Brian Kaylor
@briankaylor.bsky.social
Baptist minister with PhD in political communication. New book: 'The Bible According to Christian Nationalists.' President & Editor-in-Chief - @WordAndWay.bsky.social bkaylor@wordandway.org http://publicwitness.wordandway.org
Christian Nationalists like Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith want to reestablish religious tests for office. But our founders got it right with the Constitution's Article VI: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/flunk-thos...
Flunk Those Who Want a Religious Test for Office
The Republican lieutenant governor of Indiana wants to change his state’s Constitution to bar non-Christians from holding public office.
publicwitness.wordandway.org
Talarico was correct last year. It's too bad he flip-flopped on that & helped a church turn a worship service into a partisan campaign rally:
Sandi Villarreal@sandivillarreal.bsky.social · 5h agoLast year, Talarico told @allegrahobbs.bsky.social: “I will not seek, nor will I accept, any endorsement from the pulpit anywhere, because that boundary is sacred in my mind,” pointing to church-state separation. On Sunday, he did. www.texasmonthly.com/news-politic...
This is inappropriate during a church service. This violates IRS rules for tax-exempt nonprofits & it profanes worship. It's a bipartisan problem that should be criticized regardless who does it. (I've often critiqued this; see several at end of this: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/joseph-bid...)
Team Talarico@teamtalaricohq.bsky.social · 2d agoOne of the most respected pastors in Houston just endorsed Talarico: “We don’t endorse candidates. That’s not the church's role. However, you should know who your pastor endorses. My full, total, and complete weight is behind James Talarico.” — Pastor Timothy Sloan at The Luke Church in Houston, TX
Vance once again (oddly) citing 'Pulp Fiction' to explain his Catholic conversion. I wrote last month about his doing this in his book & other interviews: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/jd-vance-q...
The Daily Beast@thedailybeast.bsky.social · 3d agoThe vice president saw a deeper meaning in a car mishap and mysterious falling glass.
Good look at how Tina Peters is still spreading election falsehoods after being released from prison. One moment from her tour not mentioned in piece is when she spoke at a "Pastors for POTUS" worship service held inside the USDA headquarters last month: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/usda-serve...
Yvonne Wingett Sanchez@yvonnewingett.bsky.social · 4d agoNewly freed from prison, Tina Peters is dining with Donald Trump, planning a girls’ trip with Roseanne Barr, and making election denial into a full-time job, @yvonnewingett reports www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
Ogles lost! He's taking that Crusader cosplay to a whole new level of historical accuracy. :)
Jack Jenkins@jackjenkins.me · 5d agoAP has called it: Ogles, who has posted memes of himself as a literal Crusader, just lost his primary. apnews.com/projects/ele...
Today’s issue of A Public Witness looks at how the head of the Russian Orthodox Church nukes God’s grace and mercy before considering how it serves as a warning about militaristic Christian Nationalism more broadly.
Nuclear Weapons as ‘God’s Grace and Mercy’?
A prominent figure recently declared that the creation of nuclear weapons was proof that “God’s grace and mercy were bestowed upon our country.” While that might sound like the Crusader theology of Se...
publicwitness.wordandway.org
Looks like Rev. Sarah Trone Garriott, a Lutheran minister and state senator running for Congress in Iowa as a Democrat in one of the most hotly contested races in the country, has a new ad out. The entire ad is framed around a Bible reference — namely, James 1:19: m.youtube.com/watch?v=tipE...
Sarah Trone Garriott for Congress | Quick
YouTube video by Sarah for Iowa
m.youtube.com
Jack Jenkins@jackjenkins.me · 6d agoAs of last night, there are now *7* pastors, former pastors and seminarians who've become Democratic nominees running for Congress. Some have already won safe Dem seats, and several are in hotly contested races. In multiple cases, the GOP has attacked their faith. religionnews.com/2026/08/04/p...
US Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (retired UMC pastor) will face GOP challenger Rick Brattin (Christian Nationalist Missouri state senator). I've faced off against Brattin multiple times in hearings, including on "chaplains" in public schools, "Ten Commandments" in public schools, & Ben Franklin's "prayer" 1/
AP calls win for "no" on Missouri Amendment 4, which was effort by GOP lawmakers to stop citizen-led constitutional amendments. This anti-democratic measure was also supported by Christian Nationalist church as "biblical" vote: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/thou-shalt... Nice to see the big loss!
In crowded Democratic primary for US Senate seat in Kansas, United Methodist pastor Adam Hamilton wins big. He'll face GOP Sen. Roger Marshall in November.
Missouri is mad about some amendments they hated that got approved anyway, so now they're trying to make it a lot harder for citizens to vote for change. Because when the GOP can't win, they cheat, and they feel fully entitled to do so.
Brian Kaylor@briankaylor.bsky.social · last wk.I voted against Missouri Amendment 4 today as it'd virtually strip away citizen power to amend MO constitution. It's power grab effort by GOP lawmakers. So it's really telling when a #ChristianNationalist church used Sunday worship to push this amendment: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/thou-shalt...
If Hoskins was confident the constitution's on his side, he would've made this move months ago. He's trying to run out the clock so the gerrymandered map stays for Nov. election even if it's declared void
Josh Marshall@joshtpm.bsky.social · 7d agoMissouri Secretary of State Comes Up With Reason to Not Certify Challenge to New Republican Gerrymander talkingpointsmemo.com/news/missour...
I voted against Missouri Amendment 4 today as it'd virtually strip away citizen power to amend MO constitution. It's power grab effort by GOP lawmakers. So it's really telling when a #ChristianNationalist church used Sunday worship to push this amendment: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/thou-shalt...
Thou Shalt Not … Amend the State Constitution?
With the arrival of August, people in several states are heading to the voting booths for important midterm primary elections, including Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Virginia today.
publicwitness.wordandway.org
Today’s issue of A Public Witness takes you inside a hyperpartisan church for a taste of how the gospel of Jesus is being supplanted by an imperial lust for political power.
Thou Shalt Not … Amend the State Constitution?
With the arrival of August, people in several states are heading to the voting booths for important midterm primary elections, including Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, and Virginia today.
publicwitness.wordandway.org
Hard to think of something more #ChristianNationalist than gov't planning, hosting, & leading worship services. No one's tracking this more than we are at A Public Witness. There are 2 dozen services by federal agencies in our "Government Worship Watch": publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/government...
Government Worship Watch
During the second Trump administration, leaders of federal agencies have started hosting official worship services in government buildings during work hours led by Cabinet members.
publicwitness.wordandway.org
My latest for @talkingpointsmemo.com: How Netanyahu’s MAGA Evangelical Backers Are Grappling With Backlash Against Him talkingpointsmemo.com/cafe/how-net...
How Netanyahu’s MAGA Evangelical Backers Are Grappling With Backlash Against Him
In Church, Merch, and State, Sarah Posner writes about the intersection of religion and...
talkingpointsmemo.com
Pentagon again conscripting Isaiah 6:8 on social media, which has become a favorite verse for Hegseth & Pentagon to misuse (as I unpacked here: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseth-co...).
Inappropriate but I guess not a surprise since Psalm 144:1 is one of the verses most misused by Pete Hegseth (along with Isaiah 6:8): publicwitness.wordandway.org/i/201301625/...
Brad Johnson@climatebrad.hillheat.com · last wk.Separation of church and state! Staff Sergeant Sellers with a tummy pack with Psalm 144:1 ("Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle") and a cross on a "tactical" American flag, as part of Trump's DC occupation force #freedc
Pentagon again conscripting Isaiah 6:8 on social media, which has become a favorite verse for Hegseth & Pentagon to misuse (as I unpacked here: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseth-co...).
