In the recent past, it sometimes seemed that evangelical leaders were only concerned with a handful of hot button issues--namely, abortion and gay marraige (with religious liberty often thrown in for good measure). But recently, this brand of Christians seem concerned about a whole range of issues including poverty, fiscal responsiblity,...

The following piece appeared today in The Christian Science Monitor.

Last week, ahead of the South Carolina primary election, 114 evangelical leaders gathered in Texas to determine which GOP presidential candidate they would collectively endorse. The Christian right vanguards voted 85 to 29 to anoint Rick Santorum. As it turns out, their...

This piece originally appeared at RelevantMagazine.com.

The snuffing of Osama bin Laden’s life has left White House officials beaming, news reporters busy and the thumbs of Twitterers raw. I can’t blame any of them. After all, this is one of the biggest events of the last decade. When I got the call Sunday night and turned on the ...

For the most part, I've stopped signing public statements. Perhaps one day I will write about the various reasons I've decided to do this. Occassionally, however, someone drafts a statement that is both timely and reasonable. In these cases, I might make an exception. Today, Evangelicals for Social Action and The Center for Public Justice...

The morning following Election Day is always filled with winners and losers. But this past November, a surprising winner could have delivered an acceptance speech: the Tea Party.

Of the 60 seats turned over in Congress, Tea Party-endorsed candidates made up more than 30 of them. President Obama called it a “shellacking.”

As the new Congress...

When Sarah Palin's team of marketers ill-advisedly placed a few crosshairs on a map of Democratic districts that included U.S. Congresswoman Gabby Gifford's, they probably hoped to invigorate their base and rally some support. They couldn't have known that within a few months a crazed Jared Loughner would open fire on Arizona innocents,...

This article was originally published on The Washington Post "On Faith" blog.

I believe America is exceptional, but I am not an "American exceptionalist." The former is rooted in facts, and the latter in bad theology.

America is special for many reasons. We are the most charitable country in the world. Each year, Americans voluntarily donate...

The following was first published on QIdeas.org.

Michael Gerson is something of a political anomaly. On the one hand, Gerson is a conservative Christian who served as George W. Bush’s chief speechwriter and senior aide from 2001 to 2006. On the other hand, he is now an op-ed columnist for the left-of-center Washington Post and has been...

by Gabe Lyons and Jonathan Merritt

Most the votes have been counted and it seems the GOP has made historic gains in Congress. At least 60 Democrats have now been replaced in the House of Representatives and at least six have been sent packing in the Senate. President Obama called it a “shellacking” in a press conference today.

These numbers...

by Joseph E. Lowery and Jonathan Merritt

We don't look alike. We don't talk alike. We don't vote alike. And, separated in age by more than six decades, we certainly don't walk alike! Then why are we joining together now?

Because nuclear weapons are an indiscriminate threat that transcends identity politics, and because, as Georgians, we...

As Americans reel from the worst environmental disaster in our nation's history, the Christian community has been forced to ask difficult questions about our witness on environmental issues. How should we respond when the structures of human society cause mass damage to the world, our wildlife, vulnerable people, and our economy?

Using the oil...

This piece originally published on RelevantMagazine.com

What does the Gulf oil spill symbolize to you? Perhaps American consumerism? Maybe the incredible potential of human beings to destroy creation? What about the coming apocalypse? According to a recent Newsweek article by Lisa Miller entitled, “Blood in the Water,” some Christians see...

This article originally appeared on Washington Post's "On Faith"

The most destructive oil leak in U.S. history has been devastating: 11 people are dead, approximately 20 million gallons of oil now drift along the western coast of Florida, destroying or threatening untold numbers of birds and marine wildlife, and wreaking unknown economic...

Over one month ago, the massive BP oil well in the Gulf of Mexico exploded beneath the surface, causing unbelievable damage. The blast killed 11 people, and hundreds of gallons of oil have poured into the ocean at the rate of at least 210,000 gallons per day. Over one month later, oil is still gushing and criticism of BP and the U.S. ...

This article first appeared on Washington Post's "On Faith" Blog.

Everyone seems to be going green these days, even a growing number in the faith community. A recent Sierra Club survey reported that 67 percent of Americans said they care about the earth because it is "God's creation," a figure that has prompted many secular environmental...

The American people are growing increasingly disillusioned with politics. Broken promises are now accepted as part of the "political process," partisan in-fighting increasingly prohibits legislative progress, and front-page scandals are more likely to induce a yawn than outrage. As a result, the American people are consistently giving Congress...

Today, American President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the most expansive nuclear arms treaty in more than 10 years. The new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) comes after a year of negotiations between the U.S. and Russia on the subject. It will eliminate some of our outdated weaponry and reduce the size of...

