While reading some of the outraged commentary about the spectacular staff cuts at The Washington Post, I keep thinking of the immortal words of King Theoden of Rohan, when facing dark waves of evil during the Battle of Helm’s Deep. All together now: “How did it come to this?”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Love and hate seem like obvious opposites. Love, whether romantic or otherwise, involves a sense of warmth and affection for others. Hate involves feelings of disdain. Love builds up, whereas hate destroys. However, this description of love and hate treats them as merely emotions.
Read MoreU.S. Army soldier. Republican congressman. Executive pastor. That was former U.S. Rep. Steve Russell’s career path before his 2022 recruitment to lead a North Carolina-based international ministry known as JAARS — which stands for Jungle Aviation and Relay Service.
Read MoreFormer Miss California Carrie Prejean Boller was removed from the White House’s Religious Liberty Commission after rejecting Zionism during an antisemitism hearing. A recent Catholic convert, she argued the modern state of Israel holds no biblical significance, reflecting a broader shift among some American Christians away from traditional Zionist support.
Read More(REVIEW) “Dracula” stands apart from recent pagan-leaning vampire films by embracing an explicitly Christian worldview. Framing vampirism as rebellion against God and redemption through repentance, it centers a heroic Catholic priest and divine mercy. Though weakened by its reincarnation premise, the film uniquely treats Christianity as true and redemptive.
Read MoreRomantasy is the literary genre that has become all the rage around the world. Combining imaginative scope of fantasy with the emotional intensity of romance, these books use love as a central narrative driver. At the same time, the setting provides a chance for world-building and supernatural elements that heighten the stakes of romance.
Read MoreTennessee Gov. Bill Lee reflected on faith and redemption after reconnecting with singer Jelly Roll, whom he had met years earlier while speaking in prison. At a divided National Prayer Breakfast, Lee avoided politics, sharing how personal tragedy reshaped his life, as other speakers highlighted religious freedom.
Read MoreOn Monday, nearly a dozen abuse survivors and advocates testified before the Georgia House Judiciary Committee in Atlanta. They spoke in support of Trey’s Law, a bill that would prohibit non-disclosure agreements in cases of child sexual abuse.
Read MoreThe Pew study measured diversity by dividing the global population into seven categories — Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, followers of other religions and people with no religious affiliation — and assessing how evenly those groups are distributed within each country.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I’ve been thinking a whole lot about social isolation recently. It’s probably because it’s this unspoken concept in a lot of the work that I do and many of the questions that I’m asked about religion in the United States. I swear I bring up Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” about twice a week when I’m doing interviews or giving presentations about data on religious attendance.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The ecological and environmental crisis is undeniable. Discussions around political action, however, quickly fragment into a rivalry of socio-economic interests that result in seemingly inescapable deadlocks. Religious traditions still play rather marginal roles in ecological thought, which often reflects narratives that seek liberation from religion.
Read MoreKamryn Lute’s Olympic ritual doesn’t start on the ice. It begins with a text to her mom: “Dear God,” she types. “Please help me do my best.” Kamryn, 21, is the only member of Team USA’s speedskating squad to have had a bat mitzvah — or a beloved pug who shared her Hebrew name, Elisheva.
Read MoreThe recent rise in antisemitism is making Jewish Americans feel unsafe, causing many to change the way they live their day-to-day lives. The American Jewish Committee said Jews living in the United States felt less safe last year compared to 2024 amid a growing number of high-profile antisemitism incidents.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In recent weeks, Catholic leaders have been increasingly outspoken in their criticism of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, especially its military intervention in Venezuela and saber-rattling over Greenland. Last month, the three cardinals heading U.S. archdioceses issued a rare joint statement of rebuke.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Religious traditions across cultures have often treated menstruation and childbirth as sources of ritual impurity. In Chinese Buddhism, the “Blood Bowl Scripture” condemned women to “Blood Pond Hell.” Today, women reinterpret these beliefs, emphasizing maternal sacrifice, agency and alternative understandings of female bodies.
Read MoreMadhu Pandit Dasa achieved every Indian family’s goal: Obtaining a physics degree from one of the best universities in the nation. But when science couldn’t answer his quest for truth, he found it in Hinduism — and started his career as a spiritual leader. “Within six months, I got frustrated … it was against my nature,” he said.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As Christian clergy across the United States participate in ongoing protests against harsh immigration enforcement actions and further funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, many are still pondering the words of Rob Hirschfeld. On Jan. 18, 2026, Hirschfeld, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, encouraged clergy in his diocese to “prepare for a new era of martyrdom” and put their wills and affairs in order.
Read MoreMost U.S. Protestant churchgoers say they value and regularly engage the Bible, but only 31% read it daily. Lifeway Research found that Bible engagement supports spiritual growth and faith retention, yet many believers fall short of consistent Scripture reading despite recognizing its importance.
Read MoreClarkson’s work goes against the cultural current. In an age where many loud voices urge us to put away thoughts of self-criticism and turn instead toward radical self-acceptance, he argues that to truly value ourselves is to understand where we have failed and where we need to grow. He encourages readers to spend less time bemoaning the people who are making the world worse.
Read MoreHannibal-LaGrange University settled its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education after new federal guidance reversed a rule it said violated religious freedom. The challenged regulation had blocked Pell Grants for incarcerated students, costing the university $700,000 and threatening Baptist governance structures nationwide.
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