Religion Dispatches

Neo-Nazis Call on ‘White Christians’ to Oppose Satanic Temple Rally

Joseph P. Laycock

The convergence of conservative Christian and White Supremacist groups suggests this is really a struggle over who is a “real” American and who is not.

Satanic Temple Organizing a Rally for Religious Liberty

Joseph P. Laycock

The trouble started in 2015 when Arkansas state Sen. Jason Rapert sponsored a bill to erect a Ten Commandments monument at the capitol.

In a Time of Irrational Fear and New Media: The Deadly ‘Dance Plague’ at 500

Ed Simon

The deadly "dance plague" of 1518 took place in a rapidly changing world where suddenly old verities were in question and a new media brought all manner of unconfirmed, superstitious ideas. Sound familiar?

Trump Administration Is Not-So-Subtly Christianizing Foreign Policy and Aid

Murali Balaji

Under previous administrations, the U.S. government—particularly foreign aid and arms—did not directly intervene to promote the narrative of global Christian victimhood.

At Jeffress’ First Baptist Church of Dallas, Trump Support Is Part of a 150-Year Tradition

Daniel Silliman

Before Jeffress was W.A. Criswell, Billy Graham's segregationist preacher, George Truett, the anti-Catholic namesake of the Chick-fil-A founder, and so on.

Trump’s Abortion Gag Rule Is State Violence

Sikivu Hutchinson

Being for reproductive justice is non-negotiable for a feminism based on economic justice. 

The Story Behind the Catholic Church’s Stunning Contraception Reversal

Patricia Miller

Behind the official explanation for the continued ban on birth control was the need to maintain the link between sex and procreation, which was essential to the maintenance of the traditional, subordinate role of women, a key concern of the Catholic Church.

How a Catholic-Majority SCOTUS Fulfilled an Evangelical Dream

Katie Kelaidis

This is not a majority Catholic court. It's the Supreme Court that the strange alliance of the religious right built.

The ‘White Lie’ Connecting Trump’s Pardon of Arsonists, Immigration Fiasco, and Charlottesville

Jonathan Russell

In its melodramatic posturing, the Bundy occupation was almost like a ceremonial re-enactment of the heart of white possessiveness.

The Southern Baptists Dumped a Predator or Two, but Let’s Hold Off on the F-word

Anne Linstatter

The #metoo and #churchtoo movements have put SBC leaders on the defensive, as earlier revelations of widespread child sexual abuse by priests did to the all-male Roman Catholic hierarchy. Yet both groups continue to deny that there could be any connection between all-male power and the sexual abuse of women and children.