The 7th anniversary of the war in Iraq seems like an appropriate time to seriously look at and think through the morality of war. In Afghanistan and Iraq, war is dragging on at a pace even Aesop might question, and Christians have reignited the age-old debate on how we should address war. Traditionally, this debate has had only two sides: Just...

Today, I published an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution titled, "Fox's Beck Should Quit Preaching." The article centers in on Glenn Beck's recent comments about socially conscious Christians:

Glenn Beck, a popular conservative and Fox News television personality, is famous for sounding political alarms and giving teary-eyed...

This article orginally ran on RelevantMagazine.com

It’s been one year since Aretha Franklin belted out “My Country ‘tis of Thee” and America’s first Black President raised his hand to swear an oath to faithfully execute the duties of our highest public office. Barack Obama ran on the promises of change, hope, and progress. As the reviews of...

"Why Can't We All Just Get Along?"

That was the cry of Rodney King, the African-American man who was mercilessly beaten on March 3, 1991, by members of the Los Angeles police department. It became a rallying cry for the nation in the midst of hostile race wars. And it’s applicable today, as we find ourselves in very different—but no less...

It was no joke. On April Fool's Day in 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev agreed to pursue a significant reduction in nuclear arms with "effective verification measures." America and Russia possess the largest nuclear stockpiles in the world by far, which is why Obama told reporters in Moscow, "We must lead...

Recently, I was offered an opportunity to become a blogger for The Huffington Post. I was a little reticent at first because I have heard others characterize the site, founded by liberal pundit Arianna Huffington, as "very liberal." I knew there would be some people who would attempt to cast me as a liberal in sheep's clothing if I published...

The climate debate has been raging for some time, but recently it has reached fevor pitch. Normally, I don't post much on climate, but I felt this conversation needs to be explored in light of recent events. First, reports of hotter summers poured in. Then colder winters. There was the so-called "climategate" scandal. And now we're getting...

I had a professor in college who would say, "There is no such thing as a stupid question." I felt like my classmates proved him wrong weekly. One day someone in my class responded to the professor's reminder with some cliche of his own: "There are no stupid questions. Just stupid people." I think my classmate was onto something.

Some people in...

When Kanye grabbed the mic, my stomach turned. The MTV Video Music Awards have a penchant for controversy, but something about what happened at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday night transcended controversy. For the two of you out there who missed it, Kanye West snatched the microphone from Taylor Swift in the middle of her acceptance speech to...

 Anyone else tired of the shouting matches and name-calling? This healthcare debate has created a flea market for misinformation that has attracted hot-tempered patrons in record numbers. It is a debate that must be had, but it is nearly impossible to have it in the current environment.

Someone needs to call timeout and get back to an...

A fascinating article was published today by RelevantMagazine.com entitled "Are Christians Wrong about Gitmo?" The article was authored by Natalie and Tyler Wigg-Stevenson and cites two fascinating polls. The first was conducted by Mercer University in 2008 and concludes that a majority of white Southern Evangelicals thought that it was "often"...

America can't stop talking about South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, the cheating state executive who disappeared for several days to make a love connection with his Argentinian mistress. In fact, Sanford is probably the only person in the United States who was giddy to learn that Michael Jackson had died because it would eat up some of his...

A few weeks ago, I was outraged when I read in the Washington Times that Liberty University's administration revoked the official club status of its College Democrats. I am not a registered Democrat, but I am a Liberty alumnus. Anything that so blatantly squelches the free exchange of ideas on a university campus will naturally compromise that...

Thursday, the Chicago-Sun Times released a story titled, "Gay marriage views all about age, region," which pointed out the shifts going on over same sex issues. The article cited the 22-year-long "Political Values and Core Attitudes" study conducted by The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, which shows that public opinion over...

Recently, I became a part of what I believe is one of the most important Christian movements in America. The Two Futures Project (2FP) is a non-partisan Christian movement seeking to abolish nuclear weapons from the face of the earth.  2FP does not call for America to disarm unilaterally, but rightly advocates for nuclear disarmament that is...

The Associated Press is now reporting that it has uncovered secret statistics held by the Iraqi government showing 87,215 Iraqi citizens have been killed since 2005 as a result of everything from "catastrophic bombings to execution-style slayings." When tallied with records since 2003, it climbs to an estimated 110,600. (That number only...

For some time, I have been promoting a common ground policy on abortion reduction. I first embraced abortion reduction because my progressive friends were prodding me to join with them to save unborn lives. When these individuals asked me to rally with them around such things as increased funding for adoption and comprehensive sexual education...

I believe that climate change is a reality, and I think humans are causing it. I am neither a "chicken little" alarmist nor an "ostrich" who thinks we should just ignore the evidence because it is all part of a "liberal agenda." I know this puts me at odds with many of my readers, and I am cool with that. If you've read this blog more than...

