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
Rob Bell is back
By Jonathan Merritt — February 25, 2013
*Update: An editor at HarperOne, the publisher of Rob’s book, has explained to me that the video posted below is NOT the official trailer: “That was simply a behind-the-scenes video on Rob’s creative process. The actual trailer will debut the week of March 4. That video will be less vague about the content of the book.” […]
Shifting our understanding of “salvation”: An interview with J.D. Greear
By Jonathan Merritt — February 21, 2013
Note: Each Friday, “On Faith & Culture” will feature an exclusive interview with a Christian thought leader or a voice of importance to the American Christian community. Thirty-nine-year-old J.D. Greear pastors The Summit Church in Durham, N.C., which has been named one of the top 25 fast-growing churches in America for several years by Outreach […]
Drone debate reveals moral hypocrisy of both sides
By Jonathan Merritt — February 20, 2013
At the end of The Godfather Part II, Michael Corleone famously remarked, “If anything in life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it’s that you can kill anybody.” America’s current drone policy has made the fictitious mobster look like a prophet. The Bush administration began using the nimble humanless aircrafts, authorizing about 50 […]
Disappointment is rooted in love, not disdain
By Jonathan Merritt — February 18, 2013
On April 30, 1967, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech at New York’s Riverside Church. It was one of his finest, and would later earn him a spoken word Grammy. The primary topic of his address was not the plight of black men and women or even race in general. No, that day his […]
The Love Language legacy: A Valentine’s Day interview with Gary Chapman
By Jonathan Merritt — February 13, 2013
(RNS)— The author and pastor looks back at the unexpected success of the Five Love Languages.
Waning influence of faith leaders presents historic opportunity
By Jonathan Merritt — February 12, 2013
Much has been made of the decline of the institutional church in the 21st century. In 1975, for example, 68 percent of Americans said they had a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in the church / organized religion. That number has plummeted to 44 percent. Though many Americans still consider themselves “spiritual,” fewer […]
Following Jesus in a celebrity-obsessed age: A post-Grammy reflection
By Jonathan Merritt — February 10, 2013
The glitter has been swept up, the borrowed jewelry returned, and star-struck fans are left to process all that transpired last night. Another Grammy Awards has come and gone, but they raise an important question for American Christians in the 21st century: What does it mean to follow Jesus in a celebrity-obsessed age? In […]
The future of American Christianity: An interview with David Campbell
By Jonathan Merritt — February 7, 2013
Note: Each Friday, “On Faith & Culture” will feature an exclusive interview with a Christian thought leader or a voice of importance to the American Christian community. David Campbell is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame and co-author (with Robert Putnam) of American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us. […]
Obama fails to win over religious conservatives on contraception mandate
By Jonathan Merritt — February 5, 2013
When the Obama administration announced mandatory coverage of contraceptives in January of last year as part of sweeping healthcare reform, religious conservatives were incensed. Roman Catholics were angry because the church prohibits use of birth control, even though most congregants ignore the teaching. Evangelicals were upset because religious non-profits were not exempt from the mandate, which […]
And so begins our journey
By Jonathan Merritt — February 3, 2013
Objectivity is an illusion. A fairy tale. Gold spun from straw. No writer is completely unbiased, regardless of the level of attention they give to journalistic integrity or impartiality or deference to opposing views. Every one sees life through a particular lens whether they realize it or not. As the late evangelical Christian thinker, Francis […]
Analysis: The myth of Mitt Romney’s evangelical problem
By Jonathan Merritt — September 17, 2012
(RNS) Mitt Romney has an evangelical problem. Or so we’ve been told by the national media. But there’s one glaring problem with the storyline: It’s not true. By Jonathan Merritt.
Analysis: The unexpected evangelical silence on Mitt Romney’s Mormonism
By Jonathan Merritt — June 11, 2012
(RNS) The relative ambivalence among prominent evangelicals about this new "Mormon moment" -- and the fact that Mitt Romney's campaign could mainstream Mormonism right into the Oval Office – could radically shift the dynamics on America's political and religious landscape. By Jonathan Merritt.
Guest commentary by Jonathan Merritt: A new way of being Christian
By Jonathan Merritt — May 7, 2012
(RNS) A distinctive way of being Christian in the public square — a softer, less partisan way — is emerging. And this cultural change could be the very thing our faith needs to survive. By Jonathan Merritt.
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