(ANALYSIS) Reading these living picture books aloud at Thanksgiving allows children to meet the story in its full shape — its beauty, its failures, its moments of generosity, and its deep contradictions. They see people whose faith guided them across an ocean, and people whose spiritual practices had been rooted in this land for generations.

His comedic DNA is everywhere. His writers included Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Neil Simon and Woody Allen. Even so, when author David Margolick interviewed him for his new biography of Sid Caesar, Brooks told him, “People are going to say, ‘Gee, this is really good and really interesting. Just one question, David: Who’s Sid Caesar?’”

(REVIEW) It can be easy to forget the role physical space plays for various faith and why talks of bringing about a “New Jerusalem” were not far-fetched. They started in places made of stone — and as Fergus Butler-Gallie points out, “Jerusalem is a somewhere, not a nowhere. Specifically, it is here.”

An intrepid puppy who marches for labor rights. A 6-year-old girl who sews herself a locomotive to carry her away from her daily chores. A Jewish boy who would be pope. These stories — written in Yiddish — are all entertaining and whimsical, and like so much writing for young people, may be seen as less than serious.

The authors propose a revised, even countercultural way of relating to one another despite our differing views on controversial issues. Based on more than 100 interviews, the book proposes that LGBTQ Christians have something to teach us about Christian faith, and they, in turn, might learn something from conservative Christians.

(REVIEW) Like most mainstream, organized religions, Islam is a big tent. Corralling the various ideologies, sects, divisions, major players and developments over the course of some fourteen hundred years into a digestible narrative is no easy job, and Tolan’s effort is both daunting and admirable.

(REVIEW) The information we have about the role of women in ancient Christianity is limited. Among the male disciples, only two prominent figures stand out: Mary and Mary Magdalene. Overall, women’s participation in church leadership has been restricted, and the appointment of women as priests and ecclesiastical leaders remains a controversial issue to this today.

(ANALYSIS) The author of “Infinite Jest” grasped something that makes secular intellectuals squirm: People must worship something. Take away God and they don't become enlightened — they become slaves to smaller gods. Wallace witnessed this transformation with clarity. His characters bow before drugs, screens, achievement — anything promising relief from the weight of existence.

(EXCERPT) In today’s world, we are increasingly segmented by our interests, segregated by our neighborhoods, separated into economic and ethnic groups, polarized by our politics, divided by our demographics, and isolated by our modern lifestyles that focus on individual pursuit rather than the fellowship of community. In that environment, real friendships between people who are unlike each other are increasingly rare.

(ANALYSIS) Leo Tolstoy spent half a century avoiding arguably the most essential truth of them all: Everything comes to an end. If that’s true, which it is, what’s the point? He’d conquered every peak the world could name. “War and Peace” made him immortal. “Anna Karenina” made him rich. Critics worshipped him in tongues he didn’t even speak. Russian aristocrats name-dropped him like Scripture.

The hit series “Stranger Things” has become one of the biggest shows ever streamed on Netflix. The series, featuring a nostalgic mix of 1980s pop culture, government conspiracies and creatures from another dimension, have captivated millions. “Stranger Things” is not a religious series, but reminds viewers faith can take many forms.

(REVIEW) The rom-com is about Joan and Larry, an elderly couple who are reunited in the afterlife as their younger, happier selves. They find themselves in a waiting room where souls have just a week to decide which “eternity zone” they want to spend forever in. Larry and Joan can’t be together if he’s in “beach” world and she’s in “mountain” world.

(REVIEW) This makes film’s presentation feel extremely — for lack of a better word — basic. The movie, however, never figures out exactly which of these threads it wants to follow. Is it about the trials? The nature of evil and whether the Nazis were unique or not? Is it trying to educate viewers about Holocaust history, or say something new about it?

(REVIEW) “The Carpenter’s Son” is a horror-spun story following Joseph, played by Nicolas Cage, as he tries to raise Jesus. The film claims to ask hard questions about the biblical narrative — but it just ends up merely recapitulating simplistic modern narratives.

(REVIEW) While evangelicals are often said not to care about racism, quite a few movies made for that audience over the years have dealt with the topic. “Sarah’s Oil” is in that tradition — a decent faith-based historical drama that deals explicitly with race, but one that may become a rarer occurrence in the coming years.

(REVIEW) Throughout the show “Chad Powers,” the f-bombs burst through the air more than footballs — and not just from Russ, but the coaches, women and the extras. The only one not dropping them in this faux football world was the “Christian” backup quarterback who was, of course, a sincere idiot.

