Amy Goodman’s Relentless Pursuit of Power, Accountability And Truth

One of America’s greatest and fearless investigative journalists, Amy Goodman, seeks the truth and reports it. Religion Unplugged sat down with her to discuss how her Jewish upbringing and its influences on her career and reporting.

Read More
Prayers Continue For Centuries-Old Kievan Lavra In Kyiv

(ANALYSIS) I am back home, writing at my desk in the Southern Highlands after two weeks visiting Scotland, Ireland, Wales and thereabouts. I remain a bit jet-lagged, as is common for folks of my age, but there is work to be done.

Read More
Religious Freedom Faces Growing Pressures Worldwide

A new Pew Research Center study found religious hostilities increased sharply around the world in 2023, driven by harassment of religious minorities and fallout from the Israel-Hamas war. Government restrictions on religion remained near record highs, an issue affecting billions of people across dozens of countries.

Read More
Gen Z Doesn’t Trust Anyone: Is It Because They Aren’t Religious?

(ANALYSIS) The amount of cynicism in the world is sometimes hard for my mind to grasp. I really struggle watching TV shows and movies that have a really bleak view of the world. I don’t want to watch ”The Golden Girls” all the time (although it is a really great thing to put on the TV right before bed), but I just can’t spend a lot of my time meditating on the evilness of the human experience over and over again. I think it’s bad for my soul, to be honest.

Read More
Bangladesh Has A New Catholic Diocese: Why Hindus And Muslims Are Excited, Too

A new Catholic diocese in Bangladesh is creating a place of hope for people of all faith, especially in the fields of education and health. Bishop Paul Gomes was consecrated this month as the first bishop of the new diocese of Joypurhat in northern Bangladesh, which is largely inhabited by indigenous people. Joypurhat is the ninth Catholic diocese in Bangladesh with more than 24,000 Catholics.

Read More
Nigeria’s Shia Movement Rallies Behind Iran During Middle East Conflict

Following Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death in a US-Israeli strike and the renewed Israel-Iran conflict, Nigeria's Islamic Movement mobilized nationwide protests, reflecting deep ideological and spiritual ties to Iran while raising concerns among authorities about security, sectarian tensions and regional stability.

Read More
The Pentagon’s Mormon Classification Revives Debate Over Christian Identity

(ANALYSIS) A recent decision by the U.S. Department of Defense has reopened one of the longest-running religious disputes in American history: Whether members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints should be considered Christians. The controversy emerged after the Pentagon revised a list of religious affiliations available to military personnel.

Read More
Donor-Advised Fund Foundation to Acquire Salem Media

For-profit Christian multimedia company Salem Media Group may soon become the property of a 501(c)(3). The Texas-based broadcaster — which owns the Salem Radio Network, the Salem Web Network, Salem Publishing, and conservative news websites RedState and Townhall — announced in a May press release that its board has approved a buyout by Waterstone, a Christian donor-advised fund foundation.

Read More
Washington’s National Cathedral Serves As A Place For Reflection

As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday on July 4th, the neo-Gothic cathedral has emerged once again as one of the nation’s most symbolic gathering places. It’s not just a church, but also a civic sanctuary where Americans wrestle with questions of identity, memory, grief, hope and democracy.

Read More
Taiwan Prayer Gathering Highlights Plight Of Chinese Christians

More than 3,000 Christians from multiple countries gathered in person and online on June 9 for a global prayer event supporting believers facing persecution in China, where authorities have intensified pressure on house churches and clergy in recent years.

Read More
In Divided Sri Lanka, Monks Create Display Of Interfaith Unity

(ANALYSIS) A delegation of 12 Buddhist monks recently walked across Sri Lanka along with their adopted dog Aloka. People of all faiths in Sri Lanka, who have witnessed riots and bloodbaths in the past decade, welcomed them. Apart from Buddhist monks, Christian, Muslim and Hindu leaders joined the U.S.-based delegation during their week-long peace walk across the island nation.

Read More
California-Based Christian University Launches $1 Billion Fundraising Campaign

A Pepperdine University spokesperson said the money raised will go toward strengthening academic programs, supporting faculty excellence, advancing scientific research and ethical AI innovation.

Read More
⛪️ Southern Baptists Push Back On ‘Woke’ Leaders And Women Pastors 🔌

The Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Orlando, Florida, this week, moved forward on banning churches with women pastors and elected a right-wing president concerned the denomination has become too woke and liberal.

Read More
Crossroads Podcast: Talarico’s Theology Draws Scrutiny During Senate Run

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico's theological views are drawing attention as he campaigns while preparing for Presbyterian ordination. Questions about the resurrection, abortion, sexuality, gender identity and denominational controversies could test whether his blend of progressive politics and Christianity resonates with voters.

Read More
The Orthodox Book Lover Whose Store Affected Believers

(ANALYSIS) Metropolitan Saba Esper, leader of the Antiochian Orthodox archdiocese of North America, was searching for a rare book by Oliver Clement of Paris — the translation of a complex work written in French. While in Wichita two years ago, he went to Eighth Day Books to consult with owner Warren Farha.

Read More
From The NASL To World Cup: Meet The Jews Who Helped Soccer Grow In The United States

When the North American FIFA World Cup starts Thursday, the story will largely be told through the familiar lenses of Lionel Messi, the geography of the 48 participants and three hosts, and — because 75% of the games will be played there — the continuing rise of soccer in the United States. But there is another, less familiar story woven through the tournament: The long, strange and often overlooked history of Jews in North American soccer.

Read More
‘The Old Stories: Moses’ Offers Up A Biblical Epic With An Artificial Soul

(REVIEW) While the show’s theological justification is surprisingly in line with the pope’s new AI principles, the execution proves that — as always — the devil is in the details.  

Read More
Cincinnati Gives Glimpse Of Catholicism’s History In America’s Heartland

(ANALYSIS) Ten years after “Hillbilly Elegy” catapulted its author into public view, JD Vance is publishing a new memoir, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.” The vice president explains the book as a sort of self-help guide for the spiritually lost: “… by sharing my journey I might be helpful to others — Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise — who are seeking reconciliation with God.”

Read More
How The ‘Hand Of Providence’ Helped Decide The American Revolution

Yorktown has a landscape layered with meaning. It’s where cannon fire once settled an empire’s fate and the birth of a new nation. It’s also the place where the “Hand of Providence” prevailed.

Read More
What Tattoos Of World Cup Soccer Players Reveals About Their Religious Beliefs

(ANALYSIS) This World Cup held in the United States, Canada and Mexico — with its unprecedented global outreach — offers a unique opportunity to observe the values, beliefs and relationships that soccer players choose to display on their bodies. In some ways, tattoos can be seen as a small window into the players’ souls.

Read More