What’s a “daddy cult”? When progressives hear the word “patriarchy,” they might think of systemic misogyny in politics and business. When I hear that word, I think of the religious framework that kept me and my six younger siblings trapped in our own home. A “daddy cult” is a nuclear-family-sized cult designed and enforced by … Continue reading I Survived a Rural Evangelical Daddy Cult →

If You Are Not Sure of My Race…It’s Okay to Ask

by Michelle Ami Reyes

We need to give greater weight to and be careful about the names we use to describe cultural groups. Research now shows that receiving a name is a form of “social tagging,” as every name comes with associated expectations regarding characteristics, behaviors, and even a stereotypical “look” within a culture. In other words, what you … Continue reading If You Are Not Sure of My Race…It’s Okay to Ask →

“How Are You Doing?” in the Wake of Atlanta

by Liz Lin

In the last week, many people have been kind to ask how I’m doing, and I don’t have a simple answer. Here’s a first attempt to unpack that.

Anti-Asian Racism is Traumatizing Our Community

by Wendy Hsu

As an Asian woman in the mental health field, it is infuriating seeing how authorities in Atlanta have been handling this. The way they excuse the shooter by attributing things to his sex addiction, is not only inaccurate and hurting the Asian communities, but it also further stigmatizes mental illnesses. The misogyny or fetishization of … Continue reading Anti-Asian Racism is Traumatizing Our Community →

Abuse Survivors need Church Leaders to Do More than “Apologize”

by Taylor Johnson

Every time there is a new allegation of abuse in the church, I catch my breath. The problem with trauma is that it’s always there, under your skin, re-living in the experiences of others.  I do this work both as a trauma survivor and a daughter, of a pastor and of evangelicalism. I remember my … Continue reading Abuse Survivors need Church Leaders to Do More than “Apologize” →

The White Church Must Move Beyond Performative Justice

by Terence Lester

What continues to contribute to the separated black and white Church is not just the race conversation but also how each Church experiences God in their racial and social experience. For each of these churches, it’s more than race; it’s the existential experience as well.  In 2016, I held two simultaneous pastorships at the same … Continue reading The White Church Must Move Beyond Performative Justice →