Religion and Politics

Bob Smietana of Religion News Service reports that Beth Moore, the renowned Bible teacher and author, has left the Southern Baptist Convention and severed ties with its publisher, Lifeway. In a phone interview, she said, “I love so many Southern Baptist people, so many Southern Baptist churches, but I don’t identify with some of the things in our heritage that haven’t remained in the past.” Moore has specifically taken issue with the denomination’s unwillingness to denounce racism, Christian nationalism, and sexual assault among its leaders. Smietana writes, “Lifeway will still carry Moore’s books and promote some of her events. Those events will likely be smaller, attracting a few hundred people rather than thousands, said Moore, at least in the beginning.”