Truth Social post from Trump. Christian Nationalist AI slop is worst kind of AI slop. (Trump knows so little about Christianity that he doesn't even recognize Catholic imagery instead of what he would see if he actually went to church in his Protestant tradition - which he hasn't done in 4.5 years)
The final episode of Church & State 250 is here. Brian Kaylor joins us to discuss religion reporting, Christian nationalism, government worship services inside the Pentagon, and why church-state separation still matters. Watch: youtu.be/o_ytvaXIgIY
Church & State 250: Reporting Religion in an Age of Christian Nationalism
YouTube video by Faithful Politics Podcast
youtu.be
The US military has, in illegal strikes, killed more than 200 people (including fishermen & perhaps human trafficking victims): theintercept.com/2026/06/10/t... But Hegseth's pastor calls that a "means of God's grace": publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseths-p... What an ugly, false god he serves!
Hegseth’s Pastor Praises Military as ‘Means of God’s Grace’ at Pentagon Worship Service
During the July worship service at the Pentagon on Wednesday (July 29), Pete Hegseth’s pastor praised the U.S. military as “an instrument” of “God’s grace” and claimed the United States was founded as...
publicwitness.wordandway.org
Franklin Graham is so far in the Trump cult that he can't even stand up for pastors who were coming to an event his organization leads. This statement is absolute cowardice and complicity.
Nancy Levine Stearns@nancylevinestearns.bsky.social · 2w ago🧵 NEW: A spokesperson for Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, where Franklin Graham is president and CEO, messaged me today about two married pastors in the U.S. on religious visas who were arrested by ICE last week in Texas as they were trying to fly to a Billy Graham marriage conference.
As with most months, I was only reporter to watch & write on Pentagon's worship service yesterday (& being only one is how we broke news of Hegseth's Pulp Fiction prayer). Here's latest report, but you should subscribe since no one else is covering this: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseths-p...
Hegseth’s Pastor Praises Military as ‘Means of God’s Grace’ at Pentagon Worship Service
During the July worship service at the Pentagon on Wednesday (July 29), Pete Hegseth’s pastor praised the U.S. military as “an instrument” of “God’s grace” and claimed the United States was founded as...
publicwitness.wordandway.org
KC Star endorses United Methodist pastor @hamilton4kansas.bsky.social in Kansas Democratic primary for US Senate seat: www.kansascity.com/opinion/arti...
Endorsement: Kansas City Star Editorial Board on Kansas US Senate race | Opinion
The Star’s Editorial Board recommends a candidate for Kansas senator in the Democratic primary | Opinion
kansascity.com
The latest government worship service occurred yesterday on the heels of an internal critic being fired for criticizing the church-state violation.
Hegseth’s Pastor Praises Military as ‘Means of God’s Grace’ at Pentagon Worship Service
During the July worship service at the Pentagon on Wednesday (July 29), Pete Hegseth’s pastor praised the U.S. military as “an instrument” of “God’s grace” and claimed the United States was founded as...
publicwitness.wordandway.org
Hegseth becoming a top target of attacks by Democratic candidates: www.politico.com/news/2026/07... Wise strategy given his rhetoric & incompetence. Firings & Iran war big themes, but his #ChristianNationalism would also work (like his worship services: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseths-p...)
Hegseth is the new Dem campaign trail villain
The Defense secretary’s public persona and controversial decisions make him an easy, highly visible target for aspiring lawmakers.
politico.com
My report on the latest monthly Pentagon worship service today, the 3rd (out of 15) to feature Hegseth's pastor: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseths-p...
Hegseth’s Pastor Praises Military as ‘Means of God’s Grace’ at Pentagon Worship Service
During the July worship service at the Pentagon on Wednesday (July 29), Pete Hegseth’s pastor praised the U.S. military as “an instrument” of “God’s grace” and claimed the United States was founded as...
publicwitness.wordandway.org
Dr. Fauci is a hero. He really is. He helped guide America thru a mass death event. Millions more could have died but they did not, thanks to him. Everyone over 70 owes him a debt. It is disgusting that we live in a country that not only dishonors him but actively smears his good name.