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Articles by Kat Armas
Sonderbooks Book Review of
Sacred Belonging A 40-Day Devotional on the Liberating Heart of Scripture Review posted April 20, 2026. Brazos Press, 2023. 195 pages. Review written April 14, 2026, from a library book. Starred Review I have a strong knowledge of Scripture - attending Christian schools since elementary school and memorizing large portions - but Kat Armas is able to get me looking at Scripture with new eyes and asking new questions and yes, making new applications.
Liturgies for Resisting Empire
Liturgies for Resisting Empire Seeking Community, Belonging, and Peace in a Dehumanizing World Review posted January 29, 2026. Brazos Press, 2025. 205 pages. Review written January 24, 2026, from my own copy, purchased via Amazon.com. Starred Review I've been reading this book slowly, a section at a time, as part of my devotionals over the last several weeks.
Disruption at a church is not the scandal. Injustice is.
On Sunday, Jan. 18, protesters interrupted a worship service at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, to draw attention to David Easterwood, a pastor at the church, who also appears to serve as a top ICE official in the Twin Cities. Predictably, the internet erupted. Was this action morally acceptable? Should the federal FACE Act be invoked? For many, the conclusion was swift: protesting in a church is wrong. But Scripture rarely allows us the comfort of such tidy conclusions.
When Empire Rewrites the Story — Church Anew
After Renee’s killing, many rushed to frame what happened in legalistic terms. Some insisted she was “breaking the law” by allegedly “obstructing” ICE, or that placing her car in the path of a federal raid and bearing witness with her partner—who was recording the events—somehow made her culpable. We need to be clear: there is nothing inherently illegal about being a legal observer of government action, nor is there anything illegal about peaceful protest.
God chooses a stretching, laboring body as the first sanctuary of the divine
(Dreamstime/R. Gino Santa Maria) Each Advent, we're invited to look again at a scene we think we know: the Nativity. An angelic looking child wrapped in clean cloth, animals arranged as if on cue and Mary, fresh from labor, kneeling in serene composure. It's an image crafted to soothe us, an aesthetic of peace and holiness. But after I gave birth to my first child just before Advent in 2021, that familiar tableau unsettled me. The dissonance was instant.
More Than Virgin, More Than Mother: Mary Beyond the Binary — Church Anew
Years later, as my faith shifted and re-formed, I began to question not only those Telemundo headlines but also the deeper truth behind them. I recognized how those appearances embodied how God would choose to speak to a marginalized community through Jesus’s own marginalized mother. I see now how essential these symbols were for a people who often felt displaced or forgotten.
Liturgies For Resisting Empire
This week I’ve been digging into Kat Armas’ gorgeous new book, Liturgies For Resisting Empire. It comes out TODAY, and I can’t recommend it enough for our moment in history when these oppressive forces have become so explicit, brazen, and culturally dominant. For many of us, Christian spirituality actually formed us to be willing participants in empire, rather than counter-cultural resistors. Our “Christian” mission was little more than a spiritual disguise for colonialism and supremacy.
Q&A with Kat Armas on her latest book, Liturgies for Resisting Empire — Church Anew
When people ask, What is a practical way to apply this?, my answer is: you have to take stock of your life. It's uncomfortable, but it's real, to sit there and say, Yes, I am a walking contradiction. You have to really understand how imperial messaging functions, because you step into a church space and it's exactly replicating the systems that we're trying to divest from. We’re doing the same things in our homes, in our churches, in our parenting, our marriages, how we interact with the land.
Q&A with 'Red Scare' author Clay Risen on McCarthyism and modern America
Georgetown graduate Clay Risen is a noted historian and veteran New York Times reporter. His current book, Red Scare: Blacklists, McCarthyism, and the Making of Modern America explores Congress's investigation of Communism in the federal government and Hollywood in the 1950s, and the demagoguery behind the late Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy's largely unproven allegations. In a telephone interview with NCR, Risen discussed parallels between that era and today.
When Grief Becomes Protest: Rizpah in the Streets of Argentina — Church Anew
State-sponsored terror became daily life. Anyone labeled “subversive” by the regime could be targeted—most often young students, doctors, sociologists—anyone involved in activism or social projects that included human rights programs. The government labeled them Marxists. One young doctor had been tagged a “subversive” for offering medical help to the poor in Tucumán. Over 30,000 men, women, and children were kidnapped by police and soldiers, sometimes in uniform, sometimes in plain clothes.
Trump's big, beautiful birthday parade puts US militarism on display
1 day ago Israel may have just pushed Iran across the nuclear line The strikes meant to prevent Iran from going nuclear may instead push it to build the bomb – and draw the region into wider conflict. Historians may well mark June 13, 2025, as the day the world crossed a line it may not easily step back from.
