CPJ’s “At a Glance—The White House Faith Office” offers a snapshot of the White House Faith Office initiative in light of CPJ’s Guidelines for Government and Citizenship. This is a plain-language summary of President Trump’s Executive Order 14205 establishing the White House Faith Office—an important presidential action for both citizens and leaders of diverse faith communities. Executive Orders outline tasks, structures, and goals; as always, citizens and others need to monitor what officials and agencies actually do, not just the words on paper.  Plain-Language Summary of the Executive Order Points to Consider Continuation of Past “Faith-Based Initiative” Models Political Community […]

On Friday, February 7th, President Trump signed an Executive Order formally re-establishing a White House office for faith-based initiatives. Announced at the National Prayer Breakfast, this office was framed as a way for the federal government to empower faith-based and community organizations, emphasizing their unique role, different and more effective than government, in strengthening families and revitalizing communities. According to the executive order, the administration “wants faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship, to the fullest extent permitted by law, to compete on a level playing field for grants, contracts, programs, and other Federal funding opportunities.” The establishment of […]

As announced at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 6, President Trump has established a White House Faith Office, headed by Pastor Paula White, his long-time religious advisor who served as his White House Advisor on Faith and Opportunity Initiatives in his first administration. In some ways, the new White House Faith Office seems to be a focal point for the large group of clergy, many, but far from all of them, white evangelical pastors, who are vocal supporters of President Trump and promoters of a national religious revival. Yet Executive Order 14205, which created the Faith Office, outlines its […]

Keynote Address by Stanley Carlson-Thies, January 13, 2025. Recordings of the summit, including this keynote address, can be found here. “More faith, more flourishing” This title is inspired by the book written by Byron Johnson a dozen years ago, called More God, Less Crime: Why Faith Matters and How It Could Matter More. Byron, who directs the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University, has for decades dedicated himself to empirical research on the personal and social consequences of religious commitment—the difference it makes to people and to society when individuals and institutions are inspired and guided by some […]

Religious freedom is often focused on during moments of conflict, such as when individuals or organizations must defend their beliefs against governmental or societal pressure. Whether it’s a conscientious objector refusing military service, a doctor declining to perform a procedure that contradicts their faith, or an employer seeking to hire those who share their God-centered worldview, these cases draw attention to the necessity of protecting freedom of faith and Spirit. However, focusing only on moments of conflict risks overlooking the profound, everyday ways that religious freedom shapes individuals, communities, and public life. Religious freedom is not merely a shield against […]

When Joni Mitchell sang “They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot,” she was calling out big corporations and capitalist greed. But her words also speak to other problems with parking lots: mandated parking minimum laws, one of the driving forces behind how much pavement we add to our landscapes. Parking lots are killing us; they’re not only destroying “paradise,” but they also negatively impact the health and wellness of our waterways, our communities, and our very own lives. They contribute to environmental disaster and poor health outcomes all across North America, making this an issue that is important […]