Institute on Religion & Democracy
@theird.bsky.social
The Institute on Religion & Democracy is an ecumenical Christian think tank committed to responsible Christian witness in society rooted in historic church teaching. We affirm democracy, human rights and religious freedom for all. www.theird.org
The moral genius of Anglo Protestants who crafted The Declaration was aspiration of human equality for all, not just for people like themselves, writes @markdtooley.bsky.social. “Heritage Americans” prioritize ancestry over Declaration’s universality.
Heritage Americans?
The moral genius of Anglo Protestants who crafted The Declaration was aspiration of human equality for all, not just for people like themselves.
juicyecumenism.com
November 21, 2025 at 5:59 PM
The moral genius of Anglo Protestants who crafted The Declaration was aspiration of human equality for all, not just for people like themselves, writes @markdtooley.bsky.social. “Heritage Americans” prioritize ancestry over Declaration’s universality.
Faith which begins from personal choice - rather than authority one has good reason to trust - seems to be the “common thread” running through the deconstruction stories told by many people who have turned away from Christianity.
Examining the Meaning of Faith for Those Who Walk Away
Faith which begins from personal choice - rather than authority one has good reason to trust - seems to be the “common thread” running through the deconstruction stories told by many people who have t...
juicyecumenism.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Faith which begins from personal choice - rather than authority one has good reason to trust - seems to be the “common thread” running through the deconstruction stories told by many people who have turned away from Christianity.
WATCH: IRD hosts the Rev. Theodore Hoham, Associate Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia on November 19 for our “Wednesday Worship” noonday prayer. Hoham spoke on Ephesians 6:10-13 and John 8:31-36 themed “Stay in the Fight.”
Wednesday Worship with Theodore Hoham
Lutheran minister Theodore Hoham spoke to the IRD staff and guests on Ephesians 6:10-13 and John 8:31-36 themed “Stay in the Fight.”
juicyecumenism.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:33 PM
WATCH: IRD hosts the Rev. Theodore Hoham, Associate Pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia on November 19 for our “Wednesday Worship” noonday prayer. Hoham spoke on Ephesians 6:10-13 and John 8:31-36 themed “Stay in the Fight.”
Even though American churches are in a period of decline, God has been raising up churches in other places, writes Riley Case.
Third World Methodism's Rise
These churches thrive not because of strategies conceived by U.S. persons in high places but because of U.S. churches and individuals supporting indigenous efforts.
juicyecumenism.com
November 18, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Even though American churches are in a period of decline, God has been raising up churches in other places, writes Riley Case.
Professional Women: please join us on Saturday, November 22 for our next Women’s Brunch featuring Dr. Becky Munson, Department Chair for Government and Public Policy and an associate professor in Liberty University’s School of Government. More: theird.org/events/ird-p...
November 18, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Professional Women: please join us on Saturday, November 22 for our next Women’s Brunch featuring Dr. Becky Munson, Department Chair for Government and Public Policy and an associate professor in Liberty University’s School of Government. More: theird.org/events/ird-p...
As Archbishop Steve Wood is suspended by the senior-most bishops of the Anglican Church in North America, some stress that complaints against Wood are not the extent of a crisis of trust.
‘Season of Strain and Sorrow’: Anglican Bishops Inhibit Archbishop
Influential voices within the denomination have raised concerns for weeks, not only about the allegations made against Wood but also processes and canonical structures.
juicyecumenism.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:54 PM
As Archbishop Steve Wood is suspended by the senior-most bishops of the Anglican Church in North America, some stress that complaints against Wood are not the extent of a crisis of trust.
LISTEN: IRD's @markdtooley.bsky.social joins Andy Miller on the More to the Story podcast to discuss how Christians should engage the public square—especially in light of rising antisemitism on both sides of the political spectrum.
Antisemitism, Christian Zionism & Methodism.
Here’s Andy Miller of Wesley Biblical Seminary asking me about antisemitism, Christian Zionism and Methodism. And here’s podcast:
juicyecumenism.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:18 PM
LISTEN: IRD's @markdtooley.bsky.social joins Andy Miller on the More to the Story podcast to discuss how Christians should engage the public square—especially in light of rising antisemitism on both sides of the political spectrum.
Can "Side B" and its proposed ideas of “gay Christian” and “spiritual friendship” be understood as Biblical?
Alisa Childers and the 'Side B' Framework
Repentance of homosexual or transgender identity is possible and is the only way to be an obedient Christian. The same message of faith and repentance applies to anyone struggling with any sin.
juicyecumenism.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Can "Side B" and its proposed ideas of “gay Christian” and “spiritual friendship” be understood as Biblical?
