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Report from the Capital
BJC publishes Report from the Capital, a quarterly magazine providing news and analysis about issues impacting faith freedom for all. Want to receive it in the mail? Subscriptions are free! Join our mailing list.
Nine months into the second Trump administration, once-hypothetical threats to religious freedom are now a reality. Mass deportations, a new travel ban, efforts to weaken the Johnson Amendment, voting rights rollbacks, and a nationwide school voucher program (passed through the budget reconciliation bill) are reshaping the legal and cultural landscape. State level proposals also are signaling a resurgence of policies that blur the church-state line.
This issue provides tools to understand current threats, take action, and find hope in the future.
Read the magazine in your preferred format:
A court filing invites partisanship into houses of worship
Amanda Tyler writes about the latest attempt to undermine the protections of the Johnson Amendment and why we need more involvement from a civic society that isn’t co-opted by money in politics. Read her column.
Close call preserves ruling against government-sponsored religion
Holly Hollman discusses a significant decision from the recent Supreme Court term — even though the Court didn’t say much about its reasoning. Read her column about the decision stopping a religious charter school.
SCOTUS decisions on religious charter school, exemptions & opt outs
In what is starting to feel like a yearly tradition, the recent Supreme Court term was another consequential one, with three decisions that have the potential to influence the legal landscape of religious liberty for years to come. Read more.
The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’: Trading liberty for school vouchers
A provision in the budget reconciliation bill threatens two pillars of American life: our public schools and our religious freedom. Read more about the school voucher scheme and the opportunity to stop it in your state.
The IRS’ Johnson Amendment policy shift is an illusion disguised as reality
The latest attempt to undermine the Johnson Amendment is merely an illusion, whose cost could be the very independence of the pulpit. Read more.
Texas’ Absurd State-Organized Prayer in School Law
Appeals court strikes down Louisiana’s problematic Ten Commandments law
Louisiana’s plan to force the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms has met a roadblock, but it could lead to a Supreme Court confrontation. Read more.
Join a local group to counter Christian nationalism
Christian nationalism gains strength when communities are silent. Check out our growing network of local groups, and see how you can participate to make an impact. Learn more.
Angels of courage during ongoing disappearances
The Rev. Janna Louie shares about the terror in Los Angeles over immigration raids and the important work of clergy and faith leaders during this time. Read her reflection.
Q&A with 2025 Shurden Lecturer Sergio M. González
Focusing on sanctuary in an era of government repression of migrant justice, Dr. Sergio M. González will deliver our annual lecture series Oct. 21-23. Get a preview in this Q&A.
2025 BJC Fellows Seminar brings number of advocates to 100
Read about the new class of BJC Fellows who spent time in Colonial Williamsburg, Va., to learn about faith freedom from different perspectives. Read about their experience.
Good trouble lives on at the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation
Dr. Sabrina E. Dent writes about a recent event hosted by the BJC Center for Faith, Justice and Reconciliation, focusing on the need to protect the right to vote for all. Read her column.
2025 timeline: Immigration in the United States
Faith freedom includes having the ability to follow the dictates of our conscience in community with our neighbors. Here’s an overview of recent immigration-related activities, many of which impact that freedom.
