by Miles S Mullin, IIR3 Contributor After the St. Louis County (MO) Grand Jury in Ferguson declined to indict Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown, chaos ensued. Certainly, chaos ensued in the streets of Ferguson as protests turned into riots throughout the city. At the same time, chaos of a different sort emerged among evangelicals. In the aggregate, evangelicals (and here I really mean white evangelicals) were uncertain how to respond to the developments in Ferguson. On... Read more

In this lecture and discussion, R3 contributor Daniel White Hodge, explored the current generation of youth culture in the U.S. (individuals born after 1990), providing a socio-historical account of the philosophical, theological, and cultural constructs within this generation. Dr. Hodge also shared his latest research, which has taken place over the last five years, in which he has interviewed over 145 youth from this generation, and analyzed and coded over 500 films, musical artists, and contemporary commercials to grasp the complex meanings... Read more

As black evangelical leaders, we believe it is important to respond to The Gospel Coalition’s publishing of Pastor Voddie Baucham’s Thoughts on Ferguson, a perspective we deem to be extremely anti-black. First, we condemn The Gospel Coalition’s editorial leadership for its moral and pastoral failure in publishing such an anti-black viewpoint. No Christian organization should ever participate in dishonoring the image of God in black people, especially at a time when so many black Americans are in pain. Second, we... Read more

Just as churches, seminaries and congregational consultants began to wrap their heads around the concept of the “nones” in religious life, another category of Americans abandoning the church emerged—the “dones.” The first group denotes the growing number of Americans with no religion affiliation. “Nones,” who may represent as much as 38 percent of the population, are known for generally having had no or very little in the way of religious upbringing. But sociologists, church historians and congregational coaches realized another... Read more

Let me be clear: I believe that Ferguson is about race. I know that many people disagree with that statement, that Officer Darren Wilson’s actions were not ostensibly motivated by race, and so could not have been racist. But racism goes beyond an individual’s prejudice against people of a different color. It is a historical reality that goes back to the inception of this country, and exists not only in people’s minds but in the halls of our most powerful... Read more

The heart of the black community in America was broken last night. The offense was not just a Missouri grand jury’s decision with which many disagreed, but the way in which the decision was handled. The multiple points of trust being broken down over and over and over again. The supposedly secret grand jury testimony being leaked in order to bias the public toward Officer Darren Wilson and against Michael Brown. The release of a sensitive ruling late at night... Read more

Why are authorities responding to the protesters in Ferguson with tanks and tear gas, as if they are a threat to the American way of life? Well, perhaps because they are. I believe that the protests in Ferguson show the way forward for progressive religious activism—a true challenge to a broken system. The civil rights movement of the 1960s drank deeply from religious wells. This energy was vital to the movement against racism because it was a claim to truth... Read more

The worst part of the racist backlash to Obama’s presidency isn’t seen in comments such as these, made on Fox News’ web site recently. The breakdown of any race- or gender-driven barrier intensifies bigotry, so a certain amount of vestigial racism was to be expected with the election of an African-American to the highest office in the land. Far worse is how quickly the certain right-wing zealots, and their equally racist compatriots in the media, succeeded in mainstreaming Obama’s “otherness.” By incessantly attacking... Read more

The only remaining, major, organized institutions in the US with enough scope and moral authority to launch efforts to reverse this country’s growing income and wealth inequality are the religions. Other institutions have waned; today’s labor unions represent only 7% of private sector employees. Delays matter: as income inequality increases, more children are going to bed hungry. When religious institutions turn their attention to legislation, legal codes, and regulations, they can effect change. The successful (though ultimately doomed) Mormon-led effort... Read more