Jonathan Merritt
Jonathan Merritt is senior columnist for Religion News Service and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He has published more than 2500 articles in outlets like USA Today, The Week, Buzzfeed and National Journal. Jonathan is author of "Jesus is Better Than You Imagined" and "A Faith of Our Own: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture Wars." He resides in Brooklyn, NY.
All Stories by Jonathan Merritt
Theologian: Religious extremists like ISIS carve a bloody path through history
By Jonathan Merritt — February 17, 2015
"America was founded by folks who thought like this," a prominent Yale professor says of Islamist extremists. Some may find his comments difficult to swallow in light of recent events.
Which U.S. Presidents were the most religious?
By Jonathan Merritt — February 16, 2015
Almost all U.S. commander-in-chiefs have been Protestant Christians and only three were religiously unaffiliated. Who were the most fervent in their faith?
Faith-filled finance tips from the ‘Queen of Free’
By Jonathan Merritt — February 13, 2015
Cherie Lowe paid off $127,482.30 of debt through a combination of faith and sound financial decisions. Now she teaches others how to "slay their debt dragons."
Obama was right: It’s time for Christians to reflect
By Jonathan Merritt — February 12, 2015
The president's comments at the National Prayer Breakfast infuriated some conservative Christians, but most of their denunciations ignore or even twist the facts. When our anger burns against others we should pause to reflect on our own evil impulses and behaviors.
Former pastor collects women’s underwear–but for good reason
By Jonathan Merritt — February 10, 2015
Bras are the hottest item in the second-hand clothing market. A former pastor uses them to provide jobs for sex trafficking survivors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Trip Lee: Inside the mind of a misfit Christian rapper
By Jonathan Merritt — February 4, 2015
Trip Lee is part of a new slew of rappers who don't shy away from God-talk in their songs. They are making music in a genre that isn’t exactly known for faith-friendly themes and of which Christians have traditionally been wary.
Jonathan Edwards’ collected works now available for download
By Jonathan Merritt — February 3, 2015
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (RNS) The release of Edwards’ work comes amid renewed interest in the preacher, especially among conservative evangelicals and “New Calvinists,” mostly evangelicals who are acolytes of Edwards' brand of Calvinist theology.
Jonathan Edwards’ works made available for free as interest in Puritanism surges
By Jonathan Merritt — February 3, 2015
The release of Edwards’ work comes at a moment of renewed interest in the preacher. But can a message that focuses on the damnation of sinners and torments of hell awaken the modern masses like it did for Edwards and others?
Author Donald Miller on failed relationships, intimacy issues, and healing through counseling
By Jonathan Merritt — February 3, 2015
The New York Times Bestselling Christian author of "Blue Like Jazz" reveals how he realized he had intimacy issues and how he found help through professional counseling.
Theologian says Jesus was a ‘trickster’–but it’s not as offensive as you think
By Jonathan Merritt — January 28, 2015
"In Jesus, we see a trickster figure, one who respects the beliefs and traditions of real people, yet also questions them, challenges them and subverts them for the sake of political and religious transformation," says post-modern theologian Peter Rollins.
You’ll never guess which U.S. cities are most ‘Bible-minded’
By Jonathan Merritt — January 26, 2015
A new study ranking cities according to "Bible mindedness" contains a few surprises. Did your hometown make the list?
Life’s busy, but mealtimes are still sacred
By Jonathan Merritt — January 22, 2015
"The table is not just a place for food," says Leonard Sweet, "but a place for stories and ideas to mingle, interact, attract each other, argue with one another, and procreate."
Put your clothes back on: Oversharing online isn’t wise
By Jonathan Merritt — January 20, 2015
It's time Christians think more seriously about when, what, where, how, and to whom we should share ourselves. Sometimes "authenticity" is just inappropriate.
Andy Stanley gets surprisingly real about love, sex, and dating
By Jonathan Merritt — January 15, 2015
The mega-church pastor hits hot topics head on. He even explains why he avoided discussing homosexuality but chose to talk about "bitches" and "hos."
Christian writer Margaret Feinberg shares breast cancer struggles, lessons on joy
By Jonathan Merritt — January 14, 2015
(RNS) Feinberg decided to see the experience as an opportunity to rediscover a cornerstone Christian virtue: joy.
