Eliza Griswold

One afternoon in February, a rambunctious swarm of thirty or so children raced around a large plot of AstroTurf. Some rode bikes and scooters. One toted a set of “PAW Patrol” golf clubs. Small children pushed larger ones in wheelchairs at worrying speeds, caroming off the green and brown beanbag chairs that dotted the plot of artificial earth. Many were missing limbs. As the boys began to squabble with the girls over who had more space to play, workers dragged what looked like a deflated rainbow…

The vast majority of evangelical Christians, who number about a quarter of adults in the U.S., oppose the idea of female pastors. For most, the Bible’s stance against female pastors is starkly clear. “Women should be silent in the churches,” the apostle Paul writes to the members of the early Church. “For they are not permitted to speak but should be subordinate, as the law also says. If there is something they want to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to…

Until recently, Ben had considered his fellow-pastors to be among his closest friends. Each led one of four congregations that formed Circle of Hope, some six hundred people held together by a shared vision of Jesus’ unconditional love. Not any longer. “So you’re saying it’s either you or them,” Ben said, glowering at Jonny Rashid, who was typing into his phone. Rachel Sensenig, who, at forty-four, was the eldest and a kind of big sister to all, sat between the two men. Before her, on an open la…

In Butler County, Pennsylvania, where the assassination attempt occurred, shock gave way to the conviction that Trump will be the next President.

In Philadelphia, the Independent city councilman Nicolas O’Rourke is ambivalent about the Democrats but waging an effort to swing soft Trumpers to Harris.

A coalition of believers, including many conservatives, is embracing the Democrats.

In the country’s most consequential swing state, the strategy has become everything, everywhere, all at once.

For months, state officials have prepared to manage the threat of far-right conspiracists who may try to “stop the steal.”

Reasons to Leave Syria—and to Return

“If you know what people are thinking about when they’re coming into church on Sunday morning, it’s very important to acknowledge that,” Budde says.