The Convocation Digest [1:8]: The Spirit of Justice, Abortion About-Face, Common Prayer/Good, and a New Census of American Religion

Jemar's new book, The Spirit of Justice, drops this Tuesday (09/03).

Welcome to the next edition of The Convocation Digest, which brings into one place a collection of the best writing from each of our Substack newsletters (and occasional guest posts from other writers in our orbit):

• Footnotes by Jemar Tisby

• The Cottage by Diana Butler Bass;

• Du Mez CONNECTIONS by Kristin Du Mez; and

• White Too Long by Robert P. Jones; and

And be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch our video podcast, The Convocation Unscripted.

Warmly,
Jemar, Diana Kristin, and Robby

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From Jemar

First, the big news this week is that Jemar’s new book, The Spirit of Justice, is coming out this Tuesday, September 3. Pre-order your copy today at TheSpiritOfJustice.com. And check out this video trailer for his book. 

Also from Jemar this week: Many critics on the Right say, “You can’t be a Christian and vote for a Democratic candidate.” They are mostly saying this in reference to white Christians. But it begs the question, what about Black Christians who overwhelmingly vote Democratic? Are they Christians? It’s a ludicrous question, but one that the critics must answer if they insist that voting Republican is the only “Christian” option. 

Are Black Christians Who Vote for Democratic Candidates, Christians?

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From Kristin

Kristin wrote about attending the DNC last week and reflected on moments where both Michelle and Barack Obama cautioned their own followers not to exacerbate political polarization, but rather to engage with humility and integrity. We all have our blind spots and prejudices, and if we’re trying to win people over, we need to listen well and extend grace in all directions.

Dispatches from the DNC

She also reflects this week on Pete Wehner’s scathing critique of pro-life evangelicals in The Atlantic in light of Trump’s about-face on abortion. What does this tell us about the political motivations of pro-life evangelicals, what does it mean for November (spoiler: probably nothing), and what does this mean for the future of the pro-life movement? 

Abortion About-Face

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From Diana

Last week's Democratic convention got Diana thinking about an old-fashioned word -- "common" -- and what sharing means for both prayer and politics. 

Common Prayer, Common Good

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From Robby

Robby unpacks the latest from PRRI’s 2023 Census of American Religion, based on nearly 500,000 interviews (yes, that is not a typo!) over the last decade.

11 Facts and Charts from PRRI's 2023 Census of American Religion

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Be sure to subscribe to The Convocation Unscripted YouTube channel to watch our video podcasts.

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