Pastors of Hispanic Protestant churches in the United States maintain immense gratitude for their role, but many face financial struggles. Their congregations reflect diverse worship styles, but they have a unified desire to reach and serve their communities. A new study looks into the challenges these churches face in modern-day America.
Read MoreNot everyone will be enjoying chocolate this Valentine’s Day. For the first time since 2018, Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day fall on the same day. In fact, this rare occurrence is taking place once again in less than a week. It has happened three times in the last century — 1923, 1934 and 1945 — and will happen again in 2029.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I have to admit that I was pretty gob smacked when I saw a post on X about the result of the Harvard Crimson’s annual poll of the school’s incoming class that will presumably graduate in 2027. The graph that grabbed all the traffic was about the political persuasion of these 18 year olds at one of the most elite universities in the world.
Read MoreJohnson made ELCA history when he was elected on the fifth ballot to serve a six-year term as bishop of ELCA’s Sierra Pacific synod, which includes Northern and Central California and Northern Nevada. As a result, Johnson is the first openly gay man to be elected bishop in the synod.
Read MoreUnited Auto Workers President Shawn Fain may have the power to cripple assembly lines — but he’s also not afraid to invoke a higher authority throughout the negotiating process. In fact, Fain has increasingly mixed his Christian beliefs with his labor rhetoric over the past few weeks.
Read More(REVIEW) A new book by historian Randall Balmer called “Passion Plays: How Religion Shaped Sports in North America” explores the relationship between sports and religion. Specifically, he writes that the book “examines how the history of religion across North America connects in fascinating ways to the emergence of modern team sports.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) German bishops have brought what they call reforms back to the forefront over the past few weeks with a series of moves that could forever change Roman Catholicism.
Read MoreJust days before Election Day, a new poll finds that four in 10 Americans factor in personal religious beliefs into their voting decisions.
Read More(OPINION) There are plenty of baseball players who openly practice Christianity, but Billy Sunday is unique in that he exchanged his bat for a Bible and embarked on a career as a preacher, capitalizing on his time as a ballplayer to generate interest in his revivals.
Read More(REVIEW) Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated with beer and parades, often neglecting the true meaning of the day. For Ireland and its largely Catholic population, Patrick is their patron saint. He is a man many people think they know. This new docudrama tries to get to the true story of a man who converted an entire country to Christianity.
Read MoreThe museum’s famed nativity creche, currently on display through January 6, features the baby Jesus with a radiant halo surrounded by figures that range in size from 12 to 15 inches in height.
Read More(OPINION) There will be significant decline in traditional affiliations, but not disintegration. Perhaps more interesting is an evolving perception of God.
Read More(COMMENTARY) Echoing papal pronouncements, a position paper and then a columnist of the Southern Baptist Convention’s seminary said that Jesus Christ appointed only male apostles. Evangelical author Beth Moore was one among many voices to push back on Twitter.
Read More(COMMENTARY) The New York Times reported this week that the Donald Trump Administration is considering, for federal purposes, a definition that a person is male or female “based on immutable biological traits identified by or before birth,” supplemented if necessary by genetic testing. That would overturn a policy under President Barack Obama to recognize transgender identities.
Read More(COMMENTARY) On Election Day 2018, we can expect black Protestants, Latino Catholics and Jews will join the “nones” as solidly Democratic while Mormons plus evangelical Protestants go Republican. More interesting two big blocs of religious swing voters - Non-Hispanic Catholics and white “mainline” Protestants - each have a negative view of President Trump at 52 percent, roughly tracking his standing with the over-all public.
Read MoreThe Ottoman empire is gone, and Turkey is now a secular state with official freedom of religion. Bells are hardly heard these days at all, though in smaller numbers the ancient Christian communities remain.
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