(REVIEW) With its prominent central dome and minarets, Birmingham Central Mosque is a notable example of Islamic architecture in the U.K. It is one of 160 places of Muslim worship in the city that artist Mahtab Hussain photographed over a two-year period starting in 2023. But, as his photographic installation “Mosque City: Birmingham’s Spiritual Landscape” reveals, not all of these mosques are as conspicuous.
Read MoreAs the pandemic dragged on, the Andersons remodeled an apartment adjoining their home into guest quarters. Mitch earned certifications in mission care and counseling and trained in assessment, coaching and leadership. The end result: Caretakers, a ministry that offers debriefing, transition support, stress assessment and spiritual formation retreats.
Read MoreMore Americans describe the Bible as true, life-changing and helpful today, compared to a 2016 Lifeway Research study. Additionally, more than two in five Americans (44%) say the Bible is a book to read over and over again, up four points from the previous study. Yet 9% say they’ve read it all more than once, unchanged since 2016. Half of Americans have engaged with the Bible beyond just a few stories.
Read More(ANALYSIS) To what degree will the new pope stand or not stand in continuity with Francis? As a scholar who has studied the writings and actions of the popes since the time of the Second Vatican Council, a series of meetings held to modernize the church from 1962 to 1965, I am aware that every pope comes with his own vision and his own agenda for leading the church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The global media storm surrounding the election of Pope Leo XIV will soon fade to some degree (until he wears a Chicago White Sox jersey or something like that). This post centers on the fact that the priest and bishop who is now pope has, in the past, offered some strong, insightful appeals for church leaders to face the realities of the digital age.
Read MoreAs a Christian ecologist and professor at Gordon College, Dr. Dorothy Boorse has endeavored to connect science to faith communities for over 30 years. Throughout her writing, she links the core Christian values of justice, compassion, and caring for the least of these to pressing climate issues. She recently spoke with Religion Unplugged about her career shift from pre-med to wetland ecologist, loving your neighbor, and polarization on environmental issues during the Trump administration.
Read MoreThe Conversation U.S. asked Maureen Day, a researcher at the University of Southern California who has written several books about the contemporary church, to explain what Catholicism looks like in the U.S. at this high-stakes moment.
Read MoreOnly four days have passed since his election to the papacy, and Pope Leo XIV made it a point to hold an audience with the men and women who were in Rome to report on the death of Pope Francis, the conclave and the first days of his own ministry.
Read MoreWhether or not this gender swap happens in the film, this should not be a surprise. Hollywood is moving toward a full-scale change in how it treats faith. Instead of elevating secularism over faith, Hollywood is adopting it as good when driven by women, but bad whenspearheaded by men. This change is putting it on a collision course with a growing alternative media, setting the stage for a new gender-coded culture war.
Read More(ANALYSIS) One of the most important questions that one has to ask in doing data work is pretty simple: “Compared to what?” Sure, religiosity in the U.S. has dropped over the last half-century, but how does our religious behavior compare to Europe?
Read More(ANALYSIS) Sainthood was earned, if not in blood, then in extreme humility and absolute submission to Christ. It was not fast. It was not fashionable. And it certainly was not a reward for being beloved by the world. That idea now lies on the operating table, gasping for breath. And the latest scalpel to slice deeper is the Vatican’s push to canonize Antoni Gaudí. Let’s not insult our own intelligence here.
Read More(ANALYSIS) There’s a good chance that you may have heard that the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics have a new shepherd. You may have heard this news because, to skilled religion writers (and wise editors who hire them) a papal election is the Godbeat Olympics. At the same time, the rest of the world views these transitions as political elections in which candidates wear spectacular vestments and talk too much about God.
Read MoreMany of the nearly 31 percent of Americans whose mothers have died, as the U.S. Census Bureau counted, experienced the loss when they were not ready to process the pain. For them and others, such milestones as Mother’s Day come with complicated floods of emotions. That’s a reality GriefShare, a ministry popular among Southern Baptist churches, seeks to address in “Remembering Mom.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Press freedom continues to be under threat globally, with journalists being killed or injured, others being censored, and media outlets being closed down, among others. According to the United Nations, since January 2025, at least 20 people who work in the media have been killed.
Read MoreCanterbury Cathedral has been a significant pilgrimage destination for over a thousand years. Despite the West’s growing secularization, there seems to be no shortage of travelers from around the world looking to make the journey to the English house of worship. These days, people come for historical, cultural as well as spiritual reasons.
Read MoreA day after being chosen the first U.S.-born pontiff, Pope Leo XIV said on Friday that his election was both a blessing and a cross to bear. The Chicago-born Augustinian missionary Robert Prevost surprised the world on Thursday when the conclave elected him pope, overcoming the traditional prohibition against a pontiff from the United States.
Read MoreThe big issue here is what that cross necklace means when it is worn by blonde women who are members of the Donald Trump team. Is this a matter of religious faith or political identity?
Read MorePeace be with you! Dearest brothers and sisters, this was the first greeting of the risen Christ, the good shepherd who gave His life for the flock of God. I, too, would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach your families and all people, wherever they are; and all the peoples, and all the earth: Peace be with you.
Read MoreIt was the white plume of smoke that ushered in a new pope — and the reaction that the head of the Catholic Church is an American sparked reaction across the nation. Everyone had something to say about Cardinal Robert Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV. The pope, who hails from Chicago’s South Side, had made history as the first U.S.-born pontiff in the church’s 2,000-year history.
Read More(REVIEW) “Vote of Faith” combines ethnographic storytelling with academic analysis. Readers might find the engaging stories and conversations captivating, like a great novel. However, some sections filled with jargon and less common vocabulary may slow down the reading pace. Overall, the book is well-researched and intriguing, providing valuable insights into the relationship between religion and politics.
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