For today’s issue of A Public Witness, we offer our fifth annual list of books recommended by Word&Way writers that will be perfect for wherever you find your happy place this summer.

Don’t miss what has become one of my favorite projects every year!

For today’s issue of A Public Witness, we offer our fifth annual list of books recommended by Word&Way writers that will be perfect for wherever you find your happy place this summer.

Hegseth is such a coward he's banning the press from ... checks notes ... the Pentagon press office: www.politico.com/news/2026/06... He talks big, calls himself "secretary of war," & attacks reporters as "Pharisees" (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseths-w...), but he can't handle the questions.

Our fresh religion news roundup features insights from @antheabutler.bsky.social, @kristel.bsky.social, @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social, @adellembanks.bsky.social, @pewresearch.org, @bmietana.bsky.social, @kacen.bsky.social, @stephenfearing.bsky.social, @acvollers.bsky.social, and more!

Our fresh religion news roundup features insights from @antheabutler.bsky.social, @kristel.bsky.social, @dianabutlerbass.bsky.social, @adellembanks.bsky.social, @pewresearch.org, @bmietana.bsky.social, @kacen.bsky.social, @stephenfearing.bsky.social, @acvollers.bsky.social, and more!

When President Trump announced his nomination of Markwayne Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as DHS secretary in March, @shannonmfleck.bsky.social of @faithfulamerica.bsky.social quickly warned he wasn’t an improvement.

When President Trump announced his nomination of Markwayne Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as DHS secretary in March, @shannonmfleck.bsky.social of @faithfulamerica.bsky.social quickly warned he wasn’t an improvement.

Today’s issue of A Public Witness considers how the Department of Homeland Security Secretary under Mullin continues to do violence to Scripture even after Kristi Noem was ousted.

The misuse of the Bible by Department of Homeland Security was bad during Kristi Noem's tenure but is increasing under Markwayne Mullin: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-gospel...

Today’s issue of A Public Witness considers how the Department of Homeland Security Secretary under Mullin continues to do violence to Scripture even after Kristi Noem was ousted.

Although this bill started in Ohio, it should be noted that it's already popping up in other states like Missouri & Tennessee (& TN, unlike Ohio, already passed it). I testified against the Missouri bill: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-room-w...

Glad NPR covered this but piece leaves out key issue: a Quaker man who allegedly witnessed the prayer. This is the strongest evidence that the story's a myth & shows the religious bigotry of guy who made it up. I explained here: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-trump-...

Janna Bowman, who led Center for Faith at Small Business Administration, left that post to now lead Center for Faith at Veterans Affairs. Bowman led SBA to host worship service (like those at Pentagon & Labor): publicwitness.wordandway.org/i/197693999/... It's unclear if they'll continue at SBA.

@matt-avery-sutton.bsky.social’s expansive new book from @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social is the perfect resource for understanding what the United States has been over the past 250 years, not what some people wish it would be.

@matt-avery-sutton.bsky.social’s expansive new book from @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social is the perfect resource for understanding what the United States has been over the past 250 years, not what some people wish it would be.

Noting that these monthly Christian services put on by the government started one year ago, Pete Hegseth called them “fitting and proper, especially given the business that we’re in.”

It's sadly the last night for Stephen Colbert on The Late Show. @jeremyfuzy.bsky.social & I wrote last year about CBS canceling this prophet: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/canceling-...

Noting that these monthly Christian services put on by the government started one year ago, Pete Hegseth called them “fitting and proper, especially given the business that we’re in.”

Last week, I reported that this month's Labor Department worship service was quietly canceled (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/labor-depa...). But as new Wired report shows, the DoL Center for Faith leader hasn't been sidelined but is actually gaining more influence:

Despite the global headlines, late night jokes, and even a member of Congress mentioning it during a hearing with Hegseth, the secretary of defense has not addressed or even acknowledged the Pulp Fiction prayer incident.

Hegseth seems to have trouble getting the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness to fit quite right.

Despite the global headlines, late night jokes, and even a member of Congress mentioning it during a hearing with Hegseth, the secretary of defense has not addressed or even acknowledged the Pulp Fiction prayer incident.

The first Pentagon worship service since the one where Pete Hegseth offered a prayer drawn from the movie Pulp Fiction occurred today — without reference to the criticism and jokes over the past month.

In March, I broke news that Hegseth's Bible has 2 Crusader images stamped on cover: Jerusalem Cross on front & "Deus Vult" on back (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/pete-hegse...). He was sworn in on it & takes it to Pentagon services. Pentagon social media post from service today shows "Deus Vult"

The first Pentagon worship service since the one where Pete Hegseth offered a prayer drawn from the movie Pulp Fiction occurred today — without reference to the criticism and jokes over the past month.

Latest Pentagon worship service occurred today, with HUD Secretary Scott Turner as guest preacher. Sadly, no movie prayer from Pete Hegseth, though he did ask God to bless the military with the "armor of God" both worldly & spiritually. My report: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/hegseth-pr...