(REVIEW) John Chau was an American man who died trying to preach the Gospel to North Sentinel Island, home to a tribe cut off from the outside world. The story captured the world’s attention — but a new film, "Last Days", recalls what happened, but was also a missed opportunity for secular-religious empathy.

(REVIEW) “Black Phone 2” is good when it’s going for vibe and style. The first half, where it shows characters dealing with trauma without judging them, is Derrickson at his best. But a disappointing second half that focuses more on preaching than entertainment undermines any goodwill the film built up. And its harmful spiritual messages mean that this is a phone call there’s very little reason to take.

(REVIEW) There's a part of me that can’t wrap my head around the purpose of “The Chosen Adventures.” It’s ostensibly a version of “The Chosen” for kids, but the original series is already largely family-friendly. Sure, it straddles the line between PG and PG-13, but it’s really only the youngest viewers who might find it unappealing.

Nine months before she was killed by an Israeli airstrike, Palestinian photojournalist Fatma Hassona started quoting “Shawshank Redemption.” “Hope is a dangerous thing,” she told Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi over a WhatsApp video call. Farsi and Hassona began talking in early 2024, after Farsi’s plans to make a documentary in Rafah were upended due to the closing of the border.

In a small Santa Clara classroom at Mission City Church in Northern California, a group of students huddle together, their voices rising in harmony. Leading them stands Makayla Hannah, their vocal coach for Youth Utilizing Power and Praise. Hannah is teaching more than pitch and breath control. She believes hope is not lost in a generation often dismissed.

When Western Christian missionaries arrived in Africa in the 19th century, they disallowed the use of native musical instruments in church, which they associated with demonic worship. But now, all these years later, the instruments are making a comeback in churches across the continent to the delight of millions.

Their historic building awaiting sale just a block away, former members of the Central Church of Christ gathered with guests including singer Amy Grant at a downtown campus of Lipscomb University to celebrate what would have been their congregation’s 100th anniversary.

It’s been occupied twice by military forces; it’s been expanded to house Franciscan friars, and these days, it’s part museum, part sacred space. The Church of San Francisco’s building tells the history of its host city, La Paz. Founded in 1549, the church is best known by the name of the founder of the Franciscans, which was one of the first orders to arrive with the Spanish conquerors. 

(ANALYSIS) Bad Bunny is more than a global music phenomenon; he’s a bona fide symbol of Puerto Rico. The church choir boy turned “King of Latin Trap” has songs, style and swagger that reflect the island’s mix of pride, pain and creative resilience.

(REVIEW) Visitors to Canterbury Cathedral in the U.K. have been surprised to find that parts of the building’s majestic architecture are currently daubed with eye-catching graffiti. But this is not the work of vandals. The colorful graphics are part of a thought-provoking art installation centered on the idea of asking questions to God.

Beneath a church sanctuary, a basement is filled with skeletons of over 40,000 individuals arranged in horrifying ways — it is like a scene out of a scary movie, but it is entirely real. For Christians, memento mori — a Latin phrase meaning “remember you must die” — is inescapable.

(REVIEW) “The Exorcist” has always stuck out to me as a movie because of its universality, its appeal to both the religious and secular. “Exorcistic” is a byproduct of the movie’s lasting influence in media that certainly leaves a wild impression of its own. It’s worth seeing if you want something to put you into the Halloween spirit.

In a lawsuit, Chandler Moore, the Grammy Award-winning worship singer, cut ties with manager Norman Gyamfi. “I’ve made the bittersweet decision to end my relationship with Maverick City Music,” Moore said on Instagram. “When we started Mav, I was grateful to have community and belonging while fulfilling my dream of making music that would help people experience God.”

Six-time Grammy winner Amy Grant, who gained much of her notoriety through her Christian songs, has agreed to a legal settlement about a church founded by her great-grandfather in downtown Nashville. The boarded-up building, now worth at least $11 million, served for decades as the Central Church of Christ, founded in 1925 by A.M. Burton.

The line into one of the stadiums at Tokyo’s Komazawa Olympic Park stretched out the door and down the street. The crowd waited patiently in the crisp fall air for a chance to watch the volleyball semifinals at Deaflympics, a worldwide event that brings deaf athletes together to compete every four years.

Two soccer teams — each comprised of eight Muslims and eight Christians — faced off as a mixed crowd cheered. Only months earlier, 52 people were killed in yet another religious massacre nearby. Some of the players on the field had lost relatives in that attack. Yet, they chose sports over revenge.