'Disappearing' people without warning or trial, ICE does the work of an empire
1 hour ago Colombia: Wayuu People’s Communications school bridges tradition and technology in Colombia’s La Guajira SHOTLIST: LA GUAJIRA, COLOMBIA (MAY 21, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL) 1. YOUNG WAYUU WOMAN BEING MADE UP WITH TRADITIONAL CULTURAL MOTIFS (TWO SHOTS) 2. TWO WAYUU WOMEN RECORDING VIDEO PIECE 3.
'Disappearing' people without warning or trial, ICE does the work of an empire
There was once a king who built a golden statue so big it mocked the heavens. He called it god and demanded worship. When three exiles refused, he made them disappear — casting them into the fire. No trial. No appeal. Simply smoke and silence. His name was Nebuchadnezzar, and he believed himself divine. This is what empire does. It erects itself in gold and violence, demanding obedience through fear. It names enemies to justify its power, turning neighbor against neighbor.
What can we learn about Pope Leo XIV from his X account?
The new pope is a reader of the National Catholic Reporter. Pope Leo XIV, when he was Cardinal Robert Prevost, twice shared NCR articles on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account: Once in 2016, and again, recently, on Feb. 3, 2025. The latter was a commentary from columnist Kat Armas criticizing Vice President JD Vance's widely panned and incorrect interpretation of the Catholic teaching ordo amoris.
In Scripture and Trump's America, some people mistakenly want a king
There is something haunting in the way the people ask for a king. It is not a simple request, not a passing desire. It is a demand, a grasping toward empire, an ache for hierarchy, for false protection, as a balm — and a scapegoat — for their insecurity. In 1 Samuel 8:4-22, the elders of Israel come to Samuel, restless, eyes turned toward the nations around them.
Trump's audacity echoes the age-old voice of fallen empires
Oppressive empires have always existed. Emperors have built their kingdoms on the backs of the dispossessed, convinced their power is divinely ordained. They call their conquests "peace" and name their destruction "defense," stripping people of their homes, dignity and right to grieve. Empire is always grasping and consuming, never asking, never listening. It expands without permission, without heed for the cries of those in its path. Expansion is its gospel; dominion, its sacrament.
Pope's US letter was clear: Trump's immigration moves are unacceptable unless they uphold human dignity
In many ways, the Bible is a migrant's book — written by, for and about those who cross borders in search of safety, provision or promise. Abraham left his homeland, never fully settling. Ruth followed Naomi into a foreign land, with no certainty of welcome. Hagar wandered the wilderness, desperate for water, desperate for survival. Joseph, sold into slavery, would rise in a land not his own.
JD Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others
Vice President JD Vance speaks before swearing in Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Vice Presidential Ceremonial Office in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) The internet has been buzzing since Vice President JD Vance said during a Fox News interview on Jan.
Look Back | ‘Cosiendo’ As an Act of Love and Justice
Editor’s Note: Editor’s note: “Look Back” is a series designed to highlight articles from the Good Faith Media archives that remain relevant or historically interesting. If you have an article from our archives that you’d like us to consider including in this series, please email your suggestion to submissions@goodfaithmedia.org. This article first appeared at Good Faith Media on September 21, 2022. Chukka chukka chukka.
Kat Armas’s devotional does not exist for your personal growth
“I haven’t read a devotional in years,” Kat Armas confesses in the first line of her new devotional book. I rarely finish a devotional, although I buy and start them regularly. Still, I devoured Sacred Belonging in a couple of days instead of taking the recommended 40.
In South America's 'Lithium Triangle,' Indigenous people defend sacred sites
On Dec. 16, Indigenous activists from the remote province of Jujuy, in far northwestern Argentina, were preparing to pack up their camp in a public plaza in Buenos Aires, where they had been living since August, when a group of heavily armed men arrived to forcibly remove them. The dozen or so activists had come to protest a change in Jujuy's provincial constitution that they say will make it easier for mining companies to extract lithium from the Indigenous community's land.
Devotions on creation from Kat Armas: 'A Wild World beyond Us'
Is it due to your understanding that the hawk flies, spreading its wings to the south? Or at your command does the eagle soar, the vulture build a nest on high? —Job 39:26–27 I opened my front door, exasperated at the yapping of my dog, Rogelio. The sun had set, and dusk was settling over our snow-covered lawn. I was dealing with those evening hours with a newborn when their seemingly insatiable hunger strikes for hours on end.