Steve Monsma, a senior research fellow at the Henry Institute for the Study of Christianity and Politics at Calvin College and author of Healing for a Broken World, recently received a brochure from an evangelical organization. The pamphlet stated,

Over the past few weeks, I have written a few posts about the new twist in the abortion debate. I am starting to feel like all the political peeps that I can't stand because they only talk about abortion and gay marriage and ignore everything else. Yet, I am still typing, so let's give it a run. 

If you wanted to sum up the political climate in America in one word, you might call it "divided." Or maybe, "partisan." Or perhaps, "polarized." Each of these descriptions would be optimistic. Over the last 25 or more years, Americans on the left and the right have become deeply entrenched with a "culture war" mentality. Christians are no...

Below is a transcript of the statement I gave at the "Come Let Us Reason Together" press conference at the Third Way headquarters in Washington, DC:

Beginning in the spring of this year, I began noticing a changing wind among my young evangelical peers with regard to points of interest and how that translates into actual votes. I have written on this several times both on this blog and in several publications. Today, I published an article for Newsweek / Washington Post On Faith entitled,

A new exit poll reveals that support for Barack Obama among younger evangelicals doubled when compared to John Kerry in 2004. Among the findings was this staggering fact: only 49% of young evangelicals now identify as "conservative" and over half favor either same sex marriage (24%) or civil unions (28%).

After reading the Faith in Public...

My recent interview with PBS' Religion and Ethics Newsweekly has been posted on their website and is titled "Jonathan Merritt: A New Generation of Religion and Politics." Rather than add a bunch of commentary on this post, I would rather you go check it out for yourself and let me know your thoughts. Where do you agree with me? Where do you...

We are less than three weeks away from choosing a new President, from choosing a new direction, regardless of which candidate is victorious. And looking back on the last eight years makes me long for days when our political system gave us something to get excited over. Though I was too young to remember it, I long for days like when Reagan was...

If you watched the debate last night and managed to stay awake during the whole thing, you probably felt like I did: LAAAAAME! The questions were softball, the moderator was boring and the answers were nothing short of talking points. 

Faith and politics often collide, but this time massive legal fallout seems imminent. Tomorrow, a group of 30 uber-conservative pastors backed by the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal organization, will endorse Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain from their church pulpits. Jerry Falwell is smiling from the grave.

Eric Gorski of the Associated Press just released an article entitled "Younger Evangelicals Split Over Palin" in which I was quoted. As always, Gorski put together a pretty solid article with a great range of sources including leaders from the Emergent Church and authors like Gabe Lyons. (One correction: He said that I contacted the McCain...

An interesting pairing today in the CNN Newsroom. Margaret Feinberg, speaker and author of books such as The Sacred Echo, and Voddie Baucham, Pastor of Grace Family Baptist Church, went head-to-head on the issue of women in leadership. The debate was inspired by the recent nomination of Sarah Palin, and the segment can be found here.

On friday, I received a call from a staff writer at the Washington Post asking how John McCain's VP pick, Sarah Palin, might influence evangelical women voters. Not being an evangelical woman, I felt it best to refer her to one or two people that I believe could give her a better answer. The first name that came to my mind was Margaret...

My reaction to Rick Warren's recent faith forum at Saddleback has published on RelevantMagazine.com. Both sides of the political fence were dissatisfied, but I doubt that surprises any of my regular readers. Angering everyone is becoming my M.O.

**Here is the article: GOP Loyalty Not a Given for Young Evangelicals**

Leave comments and tell me what you think.

This morning, the New York Times released an article entitled "Taking Their Faith, but Not Their Politics, to The People," which touches on something I have been speaking about on this forum for some time: the de-emphasis of partisan politics in the American evangelical community. The article makes some interesting and truthful points stating...

Trouble is brewing for the GOP as young evangelicals are continuing to leaving its camp. I sounded this alarm in my column in the AJC on April 18th entitled, WWJD? Vote for Obama, More and more young evangelicals say. It drew a heap of criticism even though the article was not an endorsement, but merely a cultural commentary based on a poll in...

The grip that the Republican party has on evangelical Christians is loosening as younger evangelicals are coming onto the scene. In addition to traditional values, younger evangelicals believe their faith calls them to support a wide range of issues like human rights, poverty, AIDS in Africa and the environment. Unfortunately for the GOP,...

I don’t believe God is politically partisan. I know we like to shore up our egos with visions of God marching with us to the ballot box and guiding our hand to vote one party exclusively, but the older I get the more ludicrous that seems.

Like many evangelical children, growing up I demonized Democrats as venomous reprobates—they were...

I was recently profiled for an upcoming book entitled, We the Purple: Faith, Politics, and the Independent Voter by Marcia Ford (Tyndale House, 2008). I want to share it with you for a couple of reasons. First, it offers a look into my personal political mindset, which may surprise some of you. Second, I think it offers a great opportunity for...