Jon Sawyer
@jonsawyer.org
Writing on education and religion | University of Colorado Boulder | National Education Policy Center | https://www.jonsawyer.org
I shall henceforth think about everything we are witnessing around Christian nationalism, policy and the law as the “puritan mistake”
July 10, 2025 at 3:31 AM
I shall henceforth think about everything we are witnessing around Christian nationalism, policy and the law as the “puritan mistake”
If you’re looking for a book on religion and public education in the US, I can’t recommend this one enough. I’m assigning it for an undergrad class I’m teaching in the fall on the history of American public education. It leaves no stone unturned, and it is super reader friendly for an academic book.
July 2, 2025 at 1:59 AM
If you’re looking for a book on religion and public education in the US, I can’t recommend this one enough. I’m assigning it for an undergrad class I’m teaching in the fall on the history of American public education. It leaves no stone unturned, and it is super reader friendly for an academic book.
Powerful start to the dissent in the case about opting out on LGBTQ+ topics in public schools. Someone gets it on the Court, but far too few.
June 28, 2025 at 2:23 AM
Powerful start to the dissent in the case about opting out on LGBTQ+ topics in public schools. Someone gets it on the Court, but far too few.
This is insightful work by @chelseaebin.bsky.social, troubling the idea that today’s Right is solely a reactionary response to perceived victimization (i.e., “Judeo-Christian values” are under threat). Ebin shows how political actors use that narrative to advance a clear, proactive political agenda.
May 15, 2025 at 4:59 AM
This is insightful work by @chelseaebin.bsky.social, troubling the idea that today’s Right is solely a reactionary response to perceived victimization (i.e., “Judeo-Christian values” are under threat). Ebin shows how political actors use that narrative to advance a clear, proactive political agenda.
Let’s hope. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/w...
May 8, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Let’s hope. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/w...
Really looking forward to teaching this course in the fall!
May 6, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Really looking forward to teaching this course in the fall!
We are living through yet another era of state sanctioned scapegoating. Standing with my friends and colleagues who are impacted. In truth, this political targeting does nothing good for any of us.
May 6, 2025 at 7:16 PM
We are living through yet another era of state sanctioned scapegoating. Standing with my friends and colleagues who are impacted. In truth, this political targeting does nothing good for any of us.
As Trump and his cronies threaten Harvard’s tax exemption, remember that there are churches that have full size cardboard cut outs of the wanna-be King during their worship services. This is from Kingdom Life Church in Frisco, TX a few months ago.
April 17, 2025 at 2:57 AM
As Trump and his cronies threaten Harvard’s tax exemption, remember that there are churches that have full size cardboard cut outs of the wanna-be King during their worship services. This is from Kingdom Life Church in Frisco, TX a few months ago.
In his 2020 book, Schoolhouse Burning, Derek Black wrote that today’s “rallying cry is against public education itself.” This is a clip of Jake Clay, head of the K-12 BRAVE Academy, speaking at BRAVE Church near Denver. The lead pastor recently prayed over Donald Trump at the Resolute Desk.
March 31, 2025 at 2:20 AM
In his 2020 book, Schoolhouse Burning, Derek Black wrote that today’s “rallying cry is against public education itself.” This is a clip of Jake Clay, head of the K-12 BRAVE Academy, speaking at BRAVE Church near Denver. The lead pastor recently prayed over Donald Trump at the Resolute Desk.
Bad news; I think. Check this clip out from a few months ago, during which the pastor interviewed Eric Metaxas
March 30, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Bad news; I think. Check this clip out from a few months ago, during which the pastor interviewed Eric Metaxas
I was recently tipped off about BRAVE Church near Denver. Since then, I've been going down the rabbit hole. The senior pastor, who recently prayed over Trump at the Resolute Desk, combines a toxic brew of Calvinist Reconstructionism & charismaticism. This has breen tried before. It doesn't end well.
March 30, 2025 at 5:37 AM
I was recently tipped off about BRAVE Church near Denver. Since then, I've been going down the rabbit hole. The senior pastor, who recently prayed over Trump at the Resolute Desk, combines a toxic brew of Calvinist Reconstructionism & charismaticism. This has breen tried before. It doesn't end well.
Churches to avoid: BRAVE Church near Denver. Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub opens his sermon last Sunday discussing his Resolute Desk prayer. Unsurprisingly, "Pastor" Jeff is also unflinching in his opposition to LGBTQ+ visibility & recommends that his congregants flee public schools.
