I am honored to be recognized by Religion News Service (RNS) as one of “the new leaders in the world of faith to follow in 2025.” In an article published on December 31, 2024, RNS editor Bob Smietana and contributor Jack Jenkins identified a diverse group of individuals that they see have “the ability to take the country in new directions.”

Not all the new directions are healthy. For example, Smietana and Jenkins include Project 2025 architect Russ Vought on their list. While I am uncomfortable being on the same list as Vought, I do see the authors’ point that Vought is a faith leader influencing the United States in significant ways—even if those ways are destructive. But I know many other faith leaders not included on this list that would be more productive to highlight.

Regardless, I do appreciate RNS’s acknowledgement of my work on child liberation theology. “Stollar is one of a handful of theologians,” RNS states, “whose observations about the rights of children are making inroads in churches, seminaries and parenting groups.” RNS’s Kathryn Post also wrote several pieces on the topic of child liberation theology over the last couple years: “Child liberation theology says God is a child, too” in November 2023 and “Adults raised in the ‘Christian parenting empire’ of the ’70s-’90s push back” in May 2024. I am grateful for RNS’s focus on this subject.

If you would like to learn more about child liberation theology, here is an introduction. For a list of other people to follow who are working in and developing this new field, see this post.