(ANALYSIS) In reinventing himself, did Robert Allen Zimmerman — Dylan’s birth name and the grandson of Lithuanian and Ukrainian Jewish immigrants — also betray his Jewish heritage? What was that heritage and how did it shape his music, his worldview, his rise to fame and identity? Harry Freedman explores these questions in his probing book, “Bob Dylan: Jewish Roots, American Soil.”

(EXCERPT) In “Queens of Islam: The Muslim World’s Historic Women Rulers,” journalist Tom Verde shares stories of 15 Muslim women rulers, dating back to the early Islamic era through the 17th century. The book, published by Olive Branch Press, pushes back on stereotypes about Muslim women as oppressed. Instead, it highlights prominent rulers who influenced Islamic civilization across the Arab world.

(EXCERPT) Could the flourishing history of journalism provide clues for enabling it to flourish in future? Why is society’s watchdog, the press, with its long and often honorable pedigree, going feral? Failing to bark at misrepresentation and fraud, while snarling at truth? Why does journalism have the privileged position it does?

(ANALYSIS) Throughout his career, you see the outlines of a man burdened by the myth he helped build. A man who stared down America’s worst tendencies and tried to warn us, only to watch them metastasize. And in that exhaustion, there’s something quietly Christlike — not in purity, but in genuine suffering. 

At a time when the Trump administration has renewed a travel ban on various Muslim majority countries in Africa and across the Middle East, the Quran owned by John Adams is but one indication that our nation’s founders regarded Islam — as well as other, non-Western, non-Christian faiths — as worthy of respect and protection under the law.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled parents of public-school children in Montgomery County, Md., have a right to opt their kids out of classroom reading times with books the school board labels as “LGBTQ inclusive.” These books were introduced as part of a new curriculum in 2022 for pre-K through eighth-grade students. They promote storylines that teach gender is a construct rather than a biological fact.

(REVIEW) In 1838, American clergymen Edward Robinson and Eli Smith began a Bible-guided survey of the Holy Land, producing a landmark archaeological record. Allan Chapman’s new book traces how 19th-century explorers and missionaries — from pyramid-measuring mystic Charles Piazzi Smyth to Ur excavator Sir Leonard Woolley — sought evidence for Biblical truth.

Roughly two-thirds of the way through his new book, “Good Soil: the Education of an Accidental Farmhand,” Jeff Chu, then a student at Princeton Theological Seminary and a worker at the school “Farminary” (working farm), reflects on the New Testament parable of the seed sower. What was its significance for him, a gay child of immigrants from Hong Kong raised in a conservative Christian family teeming with preachers and Sunday school teachers?

“Buddhism: A Journey through History” presents a rich tapestry of thematic stories that span topics such as the law, philosophy, war and governance. These narratives will surprise and engage readers with their depth, detail and rigorous scholarship. The writing is both clear and accessible, making this book suitable for a broad audience and history junkies alike.

When you think about Jewish contributions to the world of entertainment, your mind probably immediately goes to comedies, sci-fi and musicals. But there’s another genre rich with Jewish history: Westerns. In the new book “Chai Noon: Jews and the Cinematic Wild West,” scholar Jonathan Friedmann examines Jewish figures and themes in Western film, dating back to Hollywood’s first feature-length film. “The Squaw Man,” released in 1914.

(REVIEW) “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” continues the Marvel trend of having a strained relationship with God that reflects trends within our culture. And while this new version of the Fantastic Four is more optimistic in many ways, its view of God is increasingly terrifying. Marvel has long had a complicated relationship with God. While they mostly ignore Him, the movies have, over time, featured and discussed the Almighty more and more.

The film, a standout in early faith-based cinema, returns for its 15th anniversary amid a revitalized genre led by hits like “The Chosen.” Directed by Dallas Jenkins and starring Kevin Sorbo, the film explores an alternate reality where a businessman sees the life he could have had by following God’s path. Strong writing and emotional depth elevate it above genre clichés.

(REVIEW) Stories help us sift through random events of our lives into something coherent. COVID was a seminal time in American life, and it’s more than right that we should tell stories about it. But without something coherent to say, those stories stop being useful ways to interpret the noise, and instead just add to it.

(ANALYSIS) Are Superman and Jesus headed for an American revival? For better or worse, people’s love of Superman and devotion to God have always been tightly fused. Whether this will lead to a long-term revival for both or just a short-term connection remains to be seen. For now, a lot more people are looking up to the heavens than were before.  