March 30, 2025 at 5:00 AM
Churches to avoid: BRAVE Church near Denver. Pastor Jeff Schwarzentraub opens his sermon last Sunday discussing his Resolute Desk prayer. Unsurprisingly, "Pastor" Jeff is also unflinching in his opposition to LGBTQ+ visibility & recommends that his congregants flee public schools.
I’ve read enough of the Founding Fathers to know that at least James Madison is rolling in his grave. Here, the religious MAGA base keeps pressing to erode democratic norms as Lance Wallnau trains the crowd to chant: “Government. Church. Together.”
March 15, 2025 at 4:17 AM
I’ve read enough of the Founding Fathers to know that at least James Madison is rolling in his grave. Here, the religious MAGA base keeps pressing to erode democratic norms as Lance Wallnau trains the crowd to chant: “Government. Church. Together.”
The religious MAGA base keeps pressing to erode democratic norms. Here, on FlashPoint Live, Lance Wallnau trains the crowd to chant: “Government. Church. Together.”
March 15, 2025 at 4:04 AM
The religious MAGA base keeps pressing to erode democratic norms. Here, on FlashPoint Live, Lance Wallnau trains the crowd to chant: “Government. Church. Together.”
That was one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen from the so-called leaders of our nation. Standing with Ukraine. Grieving for America.
February 28, 2025 at 10:52 PM
That was one of the most disturbing things I’ve seen from the so-called leaders of our nation. Standing with Ukraine. Grieving for America.
This is Lance Wallnau & Roberts Liardon, both toxic Christian dominionists, cackling about dismantling the Department of Education. I wrote about what their version of American education would look like here religiondispatches.org/rising-influ...
February 17, 2025 at 7:13 AM
This is Lance Wallnau & Roberts Liardon, both toxic Christian dominionists, cackling about dismantling the Department of Education. I wrote about what their version of American education would look like here religiondispatches.org/rising-influ...
These are not good people. Here, Steve Bannon chats with Lance Wallnau (of 7 Mountains/New Apostolic Reformation fame) about seizing the institutions — with help of the White House Faith Office.
February 17, 2025 at 3:41 AM
These are not good people. Here, Steve Bannon chats with Lance Wallnau (of 7 Mountains/New Apostolic Reformation fame) about seizing the institutions — with help of the White House Faith Office.
Feeling a little nostalgic for the days when American evangelical Christians largely believed transcendence of the law came only through faith in Christ. But, the golden calf is so enticing.
February 16, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Feeling a little nostalgic for the days when American evangelical Christians largely believed transcendence of the law came only through faith in Christ. But, the golden calf is so enticing.
I’ve been saying this for a couple years now, but finally an admission from Lance Wallnau (of New Apostolic Reformation/MAGA fame) that he has been deeply influenced by Roberts Liardon’s militaristic teaching. Check out my article on the NAR for more than a glimpse into the shadow sides of Liardon.
February 15, 2025 at 3:17 AM
I’ve been saying this for a couple years now, but finally an admission from Lance Wallnau (of New Apostolic Reformation/MAGA fame) that he has been deeply influenced by Roberts Liardon’s militaristic teaching. Check out my article on the NAR for more than a glimpse into the shadow sides of Liardon.
The order calls for “ending any form of religious discrimination by the Federal Government.” This is code for squashing any effort to regulate religiously motivated discrimination — toward LGBTQ folks or any group that doesn’t fit the Christian Nationalist narrative.
February 8, 2025 at 12:33 AM
The order calls for “ending any form of religious discrimination by the Federal Government.” This is code for squashing any effort to regulate religiously motivated discrimination — toward LGBTQ folks or any group that doesn’t fit the Christian Nationalist narrative.
On the recent Executive Order on Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias: note that according to Open Doors, a Christian org that tracks Christian persecution worldwide, America is *not* on the list. Yet in 2024, there were 533 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. This is about scapegoating, not religious freedom.
February 7, 2025 at 5:05 AM
On the recent Executive Order on Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias: note that according to Open Doors, a Christian org that tracks Christian persecution worldwide, America is *not* on the list. Yet in 2024, there were 533 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. This is about scapegoating, not religious freedom.
This one chills my bones. It is not about religious freedom, but about entangling government so deeply with religion that believers may one day lose the very liberties they think are being strengthened.
February 7, 2025 at 12:48 AM
This one chills my bones. It is not about religious freedom, but about entangling government so deeply with religion that believers may one day lose the very liberties they think are being strengthened.