Justice. Mercy. Faith.
Through The Christian Citizen, we seek to shape a mind among American Baptists and others on matters of public concern by providing a forum for diverse voices living and working at the intersection of faith and politics, discipleship and citizenship.
Pressing on into Lent
I need to find the holy in my semi-dark kitchen while I wait to pour 12 ounces of consolation into my cup. I need to escape into whatever wilderness I can, away from it all, while the world appears to burn around me.
The best book in the Bible that you’re not reading
I believe Habakkuk is the best book in the Bible that no one reads. When I look around in the world — when I wonder why the unjust prosper and righteous struggle — when I wonder why God seems silent in times of suffering, Habakkuk provides the reminder that the righteous commit to God’s ways, no matter the frustrations of the stormy present.
Use your power for good
We are being called to make a difference. We are being called to use our power – godly power, good power, to create spaces of compassion, resources, advocacy, and hope.
Taking a compassion-based approach to Ramadan
Ramadan practices bring profound meaning to many Muslims, but they can become sources of stress, burnout, and even religious trauma for others. Compassion in Ramadan means embracing our humanity and our imperfections. It means recognizing that rest, nourishment, and flexibility can become forms of devotion.
Weekly religion news roundup (March 7 –13, 2025)
Each Friday in The Christian Citizen, we publish a Religion News Roundup with summaries of religion news stories and links for those who want to read more.
Whose Christianity?
The Christianity we see in America today, under the influence of leaders like President Trump, is not the faith that Jesus preached – it is Constantine’s Christianity reimagined for the modern world.
Featured Series
Faith and Politics
The politics of mercy
We receive grace from God – it cannot be bought, earned, deserved, or demanded, but can only be received as a gift. Wouldn’t you think that when a person is conscious of being given grace by God, that person would want to turn around and offer the gift of grace to others?
Faith of our fathers: Presidents and their theologies
This country would be wise to study the presidents’ work and morals, attend to their memory and legacy with honest and frank assessments as to their failings and faults, and seek a more perfect union in our time. This indeed, is holy and prophetic work in the public square as we parcel out truth from untruth. This is important and nuanced work as we fight for the soul of our democracy.
Dismantling U.S. foreign aid hurts Americans – and the world
In a globalized world where a disease outbreak in one country can turn into a pandemic, where natural disasters, conflicts, and the people displaced by them cross borders, does withdrawing U.S. aid and collaboration with other nations in addressing these risks make America safer? Does reneging on commitments we have already made to other nations, damaging trust and credibility in the United States abroad, make us stronger? Does abruptly cutting thousands of American jobs related to international aid make America more prosperous?
Who do you believe deserves all the rights and privileges of American citizenship?
Who do you believe deserves all the rights and privileges of American citizenship? Who do you think should be able to “secure the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity”? The future of the United States of America hangs on how the majority of its citizens answer these two questions.
Two different kinds of men
Some analysts claim that without the support of Baptists and other evangelicals, neither Donald Trump nor Jimmy Carter would have ever lived in the White House. They have that in common but in almost every other way, they are very different.
Cruelty is coming. Brush up on nonviolent resistance
Nonviolent resistance is about peacefully but decidedly disrupting oppressive tactics. Although it sometimes puts the person engaged in it at risk of things like arrest or violence themselves, when done well, it uses creativity, self-sacrifice, and solidarity to affirm the humanity of the vulnerable.
Jimmy Carter was there when my congregation needed him: Remembering a president
President Carter knew that those who lack housing or food are not merely political pawns, but the real presence of God in our midst. What we do, or don’t do, to serve them reveals everything about what we value in our world and in our congregations.
Today I ask you to choose faith
What we really need is faith. Faith in that arc and its bending, faith that what we do counts for something, faith that we can be the friends that God needs now.
Get early access to the newest stories from Christian Citizen writers, receive contextual stories which support Christian Citizen content from the world’s top publications and join a community sharing the latest in justice, mercy and faith.
ROOTED IN HEAVEN - GROUNDED IN LOVE
Christian Citizen AmbassadorsAt The Christian Citizen, we’re passionate about justice, mercy, and faith. We produce award-winning content that is provocative, timely, and relevant. What started more than 25 years ago as a print publication is now a digital-first publication that maintains a commitment to print. More recently, we’ve added a weekly e-newsletter, podcast, and a growing presence on social media. Now, for the first time, we’re adding a member support program—Christian Citizen Ambassadors!
Write for us.
We feature thought-provoking articles and action-inspiring essays that intersect faith, politics, discipleship