Sisters of St. Joseph of Tarbes in Kenya win sustainable development award
As we sit down to reflect on what receiving the prestigious People's Choice SDGs Award means to us as the Sisters of St. Joseph of Tarbes, we are compelled by how this award was an exceptional experience of communion for us, not only in Kenya, the project location, but the entire St. Joseph of Tarbes family.
Call to Action veteran connected with people and believed in church reform
Robert Heineman, third from the left, is pictured with his family at his Call to Action retirement party. Heineman died Dec. 13. (Courtesy of Eileen Heineman) Robert Heineman used to tell his friends and colleagues from the progressive Catholic reform group Call to Action that the best way to bond with a donor was to sleep on their couch.
Dominicans cite their charism for slight rise in vocations
One of the largest congregations of women religious in the United States has seen a recent increase in vocations. While there's no clear reasoning or data behind the trend, sisters in these two Dominican orders — Dominican Sisters of Peace and Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa — say it's all because of their charism. "This is where God intended me to go," Dominican Sister of Peace Ana Gonzalez, who professed her vows in 2018, told GSR.
Wine, working the land, selling its fruits are gifts from God, pope says
Pope Francis meets with winegrowers, winemakers and others taking part in an event organized by Vinitaly -- an international wine and spirits exhibition held in Verona, Italy, every year for industry professionals at the Vatican, Jan. 22, 2024. (CNS/Vatican Media) Vatican City — January 22, 2024 The skills of winegrowers — respect, perseverance and knowing how to prune to produce fruit — are also valuable messages for the soul, Pope Francis said.
18 Catholic bishops join letter calling for US to cut military spending
18 U.S. bishops have signed a letter calling for the United States to cut military spending and instead invest in ending poverty. "The growing gap between the rich and the poor is compounded by a growing gap between our nation's spending on weapons and preparations for war and our commitment to end poverty," the statement said. Pax Christi USA, a Catholic peace organization, led the Bread Not Stones campaign behind the letter.
Pope Francis thanks Vatican journalists for uncovering Catholic scandals 'with sensitivity'
Pope Francis meets with members of the International Association of Journalists Accredited to the Vatican in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace at the Vatican Jan. 22, 2024.
Surprising agreement between African and German bishops on same-sex couples
In the Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum in Innsbruck, Austria, featuring regional art of the Tyrol, there is a collection of magnificently, and intricately, carved nativity scenes. One of them shows the manger set amidst the mountainous Alps, with medieval towers looking down on the scene. That carving may not be historically accurate, but it is not heresy either. Its lack of historical precision does not undermine the doctrine of the incarnation.
Let the synodal consultations continue
Members of the assembly of the Synod of Bishops gather for morning prayer Oct. 27, 2023, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. (CNS/Vatican Media) In the next few months, American Catholics will be consulted in preparation for the second and final session of the Synod on Synodality, which will take place next October. The first session of the synod took place last October after extensive consultations over more than a year.
How restorative justice and synodality can help the church heal
At the beginning of October, a landmark gathering of church leaders sat down at roundtables in a brightly lit hall. The event was diverse as far as ecclesial gatherings have historically gone; the participants spanned generations, genders, ideologies and cultural backgrounds. Many were vowed religious, but some were laypeople. Everyone in attendance knew their purpose.
Nicaraguan Bishop Álvarez Released, Exiled After Over 500 Days Of Detention
Bishop Rolando Álvarez of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, a frequent critic of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, prays at a Catholic church in Managua May 20, 2022. After spending over 500 days in jail, the Ortega regime released him and 18 other imprisoned clergymen Jan. 14, 2024, exiling them to Rome.
Devotions on creation from Kat Armas: 'The Mountains Groan'
We know that the whole creation is groaning together and suffering labor pains up until now. —Romans 8:22 I am standing almost fifteen thousand feet above sea level, nearly a week into a hike I was not prepared to undertake. My feet are blistered, and my body is in so much pain from climbing that I am numb. We were about twelve hours from the summit, and I had lagged behind the group. My Miami-attuned lungs, not used to the high elevation, weren't cooperating.
We need Martin Luther King's vision of Christian nationalism
In the intellectually sloppy age in which we live, slogans have great currency, especially when they are deployed as an invective. Few slogans have greater currency in this regard than denunciations of "Christian nationalism." It is the bugbear of the zeitgeist, combining two forms of thought that are easily sneered at in our enlightened, pseudo-revolutionary age.
Devotions on creation from Kat Armas: 'The Creatures Teach Us'
Look at the birds in the sky. —Matthew 6:26 The first thing Jesus does after he is baptized is go into the wilderness to fast. Mark says that while he's there, he's with the wild animals and the angels. I often wonder if this is where Jesus's connection with the wild took root. From mountains to trees to vineyards, Jesus was a person in tune with his surroundings and aware of the natural world. His teachings were deeply rooted in the land and the wisdom found in the earth and her creatures.
