On Faith and Culture
Advice for dealing with critics — from a religion writer with plenty of them
By Jonathan Merritt — March 9, 2018
If you have courage enough to speak up in this divided and uncivil moment, you'll soon find yourself facing a wave of criticism and resistance.
Responding to American Christianity’s obsession with youth
By Jonathan Merritt — March 1, 2018
Author Andrew Root says, "As the church finds itself with an authenticity deficit, it often runs to youthful forms to legitimate it."
Desiring God, mental health, and the truth about ‘chronological snobbery’
By Jonathan Merritt — February 16, 2018
"Thank God for psychologists and Lexapro," writes Jonathan Merritt. "Without them, I might be dead today."
What living with a death sentence can teach all of us about life
By Jonathan Merritt — February 6, 2018
(RNS) — 'If someone found cancer to be a gift, wonderful. But there is a certain cruelty to asking suffering people to bear the weight of other people’s theological conundrums,' Christian historian Kate Bowler tells RNS' Jonathan Merritt. (Commentary)
Is the ‘evangelical’ label worth preserving or nah?
By Jonathan Merritt — February 2, 2018
Should we abandon the term or work to revive it? Theologian John Stackhouse weighs in.
Nancy Pearcey and Jonathan Merritt spar on the hottest of hot topics
By Jonathan Merritt — January 26, 2018
Pearcey's razor-sharp mind combined with a compelling personal story makes her a powerful, if undervalued, champion for conservatives.
Moving beyond a fear-based faith
By Jonathan Merritt — January 19, 2018
Fear is largely seen as a psychological issue. But it is also a spiritual issue, according to author Benjamin Corey.
‘Double persecution’: The untold plight of Christian women worldwide
By Jonathan Merritt — January 10, 2018
Every day, six Christian women are reportedly raped, sexually harassed or forced to marry under threat of execution due to their faith.
The 12 most dangerous countries for Christians
By Jonathan Merritt — January 10, 2018
While American Christians are a privileged majority, their brothers and sisters in many places are a persecuted minority.
RNS Best of 2017: Eugene Peterson backtracks on same-sex marriage
By Jonathan Merritt — December 31, 2017
(RNS) — After condemnation from conservatives, 'The Message' author says he regrets telling RNS columnist Jonathan Merritt that he would officiate a same-sex wedding.
Sexuality, race, and gender: 3 explosive insights about America’s 100 largest churches
By Jonathan Merritt — December 29, 2017
Last October, evangelicalism was rocked by the launch of ChurchClarity.org, an organization that reports churches’ LGBTQ+ policies and rates congregations based on their level of clarity. The website angered Christians on both sides of the issue. Some conservatives attacked the CC’s liberal leadership, while some progressives claimed that labeling churches undermined progress. Nevertheless, Church Clarity persisted. […]
Forget ‘Happy Holidays.’ Let’s talk about Congress this Christmas.
By Jonathan Merritt — December 23, 2017
Talking about public policy may not seem like a festive activity, but it is sorely needed.
After Roy Moore, evangelicals must trade wishful thinking for soul-searching
By Jonathan Merritt — December 13, 2017
Some people choose to live in houses filled with covered mirrors, but Christians cannot afford to be those kinds of people.
Amid a sex abuse crisis, a new conservative Christian vision for womanhood?
By Jonathan Merritt — December 7, 2017
Julie Roys says feminism may have contributed to our current crisis and fundamentalists may be making it worse.
Needed: A coalition of feminists and conservative Christians
By Jonathan Merritt — November 28, 2017
It is time for the two groups to set aside their differences and unite for the common good.
Jonathan Merritt
On Faith and Culture
Jonathan Merritt is a senior columnist and contributing editor 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 the author of "Learning to Speak God from Scratch: Why Sacred Words are Vanishing - and How We Can Revive Them," "Jesus is Better Than You Imagined," and "A Faith of Our Own: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture Wars." He resides in Brooklyn, NY.