“Communal life in Christ is messy,” Global Methodist Pastor Jeffrey Rickman notes in a recent episode of the PlainSpoken podcast. “Methodists and Anglicans have a lot in common. I think that, by learning about them, believers in other tribes can also learn to see themselves rightly.”
Global Anglicanism's Challenges
IRD's Jeff Walton joins Global Methodist Pastor Jeffrey Rickman of the PlainSpoken podcast to discuss the state of Global Anglicanism as well as present crises within the Anglican Church.
juicyecumenism.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:44 PM
“Communal life in Christ is messy,” Global Methodist Pastor Jeffrey Rickman notes in a recent episode of the PlainSpoken podcast. “Methodists and Anglicans have a lot in common. I think that, by learning about them, believers in other tribes can also learn to see themselves rightly.”
With new opportunity comes a familiar challenge. Syria is not yet realizing the fruits of its valiant uprising, writes Richard Ghazal.
Trump must hold Syria’s new leader al-Sharaa accountable
Legitimacy will depend on whether he defends all Syrians.
juicyecumenism.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:42 PM
With new opportunity comes a familiar challenge. Syria is not yet realizing the fruits of its valiant uprising, writes Richard Ghazal.
In the homes of his newspaper delivery customers, Riley Case as a young boy observed how they lived, becoming convinced many of these were the “poor in spirit” whom Jesus spoke of.
Mennonites, Methodists, and ‘The Poor in Spirit’
If we allow Scripture to permeate our heart and mind, it is bound to affect us, writes Riley Case on the Beatitudes and 'the Poor in Spirit.'
juicyecumenism.com
November 10, 2025 at 3:11 PM
In the homes of his newspaper delivery customers, Riley Case as a young boy observed how they lived, becoming convinced many of these were the “poor in spirit” whom Jesus spoke of.
The charge that Christian Zionism is "heresy" evinces that pro-Israel Christians need to upgrade their talking points and their theology, writes @markdtooley.bsky.social.
Christian Zionism as Heresy?
Is Christian Zionism a “heresy?” Some think so, including a publicized young staffer at the Heritage Foundation, who said: Gen...
juicyecumenism.com
November 7, 2025 at 10:39 PM
The charge that Christian Zionism is "heresy" evinces that pro-Israel Christians need to upgrade their talking points and their theology, writes @markdtooley.bsky.social.
In Christian circles, a major paradox is emerging: the rise of intellectualism that is, in practice, anti-intellectual, writes Lauren Knights.
Anti-Intellectual Christianity’s Rise in the Digital Age
In this digital era, where every meme is a manifesto and every reel a micro-sermon, young believers are reframing Christian witness in ways that bypass traditional church structures.
juicyecumenism.com
November 7, 2025 at 5:56 PM
In Christian circles, a major paradox is emerging: the rise of intellectualism that is, in practice, anti-intellectual, writes Lauren Knights.
It’s not the rule follower that God is looking for, it’s the one who loves him, the one with a changed heart.
Wesley, Commandments and Changed Hearts
The God who is love acts according to his character, writes John Wesley Institute Director Dr. Ryan N. Danker.
juicyecumenism.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:09 PM
It’s not the rule follower that God is looking for, it’s the one who loves him, the one with a changed heart.
The idea that “muting ourselves” about the Biblical sexual morality that Christians believe in “would have no serious consequences” has been proven wrong, insists John West. When cultural destruction proceeds unopposed, you only “get more of it.”
The Darwinian Foundation of the Sexual Revolution
Only "a permanent moral standard independent of natural selection" will allow one to criticize any developed morality as a whole, but the objective existence of such a standard is precisely what class...
juicyecumenism.com
November 6, 2025 at 3:50 PM
The idea that “muting ourselves” about the Biblical sexual morality that Christians believe in “would have no serious consequences” has been proven wrong, insists John West. When cultural destruction proceeds unopposed, you only “get more of it.”
Pastor Jake Dell describes Reconquista as a generational answer to a question that has been asked for years: “How did these [Christian founded] institutions get so far off track”?
Reconquista and a Subverted Mainline
Pastor Jake Dell of The First Congregational Church of Woodbury, Connecticut describes Reconquista as a generational answer to a question that has been asked for years: “How did these [Christian found...
juicyecumenism.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Pastor Jake Dell describes Reconquista as a generational answer to a question that has been asked for years: “How did these [Christian founded] institutions get so far off track”?
All Saints’ Day was arguably John Wesley’s favorite festival of the Christian year, writes Ryan Danker. Wesley was an admirer of the holiday because its focus is holiness, and a saint is someone who in their life and their actions reflects Christ.
John Wesley and All Saints’ Day
Let’s celebrate All Saints’ Day this year by looking to those who reflect Christ, who point to Christ, and follow their example.
juicyecumenism.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:01 PM
All Saints’ Day was arguably John Wesley’s favorite festival of the Christian year, writes Ryan Danker. Wesley was an admirer of the holiday because its focus is holiness, and a saint is someone who in their life and their actions reflects Christ.