The Trinity Broadcasting Network was sued by a media company started by TV personality Phil McGraw, whose eponymous talk show “Dr. Phil” captivated 10 million U.S. viewers weekly during 21 seasons on TV. The lawsuit claims TBN saddled McGraw’s enterprises with more than $100 million in financial obligations while not delivering on production and distribution services.

(ANALYSIS) With the increasing secularization of America, there’s far more freedom for Hollywood writers to tell stories about the afterlife that are in conflict with Christian narratives. There’s less cultural pressure to conform to Christian norms, so filmmakers are now freer explore alternative or ambiguous views of the afterlife.

(REVIEW) “Squid Game” is a series that’s no stranger when it comes to weaving religious imagery into its narrative. Season 3 culminates that thread with both subtle and striking references, particularly when it comes to Christian symbolism. The season, it turns out, is more parable than sermon.  The six episodes that form the final season are bloodier than ever.

The director’s most recent film, “The Phoenician Scheme.” very explicitly affirms faith. This is all the more surprising because his previous film was one of the most moving anti-faith films of the past 20 years. What explains this? Why did Anderson change his portrayal of faith so radically between his last film and his latest one?

Season Two of the hit TV docuseries “Shiny Happy People” will focus on now-defunct Dallas-based youth ministry Teen Mania and founder Ron Luce, Amazon Prime Video announced Wednesday. Premiering July 23, the three-episode season will expose the early-2000s evangelical teen pop culture phenomenon. 

(REVIEW) Zombies resemble humans without retaining anything about our distinct personalities or relationships also have a visceral ability to articulate our fear of the end. Death is an ever-present fact of life, so symbols of death, like skulls or the Grim Reaper, are natural. This is particularly true during times when religious symbols of death and what comes after (like the Christian cross) appear to be out of style.

(REVIEW) “The Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art” is a deeply academic tome. Its 480 pages includes an extensive set of endnotes that will no doubt prove invaluable to future scholarship, while its large appendix is itself a significant resource. Yet, with Anderson’s lucid and well-informed writing style, this book will be accessible to a wide audience of readers.

Christians at the Bouldercrest Church of Christ invited the devil into their midst. This time, he went down to Georgia not for a fiddle-playing contest, as the famous Charlie Daniels Band song goes, but for an interview.That was the premise of a recent play the church hosted, “The Art of Influence: An Interview with the Devil.”

A leading academic who has called for the return of precious artifacts “stolen by Pope Pius XI and his missionaries” from Indigenous First Nations communities has urged Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican Museums to “rethink their colonial mindset.” Gloria Bell said the Vatican continues to falsely “refer to everything” in their collection as a “gift.”

On a summer night in 2023, Rajah Bose boarded the midnight train out of Spokane, Washington, with John Steinbeck’s “Travels with Charlie” in his backpack and a burning question that he couldn’t articulate. The 45-year-old photojournalist and musician was embarking on a 9,000-mile journey across America by rail, from the Pacific Northwest to New York and, finally, back home.

In the second installment of “And So It Goes,” HBO’s new two-part documentary about Billy Joel, the Piano Man explains why he wore a yellow Star of David in August 2017, during his residency at Madison Square Garden, in his most extensive filmed account of his family’s experience in the Holocaust. “No matter what, I will always be a Jew,” he said.

(ANALYSIS) Anime and Religious Identity: Cultural Aesthetics in Japanese Spiritual Worlds helps students explore questions of meaning, ethics and belief that anime brings to life. It examines themes such as what happens when the past resurfaces? What does it mean to carry the weight of responsibility? And how can suffering become a path to transformation?

(REVIEW) The devotional art of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism share many similarities, even some gods. To understand why, you need to examine the ancient Indian origins of these religions and their iconographies, which can be traced back to the powerful nature spirits and divine serpents once worshipped across the subcontinent.

(ESSAY) When I began exploring the history of Christianity and the art it inspired, I had no idea it would lead me to one of the closest friendships of my life. That friend was Alexei Mihailovich Lidov, a world-renowned scholar of Byzantine art and architecture. The path to that friendship began in 1999, when our family traveled to Turkey for the first time.

(ANALYSIS) Bono has never been backwards in coming forward, especially when it comes to God. He doesn’t mumble about “spiritual energy” or dodge the name of Jesus. He says it straight: “The Son of God.”  He talks about Christ carrying his shame, not because it sounds poetic, but because he believes it. His faith isn’t necessarily neat or polished, but it's real.

