Religion

The Christian Right’s Playbook to Elect Donald Trump in November

And how voters can use the tools of democracy to counter their plans

Civil Religion as a Gateway to Christian Nationalism

The inclusion of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance was a sectarian move whose exclusionary effects are increasingly evident in today’s religious landscape

Land of Liberty

Myth-making in the early American republic

In Short Measures Life May Perfect Be

In an age overrun by our relentless desire for more—whether more wealth or more productivity from limited soil—Wendell Berry’s writings offer a way to find wholeness in life’s finitude
David Barr, Sightings

On Caucus Day in Iowa, a Different Kind of Spin Cycle

Ordinary acts of care teach us to look beyond false claims to glory

A Wandering Spirit, A Driftless Heart

Remembering the life and novels of David Rhodes one year after his death

The Great Spirit (Why I am a Pagan)

Zitkála-Šá, born on the Yankton Indian Reservation in 1876, embraces the religion of her ancestors
Keep an Independent Mind

Sign up to receive twice-weekly Barn Raiser updates on original, independent reporting from rural and small town America.

mail
Culture
May 10, 2023

Eating Disorders in Farm Country

We speak openly about the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt or abusing drugs or alcohol, but we don’t routinely talk to our young people about the dangers of eating disorders.

Native Life
February 24, 2023

Shinnecock Farmers and Nuns Use Kelp To Restore Bay Ecosystem

Members of the Long Island-based tribe and local Sisters of St. Joseph have a long history of supportive partnership

Religion
February 10, 2023

Let Everyone Take a Chance on Romance

Valentine's Day is for anyone who loves and is loved