Behind the News

African American men, women, and children outside of churchAfrican American men, women, and children outside of church, 1899. Compiled by W.E.B. Du Bois (Photo: Library of Congress)

Reconstructing the American Tradition of Domestic Terrorism

Yesterday’s horrific murder of nine people worshipping at Charleston’s Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church replayed a central theme in American history. It is the question, fought for centuries with both words and weapons: to whom does this country belong?

RFRA Protests in IndianapolisRFRA Protests in Indianapolis, March 28, 2015 (Photo: Justin Eagan Wikimedia Commons)

“Religious Freedom” Laws and a Longstanding Battle within American Christianity

In the wake of Indiana’s passage of its controversial Religious Freedom Restoration Act, much of the national debate has focused on the conflicts between American Christianity and other national ideals, but it is important to contextualize the law as part of a longstanding conflict within American Christianity