For quarterback Justin Fields, Sunday’s win was about more than football. It was a testament to perseverance, faith and the belief that every struggle serves a greater purpose. Whether this marks a turning point for the New York Jets remains to be seen. For Fields, the win affirmed something deeper.

The competition — called “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series 2025” — had been originally scheduled to be played in Dubai with teams from Chad, Libya and the host nation UAE. FIFA confirmed that the tournament would instead be be played in Morocco, starting on Sunday, with a revised lineup that includes the Afghan refugee squad, Chad, Tunisia and Libya.

Touchdowns may be scored on the field, but what goes on off it? Fans are praying, warding off evil, consulting mediums and even wondering if angels or aliens are silently shaping the fate of their favorite teams. The study, conducted by Free Bets, surveyed over 2,000 fans across all 32 NFL teams to uncover just how many of them believe in the supernatural.

When fans of the soccer team Maccabi Tel Aviv were assaulted in the streets of Amsterdam after a game last November, the violence drew comparisons to pogroms. It even prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to dispatch rescue planes to evacuate Israeli citizens. Once again there are fears of a repeat outbreak of violence, this time over a match in Birmingham, England.

(ESSAY) In a world where sports and spirituality don’t often intersect, Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt stood as a remarkable exception. Best known as the chaplain and No. 1 fan of Loyola University Chicago’s men’s basketball team, Sister Jean captured the hearts of millions during the team's improbable March Madness runs.

The upcoming “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series” marks the convergence of sports, politics, religion and human rights. For the Afghan refugee players, it’s a real chance to reclaim their place in the game. For FIFA, it’s a test of whether its commitment to women’s soccer extends beyond symbolic support — and whether it is willing to confront the contradictions within its own global family.

(ANALYSIS) Christians who oppose sports betting do so by applying biblical principles that discourage greed, materialism and irresponsibility. With a new NFL season upon us, concerns are also raised about the predatory nature of the gambling industry and its potential to cause addiction and harm to vulnerable people.

If veteran broadcaster Monte Moore is doing the telling, stories swapped at the Athletics Hall of Fame induction will include baseball, family and church. The folksy voice of the Kansas City and Oakland Athletics — the MLB team’s previous homes before their current, temporary stint in West Sacramento, Calif. — will be inducted into the A’s Hall of Fame.

Churches of Christ in Albania sponsor their own basketball league, Rebound. The Tirana team is about half Roma. They named themselves “Wings of Eagles” after Isaiah 40:31. Fushë Krujë also has a team, though some of its members joined before learning to dribble. They dubbed themselves “The Sons of Thunder,” the nicknames of apostles James and John in Mark 3:17.

Pastors and college football fans George Schroeder and Dean Inserra have kicked off the third season of “Gridiron and the Gospel,” a podcast dedicated to the sport but also faith. Schroeder’s sports journalism career stretched nearly 30 years and included stops at USA Today and Sports Illustrated as well as Baptist Press editor. He currently serves as pastor of First Baptist Church in Fairfield, Texas.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s engagement in Riyadh highlights Saudi Arabia’s evolving — but still inconsistent— social norms. Once governed by strict Islamic law, the kingdom has relaxed restrictions under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s reforms. Ronaldo and partner Georgina Rodríguez live openly as an unmarried couple — something that remains risky for ordinary Saudis, especially women.

The case of a high school football coach praying on the field has been in the spotlight since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling. But another football controversy first emerged in 2015, when two Christian schools made it to the state championships. The games were run by the state’s athletic association. Officials barred them from conducting a prayer over the loudspeaker before kickoff.

Over 10 weeks, boys progressed from basic stances and footwork to live sparring, with each session building confidence alongside muscle memory. What started as tentative jabs evolved into combinations as the young fighters learned to face adversity head-on. “I learned to protect myself,” said 9-year-old Kohanim Chavez. “I had a good time with my dad, and he was one of the best trainers.”

Terry Bollea — better known as Hulk Hogan — carried an oversized presence during a career that spanned nearly a half-century and included countless ripped shirts, bandannas and leg drops. His biggest splash came in December 2023, though, as Hogan and his wife, Sky, were baptized at Indian Rocks Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in Largo, Fla.