New survey data from @pewresearch.org shows that those of us who oppose Christian Nationalism far outnumber its advocates. In fact, three times as many Americans say they have a negative view of Christian Nationalism than those who support it.

New survey data from @pewresearch.org shows that those of us who oppose Christian Nationalism far outnumber its advocates. In fact, three times as many Americans say they have a negative view of Christian Nationalism than those who support it.

These days, it can feel like Christian Nationalism is the majority opinion. But while Christian Nationalists have grabbed significant power, many times — like with “Rededicate 250” — it’s just that they’re being extra loud.

These days, it can feel like Christian Nationalism is the majority opinion. But while Christian Nationalists have grabbed significant power, many times — like with “Rededicate 250” — it’s just that they’re being extra loud.

To be clear, Mike Johnson is a Christian Nationalist: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/christian-... And Johnson is against America's real history of church-state separation: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/speaker-jo...

Organizers of Rededicate 250 misunderstand/misrepresent a lot about history, including the 1776 prayer call for May 17. For 1 thing, that wasn't a Sunday so wasn't competing with churches. Also, we later created Constitution that separates church & state: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/rededicati...

Our latest religion news roundup features insights from @jackjenkins.me, @wthrockmorton.bsky.social, @bjconthehill.bsky.social, @pewresearch.org, @ichotiner.bsky.social, @marylouisestuart.bsky.social, @geoffdembicki.bsky.social, @russcontreras.bsky.social, @emilybelz.bsky.social, and more!

Ugh, there are new banners on Department of Transportation building. And to be clear, 250 is the wrong number of years to go with "one nation under God." That's only been in Pledge for 72 years (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/70-years-u...). But I guess that's too much nuance for the reality TV guy.

Our latest religion news roundup features insights from @jackjenkins.me, @wthrockmorton.bsky.social, @bjconthehill.bsky.social, @pewresearch.org, @ichotiner.bsky.social, @marylouisestuart.bsky.social, @geoffdembicki.bsky.social, @russcontreras.bsky.social, @emilybelz.bsky.social, and more!

By the way, new DHS video quotes from New Living Translation. Here’s background on some previous DHS videos co-opting verses: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-bible-.... Also, I wrote book about misuse of Scripture: 'The Bible According to Christian Nationalists' bookshop.org/a/110819/978...

While the organizing and hosting of monthly government worship services has been paused at the Department of Labor, such services continue at the Pentagon next week — and this trend has now spread to the Small Business Administration.

While the organizing and hosting of monthly government worship services has been paused at the Department of Labor, such services continue at the Pentagon next week — and this trend has now spread to the Small Business Administration.

I've got some news about worship services at Department of Labor & the Small Business Administration: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/labor-depa...

Today's @apnews.com story from Peter Smith on "Rededicate 250" concludes with a quote from @briankaylor.bsky.social about how the event "simply doesn't represent what type of nation the founders later decided to create." Read our report here: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/rededicati...

Peter Smith of @apnews.com previewed Rededicate 250: "Trump administration will join a prayer gathering criticized for promoting Christian nationalism" apnews.com/article/trum... I appreciate that he quoted from my preview piece: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/rededicati...

#ChristianNationalists love to invoke story/painting of George Washington praying at Valley Forge even though it was made up after his death. So it's good that NYTimes unpacked the myth: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/14/a... I previously wrote about this myth: publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-trump-...

There’s a big difference between May 17, 1776, and May 17, 2026. And understanding that shift is at the core of something we should really celebrate about the American experiment: a healthy separation of church and state.

On House floor last night, Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla) praised so-called "Rededicate 250" while standing next to painting of George Washington praying in snow at Valley Forge. But that story about GW was made up (publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/the-trump-...). Bad history to justify bad governance.

The legislators who issued a May 17, 1776, call for prayer were British subjects in colonies doing something typical for an empire with a state church. But the founding generation would go on to carve out a different vision for a new nation that fundamentally separated church and state.

The legislators who issued a May 17, 1776, call for prayer were British subjects in colonies doing something typical for an empire with a state church. But the founding generation would go on to carve out a different vision for a new nation that fundamentally separated church and state.

Today’s APW unpacks why the “Rededicate 250” gathering was planned for May 17 and the Christian Nationalist fight to remake the past and present. “Following the pre-independence example today is to not only ignore the wisdom of what came next, but also to violate the Constitution now in place.”

Today’s APW unpacks why the “Rededicate 250” gathering was planned for May 17 and the Christian Nationalist fight to remake the past and present. “Following the pre-independence example today is to not only ignore the wisdom of what came next, but also to violate the Constitution now in place.”

With renewed gerrymandering & role of White Christian Nationalism in this power grab, I'd like to note there's a book on WCN that deals with gerrymandering. 1st chapter of 'The Bible According to Christian Nationalists' is "Gerrymandering the Bible": publicwitness.wordandway.org/p/gerrymande...