Category: Portico

Disarming Our Definitions: A Path Toward Covenantal Pluralism

July 7, 2026 • Portico

I am currently reading The Brothers Karamazov. In “The Brothers Make Friends” chapter, Ivan says of the idea of God, “I acknowledge humbly that I…

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Why Religious Freedom Matters for Democratic Peace & Prosperity

June 28, 2026 • Portico

Imagine a social force that propels democracy, thriving economics, women’s empowerment, uplift for the poor, and peace. Remarkably, global research links religious freedom to all…

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Freedom in a Changing Global Landscape

June 28, 2026 • Portico

Our founders boldly challenged the British monarch’s restriction on freedom in the colonies, a radical affront to the common thinking of the day. With the…

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Human Nature as We Find It: Why Democracy Requires a Realistic Anthropology

June 26, 2026 • Portico

C.S. Lewis once observed that there are two main reasons to believe in democracy. One is because you have confidence in human nature. The other…

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The Team I Carry Within Me for Nation-Rebuilding

June 1, 2026 • Portico

A nation is rebuilt in many ways, not only by those who stand on its frontlines, but also by those who quietly carry its future…

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When FoRB Crises Do—and Do Not—Provoke Sustained Mobilization in the U.S.: The Case of Sudan

May 25, 2026 • Portico

In the early 2000s, the Sudanese conflict became a moral cause célèbre in the United States. Alarming images and testimonies emerging from Darfur galvanized an…

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Discovering Shared Humanity in Muslim-Christian Engagement

May 13, 2026 • Portico

Growing up in a small city in Iowa surrounded by rural communities, values of faith, family, and community were woven into my taught perspective of…

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Broken Open, Not Broken Apart: A Faith-based Model of Resilience for Women Leaders

March 27, 2026 • Portico

Ask most people what resilience looks like, and they will describe something athletic: a person knocked down who gets back up, brushes herself off, and…

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Faith, Conflict, and Consequence: A Theological Reading of Bin Laden’s Jihad

March 23, 2026 • Portico

Osama bin Laden’s life and legacy, as presented in Dr. Douglas M. Johnston Jr.’s article “Know Your Enemy: Understanding the Worldview and Motives of Osama…

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The Impact of Religion on the Geopolitics of the U.S.-Armenia-Azerbaijan Triangle

March 16, 2026 • Portico

In February 2026, Vice President JD Vance made history by becoming the highest-ranking American official ever to visit both Armenia and Azerbaijan. The trip was…

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Historic Level MENA Religious Conversion: Implications for Religious Freedom

February 23, 2026 • Portico

New research indicates that religious conversion is at historical levels in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). For more than a decade a large…

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Towards Covenantal Pluralism in Dutch Citizenship Education?

February 19, 2026 • Portico

Covenant pluralism is a concept that, even for its sympathizers, is not always immediately clear. However, a practical example shows that it is sometimes implemented…

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