Success and Scottie Scheffler have become practically synonymous lately. Yet, it’s the world’s top-ranked golfer’s comments on what constitutes true meaning — and more to the point, what doesn’t — that keeps grabbing attention. It comes within an interesting context. Sheffler cruised to a four-stroke win in The Open Championship with a 17-under performance.

Evan Carter helped the Texas Rangers win the World Series in 2023. But Carter — still just 22 — has faced multiple challenges over the past two seasons. He talked to Religion Unplugged about his journey as a ballplayer and, more importantly, as a person of deep Christian faith. “Baseball is what I do, but I try and not make it, as the cliché goes, who I am,” he said.

(ANALYSIS) Although he remains little known beyond the country of his birth, Rinus Israël, who died July 1 in the Netherlands at age 83, was one of history’s great Jewish soccer players. In 1970, as captain of Feyenoord, Israël was the first Dutchman — and the first Jew — to lift the European Cup (the equivalent of today’s Champions League trophy).

DeMeco Ryans’ sermon coincided with the start of Vacation Bible School at Fifth Ward, just off heavily traveled Interstate 10 in view of high-rises and Daikin Park, home of MLB’s Houston Astros. The church — about 11 miles from NRG Stadium, where the Texans play — traces its roots to the 1930s tent revivals of the famous traveling evangelist Marshall Keeble.

(ANALYSIS) Déjà vu is a common occurrence in sports and the Edmonton Oilers are no strangers to repeat matchups. The team faced off against the New York Islanders in both 1983 and ’84 for hockey’s biggest prize. In this year’s Stanley Cup finals, the Oilers will try to avenge their 2024 loss to the Florida Panthers.

On a recent 78-degree Saturday afternoon, a U.S. flag and the Detroit Tigers’ four World Series championship banners — from 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984 — flapped in the Comerica Park breeze. For nearly four decades, Home Plate Detroit has brought fans together to pray and hear player testimonials. In the Motor City and elsewhere, these events mix a faith-based message with a major league game.

The link between the papacy and the sporting world looks set to continue under Pope Leo XIV. With a new pope installed as Francis’ successor, that sporting theme could continue in the Vatican, though the center of gravity may migrate from soccer to baseball. As befitting a U.S. pope, Leo is known to be a fan of the national pastime, in particular the Chicago White Sox.

The smell of popcorn wafts through the air, ball players are raring to go, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” plays through the sound system, and parents are ready to cheer their kids on. It sounds like an everyday American Little League baseball game, but this league is different. With absolute joy on their faces, some waving their hands, these young players are affected by various disabilities. Some are in wheelchairs, others are non-verbal.

A natural athlete who took to the sport quickly, Kayden Beasley’s growth originally placed him in a substitute role for this season. His stature has grown to where he was recently named to the team’s roster — trimmed by one spot — for the World Para Ice Hockey Championship in Buffalo at the end of May. A Christian, he left earlier this month for training camp in Madison, Wisc.

Zeev Buium took the ice on Sunday for the Minnesota Wild, becoming the first NHL player born to Israeli parents and one of more than a dozen Jewish players to feature in a game this season. He might also be the first in the league with a tattoo featuring Jewish calendar dates. His parents, Sorin and Miriam Buium, immigrated in 1999 from Ashdod, a city in Israel, to San Diego.

When the Portland Trail Blazers gave up four draft picks for Deni Avdija last summer, it seemed like an overpay. Avdija, the league’s only Israeli-born player, was coming off a breakout fourth season for the Washington Wizards. But his stats had popped so much that some regression felt almost inevitable. Instead, as the focal point of a young, head-turning team, Avdija’s gotten even better.

Walk through the doors of St. Peter’s Church in the English town of Shipley, in West Yorkshire, and this Anglican house of worship can sometimes result in a very unexpected sight. Forget rows of pews leading down to a main altar. Instead, you’ll find a WWE-style ring featuring wrestlers acting out Bible stories to the delight of those watching.

They lined up on March 2, ready to enter the baptistry at First Southern Baptist Church. College athletes, all of them. Emerging from the water symbolized a new start for them. The pastor’s name is Doyle Pryor. Imagine what a guy named Doyle Pryor would look, sound and be like. Odds are you imagine a preacher with a big personality and even bigger desire to do whatever it takes to reach others for Christ.

The best week in sports is upon us once again. The men’s NCAA basket tournament — a time known as “March Madness” — brings with it office pools and, very often, plenty of surprises. It’s a long road to the championship game and a lot will happen between now and April 7. Here are five religiously-affiliated schools that could turn into Cinderella teams and pull off some upsets.