Looking back at 2023: 10 noteworthy stories and series at GSR
"Hope amid turmoil." The theme of Global Sisters Report's overarching series for 2023 is also an apt description of the stories we published this past year. Here are 10 noteworthy stories that we hope you will take time to read again, or share with others if you've already read them. In return, we will continue to be a source of inspiration, peace and hope by telling the stories of women religious worldwide.
Devotions on creation from Kat Armas: 'Sacred Belonging'
All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return. —Ecclesiastes 3:20 (NIV) We got the news late one Sunday morning in mid-July that my father-in-law had died unexpectedly. The phone rang loudly that day. Not only did the noise startle my spouse, Taylor, and me as we prepared to head out to grab lunch, but it also disrupted our lives — steering us in an unexpected direction — the way those dreaded phone calls always do. As soon as Taylor answered, we knew it was bad news.
An Excerpt from “Sacred Belonging”
We got the news late one Sunday morning in mid-July that my father-in-law had died unexpectedly. The phone rang loudly that day. Not only did the noise startle my spouse, Taylor, and me as we prepared to head out to grab lunch, but it also disrupted our lives—steering us in an unexpected direction—the way those dreaded phone calls always do. As soon as Taylor answered, we knew it was bad news. His grandfather’s words pulsed through the phone like a heartbeat: “It’s your dad. He’s gone.
How Curiosity Can Lead Us to the Divine
“Hurry, come here!” Taylor rushes toward me. “Do you smell it?” We lift our nostrils; our chests balloon with breath. It has become our morning ritual to step outside under the oak tree right as the sun rises. We inhale glory. Sometimes the smell is crisp and fragrant like the leaves of my afternoon tea, other times the smell is deep and succulent like fresh pepper straight from the grinder. But always it smells the way of earth, the way of life abundant.
Churches Need Women Who Teach, Lead and Preach
Something significant is happening beneath the surface of the American Church. Barna’s newest data shows a historic reversal: young women — long the most reliable participants in church life — are now less religiously engaged than young men. As Barna president David Kinnaman explains, “it is the women, not the men, who are disengaging from religion generally and from the Church in particular.” The shift isn’t simply the result of women stepping back.
A Legacy of Survival
“Aleluya, Gloria a Dios!” These were the words out of Abuela’s mouth as she emerged from her first session of chemo, locking eyes with me as she entered the room. Her steady, strong, and determined gaze on that day will always burn brightly in my memory. Even then, at a young age, I knew that her eyes told stories of persistence, resistance, and faith – stories I longed to hear, stories that live inside of my body now. Stories of survival.
‘Cosiendo’ as an Act of Love and Justice
Chukka chukka chukka. The sound of Abuela’s olive green sewing machine — the small needle punching through fabric — was a lullaby for me growing up. She’d maneuver the fabric like a prayer — with and without a machine in front of her. I’d often spend hours with my eyeballs glued to her, watching Abuela use her hands to create, sustain and provide. How did she have such precision? Such patience? How did her hands wield so much wisdom?
Baker Publishing Group
About Christianity Today 2022 Book Award Finalist (Christian Living & Discipleship) Outreach 2022 RecommendedResource (Christian Living) "[A] powerful debut. . . .
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In this recap episode Kat highlights a key part of her conversation with Karla, namely the importance of taking up space. Kat shares about how women in the Bible took up space after their encounters with Jesus and we should too.
Power, Abuse, and the Silencing of Women March 16, 2021 In this episode, Kat chats with Tiffany Bluhm about her new book, Prey Tell: Why We Silence Women Who Tell the Truth and How Everyone Can Speak Up. Tiffany and Kat chat about power dynamics, the silencing of women, sexual assault in Scripture and elsewhere, and how BIWOC are uniquely affected by these injustices.
You can find Karen on Twitter and on her website.
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Identity, Hope and the Disruptive Gospel March 21, 2019 Kat chats with writer, speaker, coffee drinker, yoga teacher, and author of Raise Your Voice: Why We Stay Silent and How to Speak Up, Kathy Khang, about Esther, identity, assimilation, belonging and the power of names. They also chat about niceness vs. kindness, the disruptive Gospel and about what gives them hope. You can find follow Kathy on Instagram and Twitter @mskathykhang and visit her website www.kathykhang.com.
In this episode Kat chats with Robyn, Claudia, and Teresa—three contributing authors to Voices Rising: Women of Color Finding & Restoring Hope in the City. Robyn, Claudia and Teresa are three women of color from diverse backgrounds who share their stories of mission, hope and survival.
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