Everyone in “religion” has heard of (and has an opinion of) Jonathan Merritt. Jonathan is one of America's most prolific religion and culture writers. I’ve known Jonathan for a long time and I consider him a friend. In this two-part series, we talk about his new book Learning to Speak God from Scratch, plus a few other topics. Read more…
Read MoreAmerica’s largest Protestant denomination has seen better days. Last week, an investigation of the Southern Baptist Convention by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News reported more than 700 cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by nearly 400 church leaders going back to 1998. Read More…
Shortly after Fox & Friends aired a segment about proposed legislation to incorporate Bible classes into public schools on Monday morning, President Donald Trump cheered these efforts on Twitter. Read more…
Read MoreIn a culture dominated by sharp opinions, admitting uncertainty comes at a cost. The Christian musician Lauren Daigle just learned that lesson the hard way. Read More…
Read MoreThree blocks from my Brooklyn apartment, a large brick structure stretches toward heaven. Tourists recognize it as a church—the building’s bell tower and stained-glass windows give it away—but worshippers haven’t gathered here in years. Read more…
Read MoreJonathan explains why he is experiencing so much anxiety and gives away some of his favorite things.
Read MoreA sneak peek into Jonathan's creative process, plus an exclusive giveaway of one of his favorite things.
Read MoreA sneak peek into Jonathan's writing process and an exclusive giveaway of one of his favorite items.
Read MoreAn ancient personality typing system called the Enneagram has recently developed a cult following among the religious in America.
Read MoreIt was immediately clear that change was afoot in Dallas. I’ve attended the annual gatherings of the Southern Baptist Convention dozens of times, but walking around the convention center this week, I was struck by how unfamiliar it all felt.
Read MoreIn the wee hours of Wednesday morning, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s embattled president, Paige Patterson, was relieved of his duties following more than 13 hours of deliberation by the school’s board of trustees.
Read MoreJonathan Merritt, who writes On Faith & Culture for RNS, invited Seth Haines — author of "Coming Clean: A Story of Faith" — to write this guest column on his blog.
Read MoreJonathan Merritt, who writes On Faith & Culture for RNS, invited Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove — to write this guest column on his blog.
Read MoreJonathan Merritt, who writes On Faith & Culture for RNS, invited Diana Butler Bass — to write this guest column on his blog.
Read MoreIt’s been a century and a half since the American Civil War ended, but according to Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, the slaveholder religion of that era has quietly persisted until today. But to understand this development, a history lesson is in order.
Read MoreIn just two weeks, Paige Patterson has done what none could have predicted: He’s given America’s largest Protestant denomination two black eyes.
Read MoreThe Southern Baptist Convention’s statement of faith calls on its members to “contend for the sanctity of human life from conception to natural death.” But the nation’s largest Protestant denomination must now decide whether that includes situations in which respected men have abused their power with women.
Read MoreNew York isn’t thought of as an exceptionally Christian town. But as I sat in the Marcy Armory on Easter Sunday night live-tweeting NBC’s broadcast of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” you could have fooled me.
Read MoreOver the past 20 years, the Southern Baptist Convention has weathered an onslaught of controversies, from renaming the denomination to repudiating the Confederate flag. But in the end, all it took to potentially rend the organization in two was a single quote about domestic violence from a solitary leader that most Americans have never even heard of.
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