Public Theology

This Great Idea is a compilation of recent posts and articles – all published on March 24, 2026 – calling the Church to bold public witness and moral clarity.

The world is ‘yearning for a more robust conversation about morality’* – one informed by theologies that counteract white christian nationalism.

*Lauren Jackson, in ‘The Role of Public Theology in Crisis‘ (NY Times / Believing Newsletter; sorry – I can’t offer a free peek!), asks: ‘When a whole society is facing a crisis, what voices and sources help us navigate our collective struggle?’

If it’s not the voice of the Church – the voice articulating God’s preference for the least, the lost, the lonely among us; Christ’s voice of love for our neighbor – by feeding the hungry, healing the sick, welcoming the stranger, visiting the imprisoned; the Spirit’s voice of co-creation and harmony with all that is – then other voices will – and have – fill[ed] in the gap.

Rev. Cameron Trimble, in Who Counts? What Counts? (Piloting Faith), asserts, ‘[People of faith] are asked to see clearly, to recognize when competing goods are in tension, to name the trade-offs being made, and to remain attentive to those who will bear the costs.

Justice is not served by slogans. It is served by clarity, by the courage to ask who is standing inside the circle, and who is being asked, once again, to prove that they belong.’

She is responding to the current push of the SAVE Act, which will limit access to voting for millions of Americans.

Trimble writes, ‘People of faith are not asked to resolve every policy debate.’

But it behooves us to foster public conversations and shape public opinions so that those who bear the weight of public policy do not do so unjustly.

Trimble’s Reflection Questions would foster a healthy community-wide conversation on the particular topic of Voter Registration and ‘trust in elections’ – which might open up further conversations about trust, in general, and who belongs, in general.

In Closing the Empathy Gap (Liberating Word), Rev. Michael Piazza continues the theme of public discourse that creates moral clarity, writing, ‘When we reduce people to categories – the undocumented, the unhoused, the addict, the criminal, the welfare recipient, the OTHER – it makes it easier to support policies that harm them. We create what psychologists call ’empathy gaps.’

Jesus’ tears push back against such gaps. He insists on caring relentlessly about the full humanity of every person… These… stories… are a revelation of the true nature of God. They call us to live out that very image and likeness. Empathy, practiced seriously is an act of resistance against Empire. It is a cornerstone of the kin-dom of God.’

When public opinion is swayed to ‘other’ any group of people, the Church’s voice is essential in clarifying that we are all God’s beloved children, all made in God’s image, all equal under the banner of God’s love.

How might your congregation bear public witness to God’s love?

How might your congregation become a place for public discourse?

How might your congregation more effectively shape and inform public opinion?

Step One: Join the Palm Sunday Path!

Step Two: Participate (online or in-person in Duluth) the EcoFaith Summit of the Upper Midwest – From Fear to Fire: Igniting Community for a Planet in Peril.

  • April 17 & 18, 2026
  • First Lutheran Church, Duluth, MN – and online
  • Rousing Intergenerational Worship
    • Spoken Word Artist & Theologian – Joe Davis
    • Drawn to the Word Artist – Paul Oman
  • We-Note Speakers
    • Rev. Kristen Glass Perez – Chaplain, George Washington University/Director, Center for Interfaith and Spiritual Life
    • Brooke Elness – Senior, Princeton High School
    • Minister JaNaé Bates Imari – Co-Executive Director, ISAIAH
    • Eóin Small – Organizer, Rise & Repair
    • Lacy Tooker-Kirkevold – Director for Children, Youth, and Family, Diamond Lake Lutheran Church & Youth & Young Adult Laiason, EcoFaith Summit of the Upper Midwest Organizing Team
  • Partner Tables – resources to share
  • Action Stations – hands-on engagement
  • Fireseed Sessions – take-home wisdom
  • Friday afternoon at Ishkode – Indigenous fire knowledge engagement

Step Three: Create opportunities for regular reflection – in the public square – on topics of interest and need in your community.

  • Move outside your building – a park in the summer, a tavern or coffee shop in the winter.
  • Invite neighbors – let this be a space for members and non-members to meet and interact.
  • Set safe boundaries for the conversation. Here are some tips.
  • Establish a clear set of questions to be addressed and encourage folx to stay on topic. Rev. Trimble, in Piloting Faith, often has excellent approaches to complex issues.