Culture & Public Square

Culture & Public Square helps Christians think biblically about life in society and engage today’s issues with conviction and compassion. Explore articles on current events, ethics, justice, race, technology, public life, and cultural trends—grounded in Scripture and shaped by Christian wisdom. You’ll find guidance for faithful witness, thoughtful dialogue, and making disciples in a complex world, while keeping the gospel at the center. Whether you’re navigating challenging conversations or seeking clarity for ministry and daily life, these resources equip you to live and speak with grace and truth in the public square.

June 16, 2016

Christian Standard

Movie Nights

By Glen Elliott The church has struggled to find ways not to settle with the comfort of sameness. Significant portions of the New Testament letters deal with racial division (see Ephesians 2 and James 2 as examples) and the unity that is to be a hallmark of God”s people. That”s why Paul reminds us, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Paul says those who have been baptized and put on Christ are one in Christ regardless of ethnicity, economic status,

June 16, 2016

Christian Standard

Who Will Lead Racial Reconciliation in Your City?

By Glen Elliott Evangelical leaders have been very intentional about creating unity among the faith community to make a spiritual, social, and economic difference in our city, Tucson, Arizona. Our combined prayer is the one Jesus asked us to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, in Tucson as it is in Heaven.” Even after seeing huge progress among the white and a few of the Hispanic churches, we realized the racial divide still exists. So about three years ago, a group of white and black pastors decided to meet. One of the black pastors agreed to host the

June 14, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

Just a Beginning

By Mark A. Taylor We know at least two things about our posts about racial justice at this site this month. First, we know they are inadequate. They do not convey the scope or the whole burden of the race problem in America. “¢ They only hint at the fact that America”s fortunes were built and wealth was created on the backs of those enslaved in a land that abused them while proclaiming “All men are created equal.” “¢ They barely mention the long history of egregious statements from both church and state claiming that Africans and African-Americans are somehow

June 13, 2016

Christian Standard

Read More About Religion, Racism, and Practical Steps Forward

Compiled by Travis Hurley Divided By Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America, by Michael O. Emerson and Christian Smith (New York: Oxford University Press, 2000) “” Despite its age, this remains essential reading for anyone looking to get a grasp on evangelical religion and the problem of race in America. There are helpful historical summaries of the church and race in America in early chapters, and once you understand their explanation of the “white evangelical tool kit,” you”ll start to see how using these tools actually hinders reconciliatory progress before it even begins. Reconciliation Blues: A Black Evangelical”s

June 12, 2016

Christian Standard

Racism: A Sin Problem

By David Anderson Racism is not reserved for one color or culture of people. The sin of racism is an equal opportunity destroyer. Racism is not simply a skin problem but a sin problem. While this may sound like a cliché, we must continue to sound the alarm that sin is what God hates, but sinners are whom God loves. Continual reminders of the spiritual impact sin has on people, like racism, is important so everyone can see the negative consequences that affect many. All have sinned, and all can sin, regardless of race. Therefore, it is important to note

June 11, 2016

Christian Standard

Discovering the RIGHT Story

By Sean Palmer Biologically speaking, there is no such thing as race. It”s hard to believe given both the recent and distant history of America, yet in reality, race is fiction. The reason some of us have darker or lighter skin is the result of thousands upon thousands of years of physical adaptation based on location. An easy way to think about it is this: Our ancestors living in Norway were cold. They stayed inside. Over time, their hair became predominantly blonde and skin incredibly light. The opposite was true for our ancestors living in Africa. As anthropologist Robert Wald

June 10, 2016

Christian Standard

Racism Is a Spiritual Issue: An Interview with Jerry Taylor

By Gincy Hartin My first encounters with Dr. Jerry Taylor took place back in the 1970s and “80s, when I was a child growing up in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area. My family”s spiritual roots are in the historically black a cappella churches of Christ, and throughout my childhood, we frequently attended gospel meetings, singing fellowships, and other activities at numerous church of Christ congregations throughout that area. It was at these gatherings we would often hear the deep, rich baritone voice of Jerry Taylor””sometimes leading songs, sometimes preaching the gospel, and on numerous occasions, doing both.  In every case,

June 9, 2016

Christian Standard

We CAN Bridge the Racial Divide

By Travis and Dena Hurley Society”s efforts to build racial unity are not succeeding. Only the gospel offers the possibility for easing racial tensions and bringing together those who have long stayed apart with suspicion toward each other. The church can make the difference””if we will. When the American Crime Story miniseries revisited the O.J. Simpson trial this spring, it reminded us of the “not guilty” verdict in 1995. At the time, the evidence of Simpson”s guilt seemed overwhelming. We were baffled by what appeared to be scenes of celebration among the black community. Was there no respect for the

May 24, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

The First Step Toward Unity

By Mark A. Taylor What does Christian unity look like? Sometimes it takes the form of two or three preachers getting together just to talk and share common experiences, dreams, and convictions. Often this leads to joint ministry projects and worship services between congregations creating new associations where once there was only suspicion and separation. Maybe the sweet aroma of unity will create a longing for it among others ready to include more people among “us” and fewer as “them.” And that can create an expression of unity in a large, public event attracting hundreds of separated brothers and sisters

May 22, 2016

Christian Standard

Steps to Improve Political Discourse

By Joe Boyd I”ve been writing this column on culture for nearly a year now. The big idea is to look at what is happening in America to see what good or bad ramifications it may have for the local church. It”s not always easy to decide what to write about each month. Over the last several months I”ve been tempted to broach a specific subject, only to talk myself out of it. I can”t avoid it any longer. It”s politics. Though I”m sure some will look for clues to my political leanings in what I write, I”m not going

May 10, 2016

Mark A. Taylor

We Can Do Better

By Mark A. Taylor As every media outlet in the U.S. comments on this year”s most unusual election, distinctly Christian voices are seldom heard above the noise. And even though I have no expectation that CNN will be quoting CHRISTIAN STANDARD, I have decided this week to weigh in. Actually, it”s not my opinion but those of two others I feel compelled to share. The first is from our Culture Watch columnist, Joe Boyd, whose “Steps to Improve Political Discourse” appears in CHRISTIAN STANDARD”s May issue. His three points (“We can drop the labels,” “We can appeal to the best in

April 4, 2016

Christian Standard

Is Baseball Really Dead?

