In her groundbreaking new book ‘Black Fire,’ theologian Estrelda Y. Alexander shines a light on the African American roots of Pentecostalism. Here, she speaks to UrbanFaith about the miracles and scandals of Black Pentecostal faith. Dr. Estrelda Y. Alexander grew up in the Pentecostal movement, but didn’t know much about the black roots of that movement until she was a seminary student. In her groundbreaking new book,Black Fire: 100 Years of African American Pentecostalism, the Regent University visiting professor traces... Read more

On August 28, 1963, King delivered his most famous address, the “Dream” speech. Back in Birmingham a little over two weeks later, King’s dream turned into a nightmare. On the morning of September 15, 1963, a group of nearly thirty black children sat in a basement of the 16th Street Baptist Church, awaiting the closing prayers of a sermon entitled “The Love That Forgives.” Upstairs, adult black congregants gathered for the upcoming service. They had seen a lot in their... Read more

I met Karen Martin, a few days before New Year’s, at a cafe in Greenville, the hub of conservative politics in South Carolina. A 54-year-old refugee from the North Shore of Massachusetts, Martin is the lead organizer of the nearby Spartanburg Tea Party. Another Tea Party leader described her to me as a grown-up, and in fact, Martin turned out to be the kind of activist — ideology notwithstanding — who makes you feel hopeful about the new age of political... Read more

Just days after Rick Santorum surged to a virtual tie for first in the Iowa caucuses, conservative activists at an invitation-only summit along the South Carolina coast were buzzing about the former Pennsylvania senator’s sudden and promising breakthrough. Deal Hudson, who directed Catholic outreach for George W. Bush’s White House before starting the conservative group Catholic Advocate, was among the movers and shakers at the annual Awakening gathering on Kiawah Island. He was especially pleased to hear such praise for... Read more

by Zach Hunt American Jesus My apologies for the long post, but I thought this video, which is quickly going viral, is in need of some thoughtful reflection. If you have Christian friends and you’ve been on Facebook in the past 48 hours, then chances are you’ve already seen it. As of “press time” the video was already closing in on 1 million views on Facebook after having only been posted on Tuesday. No question about it that’s impressive. Aesthetically... Read more

by Andre E. JohnsonEditor: Rhetoric Race and ReligionI want to start by saying that I have no problem at all with Tim Tebow and I can understand some of the fascination with him. As he illustrates in the commercial, “They Said,” many have doubted Tebow and he currently uses those words as fuel to drive him to succeed. This story resonates with me because many have told me at different points throughout my life that I could not “do” and for a... Read more

by Obery HendricksHuffington Post When it comes to others’ choice of religions, I’m pretty much a live-and-let-live guy. In fact, I don’t believe in religious litmus tests of any kind. Frankly, I think they are self-righteous and insulting. Yet I must admit that there is something about Mitt Romney’s religion that I find deeply troubling, particularly in light of the possibility that he could become the next president of this nation. What concerns me is this: the Book of Mormon,... Read more

Jay Michaelson is the author of God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality. The message encompassed in the 212-page exploratory multidimensional treatise is distinctively precise: Faith exists, regardless of gender or same-sex status and God thinks it’s … quite okay to be gay, actually.Windy City Times: As the author of God vs. Gay? The Religious Case for Equality, you articulate the case for religion, faith, sexuality and acceptance throughout historic biblical reference points and into the present mind frame... Read more

by Matt SuttonReligion in American History As Tim Tebow’s popularity continues to rise, Barack Obama should be starting to sweat.Americans love the Denver Broncos quarterback. The big virgin does two things extremely well—he wins football games and he praises Jesus. What could be more American than that?And yet there is far more to the Tebow phenomenon than football. His success is occurring at precisely the moment that Americans seem most disillusioned with politics, Congressional leaders, the president, and the direction... Read more

Of all the issues that could be significant in the 2012 presidential election, the future of church-state separation hasn’t gotten much attention. It should however, because in the Republican primaries so far, it’s striking how vigorously nearly all of the candidates—and not just those favored by the Tea Party—have questioned the constitutional basis of the separation of church and state. From Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry to Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney, the leading candidates have endorsed a Tea Party... Read more