerpt of “Loving the Hell out of Ourselves”
By Elaine HeathMy therapist suggested that I let my feelings out in a controlled environment that was safe. So instead of driving too fast or eating the entire carton of ice cream,…
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Statement regarding Parkland School Shooting Jury Recommendation
By RLC EditorI offer my prayers and love to the families, co-victims and survivors of all of those killed and injured in the Parkland school shooting. As I watched the hearing this…
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Statement regarding Parkland School Shooting Jury Recommendation
I offer my prayers and love to the families, co-victims and survivors of all of those killed and injured in the Parkland school shooting. As I watched the hearing this…
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Joining Pope Francis as We Abolish the Death Penalty
Pope Francis has designated the month of September to address the death penalty and call for its abolition worldwide. In his newest appeal, the Pope invites us to pray “that…
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Apocalypse now: how historic floods are unveiling the exploitation of Appalachia
This article was originally published by Accidental Tomatoes I was five years old the first time I heard the term strip mining. I was with my mom and a friend of…
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Now more than ever: Let’s get the Equal Rights Amendment finalized
As women of faith, we are committed to the common task of making the ERA the law of the land. (RNS) — Recent Supreme Court opinions dangerously undermine women’s equal…
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Rev. Don Heath: Oklahoma executions will continue until the people say ‘Stop’
This opinion was originally published on August 28, 2022 by The Oklahoman I was in the execution chamber with James Coddington Thursday for the last 45 minutes of his life.…
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This School Year We Should Get Curious rather than Punitive When it Comes to Kids, All Kids
By Emily JonesScripture tells the story of a 12-year-old Jesus who slipped off without the courtesy of a quick word to Mother Mary or Stepfather Joseph about where he was going or how late…
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The Kingdom Is Yours
”The Kingdom Is Yours is a song for everyone who thought God left them when he was needed the most. The opposite is the most true. God shares his hope…
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I Don’t Know Justice
I don’t know Justice! And I have not met Peace. Well, I was told that I met her. I was told that Peace has been around here, but they must…
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8 over 80: At 92, John Perkins still mobilizes Christian communities
At 8 a.m. on Tuesdays in July, as usual, John Perkins was participating in his weekly Zoom Bible study. Officially the leader and the attraction for the more than 200 who…