By Joe Boyd Some of my favorite family memories are the yearly trips into Cincinnati from my home in eastern Kentucky to watch the Reds play baseball. There”s nothing like walking into a Major League Baseball stadium for the first time, turning a corner, and seeing that vast green grass ocean spread before you. Baseball is a throwback to an older, slower time. There is no clock. Games play out at their own pace. Unlike other popular sports, losses are expected. A team can lose 80 games and still win the World Series. The season is a marathon, long like

February 25, 2016

Christian Standard

Theology in the Public Square

By T. R. Robertson Polarization. Insults. Railing against wrong. The apostle Peter showed approaches better than these for Christian response to injustice in government and society. A once great nation is in the throes of transition from a democratic republic to a de facto dictatorship. A neophyte has been given the reigns of power, to which some critics maintain he has no birthright. The gap between the super rich and the middle class is widening. People from other countries covet the benefits of citizenship, yet the nation”s reputation among the rest of the world is declining. Christians find themselves increasingly

February 10, 2016

Christian Standard

Welcome Home, Syrians

  By Jim Tune I”m not overly patriotic. Most Canadians aren”t. We have no equivalent to country singer Lee Greenwood”s song “God Bless the U.S.A.” with its nationalistic and stirring refrain, “I”m proud to be an American where at least I know I”m free.” All that said, a news flash popped up in my Twitter feed a few months ago that made me extraordinarily proud of my country. Originally tweeted by Neville Park, this message quickened this Canadian”s pulse: “MEANWHILE IN CANADA: Syrian refugees arriving. Airport is worried they will be overwhelmed by well-wishers.” Syrian refugees? Overwhelmed by well-wishers? Yes!

December 23, 2015

Christian Standard

Peace on Earth?

By Jim Tune In the movie Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a racist, embittered, retired factory worker and Korean War veteran living in a deteriorating Detroit neighborhood dominated by gang violence and Asian immigrants. Walt has little relationship with his grown sons and their self-absorbed suburban families. His two loves are his dog, Daisy, and his cherished 1972 Ford Gran Torino. A family of Hmong immigrants has moved in next door, and as part of a gang initiation, the teenage boy Thao is pressured into trying to steal Walt”s Gran Torino. Walt interrupts the attempted theft, and over

December 16, 2015

Christian Standard

Two Sizes Too Small

By Jim Tune There”s been an explosive fascination with all things zombie in pop culture. The AMC series The Walking Dead has enjoyed stunning commercial success, so I wasn”t surprised to see a flood of big-screen zombie productions hitting local theaters. Most of them focus solely on gore and body counts. The 2013 zombie film Warm Bodies was unique for this weird film genre: It”s a zombie love story. I remember watching it on a transatlantic flight in the middle of the night, and I was actually pleasantly surprised. The film”s tagline more or less summarizes the plot: “He”s still

December 1, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Moving Beyond “˜Color Blind”

By Mark A. Taylor Many thoughts have threatened my internal comfort zone since I attended a daylong conference on racial unity outside Baltimore, Maryland, last month*. I came face-to-face with the reality of racism that still flourishes in my country. I came to understand the privilege that comes automatically, systemically to white people in America. And I was forced to consider how that privilege has benefitted me and hurt others. I came to see that Jesus” prayer for unity will not be answered when Christians of different races distrust or blatantly denigrate each other. (Nor will it happen when members

November 30, 2015

Christian Standard

Why White Christians Just Don”t Get It

By Brian Jones If you”re angrier with rioters for looting and pillaging than with the event that preceded it””the killing of an unarmed black man by police officers””there”s a really good chance you just don”t get it. Let me explain. One of my favorite memories growing up was going to the police station with my grandfather, who was a Franklin County sheriff in Columbus, Ohio. He pretended to lock me up in cells, fed me prison food, introduced me to all the guards, and allowed me to sit in his cruiser and turn the siren on. My grandfather was a

November 20, 2015

Christian Standard

My Thoughts on Paris

By Joe Boyd I was in New York City for business meetings the Friday night of the attacks in Paris. After returning home, my wife and I began to discuss things. I wasn”t a very good conversationalist. (She”s used to that.) I was tired from a long week at work. I was also, like so many, confused about the state of the world and afraid that things would escalate. She asked me to write what I was thinking, suggesting it might help people process. (Maybe she just wanted me to process.) I quickly jotted my thoughts down in my personal

November 5, 2015

Christian Standard

Pennsylvania Church Leading Public School Assemblies

By Jennifer Johnson Many churches lament their inability to impact the public schools or serve their students. But this fall, Discovery Christian Church is presenting anti-bullying programs in three local elementary and two middle schools in Cranberry Township, PA. “A few years ago we did a summer outreach camp for kids in the community,” says Discovery lead pastor Toney Salva. “We held the event in a park instead of in our church building, and one of the school counselors became aware of us and thought we might be able to help with their anti-bullying initiatives.” Discovery did one very successful assembly in

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