Few topics are more contentious than religion. Our culture has been so deeply immersed in religion for so long that we can’t avoid its presence and its influence, and therefore we all seem to have strong opinions — whether in defense of our own religion, criticism of religion as an institution, or even condemnation of other people’s beliefs. But the messages that we receive about religion all too often come from the loudest voices of extremists (from both supporters and... Read more

During a panel discussion at my Christian college years ago, one scholar explained that bearing children is God’s plan for womanhood, referencing 1 Timothy 2:15—”Women will be saved through childbearing.” A graduate student stood up and addressed him tearfully, “I have just learned that I can never have children. Where is there room in your gospel for me?” The panelist paused for a long time. Then he said, in a broken voice, “I don’t have a theology for that.” There... Read more

The donor rolls of the National Rifle Association and Planned Parenthood do not share many of the same names. But these organizations’ responses to the events of recent months—especially the Sandy Hook shooting and the trial of Kermit Gosnell—have demonstrated that they do share a troubling characteristic. Both reject reasonable limitations on the particular liberty for which they advocate. In so doing, they disregard the well-regulated liberties that vast majorities of our country desire. Polling statistics show that American citizens... Read more

Serving as director of the Center for the Study of Hispanic Church and Community and associate professor of Hispanic studies and pastoral leadership at Fuller Theological Seminary, Dr. Juan Martinez knows first-hand how vital it is for seminaries to come alongside Latino Christians who are oftentimes already active in ministry without having ever stepped inside a seminary. “Most Latino Protestants are Pentecostals, which means that most of the students in the Hispanic Center are already in ministry and do not... Read more

In a recent summit on human trafficking at Johns Hopkins University, kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart made some surprising remarks about why victims of rape may not try to escape their captors. Her conclusion? They, like she, may have been raised in a culture that says a woman’s worth in rooted in her sexual purity. Recounting an anecdote from a childhood teacher who compared having sex to being chewed like a piece of gum, Smart, a Mormon, tells her audience that she “felt... Read more

by Andre E. JohnsonR3 EditorIn our season of continued austerity, (despite evidence that it is not working), the House Agriculture Committee met earlier last week to discuss cutting 4.1 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps) or SNAPprogram. The highlight (or lowlight, depending on your preference) from the hearings was when the debate shifted from a policy debate to a theological one. While many tended to focus on Tennessee Republican Congressman Stephen Fincher and his misinterpretation of 2 Thessalonians 3:10,  “For even when we were... Read more

by Andre E. JohnsonR3 Editor*This is the first of a four part series. Read the other installments hereHistorian Edwin Redkey noted that the “Civil War marked a radical transformation in the in the lives of all African Americans” (336). Many African Americans believed that the war signaled not only God’s active hand at freeing enslaved people but also punishment for the institution of slavery. Moreover, many also believed that God used the Civil War as a sort of cleansing agent to rid... Read more

The medium for evaluating the suitability of a future publication is the peer-review process. This is known to the academic world for decades and all junior or senior scholars go through such a process after submitting a paper to an academic journal for consideration. However, the process is often not regulated by what we all understand peer-review to be, especially when it comes to articles that challenge long-established ideas and/or theories. Ever since I obtained my PhD three years ago,... Read more

Association of Black Sociologists Annual Conference August 8-10, 2013 at the InterContinental New York Barclay in Manhattan. Submit papers to Assata Zerai ([email protected]) for consideration.The Panel on Family and Spirituality is sponsored by the new journal Women, Gender, and Families of Color. Papers presented at the panel will be considered for publication in WGFC. We currently have a call out for a special issue of the journal. Please see below.Religion, Spirituality, and Inequality in Communities of ColorA special issue of Women,... Read more

by Rashad GroveR3 Contributor In Toure’’s extraordinary text Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness an interesting conversation arises about the culinary inclinations of people of African descent. This dialogue stems from the question in that book that asks, “Would you be comfortable eating fried chicken in front of white people?  Questlove of the Roots says, “I’ll be the first to order fish instead of chicken. If I’m on the Acela train, no. I’m not bringing no fried chicken on the train. I’ll... Read more