Houston’s Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, one of the largest Greek Orthodox communities in the nation, expects to cover each of its walls with colorful Byzantine iconography by the year 2027, hoping to continue expanding as membership grows. Formed in 1917, the Annunciation community was the city’s first organized Greek Orthodox Church.

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.

(BOOK EXCERPT) In the late 1970s, the San Francisco Bay Area sportswriters labeled the growing group of born-again Christians on the San Francisco Giants the "God Squad." When the God Squadders helped propel the team to a strong 1978 season, challenging the Dodgers and Reds, they often gave God the credit in post-game interviews. The press raised no objection. In 1979, when the Giants' fortunes faded, sportswriters were quick to blame the born-again players.

In the extreme sport of ice swimming, the appropriately named Winters holds the world record for the oldest person to swim an ice mile, officially noted by the International Ice Swimming Association. “I first got into ice swimming just because I’d read that it was the most extreme swimming challenge in the world,” he said, “and basically just to see if I could do it and challenge myself.”

Dikembe Mutombo’s towering presence on the basketball court made him a household name. With his signature finger wag and shot-blocking ability, he dominated the NBA for nearly two decades. But it’s his legacy off the court that set him apart as an icon of compassion and service. His parents, both Baptists, instilled in him values of kindness, humility and service to others. These principles would shape Mutombo’s identity as a man and player.

Alex Bregman, the slugging third baseman who wore a Star of David on his cap following the Oct. 7 attacks, reportedly signed with the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday in a contract that will give him the highest salary ever for a Jewish baseball player. The three-year, $120 million deal officially closes Bregman’s tenure with Houston Astros, the team that drafted him second overall in 2015.

A tiny cross is perched atop the church. In front, a bright red bicycle repair station and a brown-and-white sign proclaims “Spoke’n Hostel” to greet visitors. Not only does this church-turned-hostel offer the cheapest accommodations — just $35 a night — in this remote part of the state, but its reputation for warm hospitality has earned two awards from Oregon’s governor’s office.

(OPINION) It’s gratifying to see new government policies which align with God’s creational order, yet this is not the end of our witness on this issue. Our churches should both be eager to declare what is good and true and beautiful about biblical masculinity and femininity and read to help those who struggle with gender dysphoria find hope in the Gospel and the resurrection of the body at the end of the age.

President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order aimed at prohibiting transgender women and girls from competing in women’s sports, directing agencies to withdraw federal funding for any schools that refused to comply. The step, taken on National Girls & Women in Sports Day, is one of several by the new president regarding gender.

Judging by the television audience, Americans certainly care about the Super Bowl. Few, however, think God shares their concern. Last year’s Super Bowl drew more than 123.7 million U.S. viewers, the largest TV viewership in history. Yet, most U.S. adults don’t believe God cares who wins the big game or determines the the winner, according to a new study.

The high number of practicing Christian quarterbacks in the NFL is a multifaceted phenomenon rooted in cultural, social and personal factors. Christianity offers these men a foundation for moral guidance, mental fortitude and a sense of community — all of which are essential to the demanding life of an NFL quarterback and win a Super Bowl.

(OPINION) The media and the public are now accustomed to hearing athletes thank God for the abilities he has given them. But that wasn’t always the case. In baseball in the 1950 and ‘60s, it was extremely rare to hear such pronouncements from athletes. Then, during the 1970s in San Francisco, one of the great culture clashes between religious athletes, the media and the fan base erupted over a group of born-again ballplayers.

The route pushes cyclists to their limits. They face unrelenting desert heat, rugged terrain, crowded highways, brutal headwinds and sheer exhaustion that comes from cycling for days in such extreme conditions. It is a route that was first conquered by the H&K Cycle Club riders in 2022 — and despite the knowledge of the extreme challenge involved they now go back every year. 

Jake Retzlaff of Brigham Young University — yes, that’s the school affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — will represent the matzo maker under a name, image and likeness contract that runs through the end of the school year. Manischewitz would not reveal the financial terms of the sponsorship.

A native of the Dallas area, Associate Pastor Scott Turner previously played football and ran track at the University of Illinois. He was drafted as a cornerback by the Washington Redskins in 1995 to begin an eight-year NFL career that included stops with the San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos. He continues to serve as a senior advisor to the NFL’s executive vice president of Football Operations.

Mississippi College will become Mississippi Christian University, a statement from the school’s board of trustees announced. A “strategic realignment of athletics” announced by the Mississippi College board of trustees included the “discontinuation” of its football program. “Discontinuing our football program is a difficult decision,” said the school’s Athletic Director Kenny Bizot.