New and Noteworthy: Friendlier Churches, Democracy, and More

Three culture recommendations from our editors.

Shooting Up

Clarity Amid the Noise

The Straight White American Jesus podcast believes “democracy depends on religious literacy.” Hosts Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller, both former evangelical pastors, offer weekly Sunday interviews and refreshing insights on current events. Axis Mundi

Jesus Cliques

What’s the point of worshiping in community if you always feel like an outsider? In Becoming a Friendlier Church, Baylor professor Matthew D. Kim argues that racial, economic, and theological cliques keep most American churches today from truly welcoming strangers. Baker Books

Needles and Grace

Jonathan Tepper grew up in 1980s Madrid as a son of American missionaries ministering to heroin addicts during the AIDS crisis. Shooting Up is a clear-eyed account of witnessing both the devastation of addiction and the fragile hope born of compassion and recovery. Infinite Books

 

This appears in the July 2026 issue of Sojourners