The perceived liberal turn in the Society of Jesus has diminished its standing in the minds of the faithful, a change reflected in the implosion of Jesuit vocations. Yet all hope for the Jesuits is not yet lost, writes Wyatt Flicker.
Jesuit Renewal?
In the Society, there is an appetite to deepen devotion to Ignatius’ vision, to affirm Catholic teaching, and to re-evangelize Jesuit institutions who have gone astray.
juicyecumenism.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:57 PM
The perceived liberal turn in the Society of Jesus has diminished its standing in the minds of the faithful, a change reflected in the implosion of Jesuit vocations. Yet all hope for the Jesuits is not yet lost, writes Wyatt Flicker.
There’s nothing new about the upsurge in antisemitism among Christians. It’s a very old evil, parcel to fallen humanity’s proclivity to fault others for the world’s ailments, when all of us as sinners are contributors, writes @markdtooley.bsky.social.
Christian Antisemitism
Tucker Carlson’s platforming of antisemitic social influencer Nick Fuentes, who proclaims “Christ is King,” evinces the reemergence of antisemitism in...
juicyecumenism.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:54 PM
There’s nothing new about the upsurge in antisemitism among Christians. It’s a very old evil, parcel to fallen humanity’s proclivity to fault others for the world’s ailments, when all of us as sinners are contributors, writes @markdtooley.bsky.social.
Women historically had unprecedented social status within Christianity, yet women are leaving the church at higher levels than they ever have before, with Gen Z women leading the departure. Increasingly taking their place are Millennial and Gen Z men. Why has this flip occurred?
Drawing Gen Z Women Back to the Church
The religion that was once two-thirds women is beginning a reversal of that trend, according to polls by Barna and the Survey Center on American Life.
juicyecumenism.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Women historically had unprecedented social status within Christianity, yet women are leaving the church at higher levels than they ever have before, with Gen Z women leading the departure. Increasingly taking their place are Millennial and Gen Z men. Why has this flip occurred?
If doctrines such as Original Sin and the Blood Atonement had been a part of Christian teaching for 1,900 years why should the church change the essence of its faith because a few self-appointed professors insisted that it do so?
The Failed Vision of Methodists' Modernist Elite
Mainline Protestantism’s drift into theological modernism in the past century, and the conservative reaction, affects the prospects for Christian faith in the 21st century.
juicyecumenism.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:36 PM
If doctrines such as Original Sin and the Blood Atonement had been a part of Christian teaching for 1,900 years why should the church change the essence of its faith because a few self-appointed professors insisted that it do so?
Eucharistic protest or liturgical stunt? Clergy who could not have reasonably expected to gain access to immigration detention facilities are showing up anyway, even as other priests have established consistent chaplaincies at detention facilities, reports Wyatt Flicker.
Detained Immigrants and Eucharistic Protest
A progressive mindset only conceives of migrants as victims of state violence and fails to capture the ensouled dimension of their humanity, fixating on their utility as a political lever.
juicyecumenism.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Eucharistic protest or liturgical stunt? Clergy who could not have reasonably expected to gain access to immigration detention facilities are showing up anyway, even as other priests have established consistent chaplaincies at detention facilities, reports Wyatt Flicker.
“Power rooted in fear cannot last,” shares @repmoolenaar.bsky.social of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party at @provmagazine.bsky.social Christianity & National Security Conference. “History has never been kind to governments that try to erase belief.”
October 17, 2025 at 3:37 PM
“Power rooted in fear cannot last,” shares @repmoolenaar.bsky.social of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party at @provmagazine.bsky.social Christianity & National Security Conference. “History has never been kind to governments that try to erase belief.”
October’s @provmagazine.bsky.social editors’ luncheon hearing from Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America for an introduction to India’s international relations and Hindu nationalism. For more on these events visit: theird.org/events/
October 15, 2025 at 6:04 PM
October’s @provmagazine.bsky.social editors’ luncheon hearing from Dhruva Jaishankar, Executive Director of the Observer Research Foundation America for an introduction to India’s international relations and Hindu nationalism. For more on these events visit: theird.org/events/
Christian faith, especially mainline Protestantism, is being severely tested today writes Riley Case. The retired Methodist pastor revisits a time of racial conflict during his own ministry with lessons for today.
Mainline Protestantism Tested: Racial Unrest
Mainline Protestantism was tested during the racial unrest that followed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, Riley Case recounts.
juicyecumenism.com
October 15, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Christian faith, especially mainline Protestantism, is being severely tested today writes Riley Case. The retired Methodist pastor revisits a time of racial conflict during his own ministry with lessons for today.