Heather Brady

Ken Paxton and James Talarico are making headlines in unexpected ways in Texas as part of the two political opponents’ campaigns. The political direction of the state is on the line, but a millennia-old theological debate has taken center stage: What is God’s gender?

On Sunday, May 17, members of the Trump administration will participate in “Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving,” a nine-hour prayer festival on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this festival is to call for America to rededicate itself to its Christian roots. So, for what feels like the millionth time, a chorus of researchers, historians, and journalists all repeat: America’s founders didn’t want it to be a Christian nation.

Shortly after Hamilton was first released a decade ago, I found myself singing along to it rather loudly while building a new IKEA bed frame in a group house I had just founded. As I belted out the words to one of the more familiar songs from Act 1, “My Shot,” my new housemate poked her head around the corner and added her own voice to the mix.