The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case involving pregnancy resource centers in New Jersey that have been fighting a legal battle to prevent the subpoena of its donor records.
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(ANALYSIS) One of the most important cyclical events in my life as a data analyst of American religion is the semi-regular release of the General Social Survey.
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What you choose to read matters. Only together can we can combat misinformation and uplift reporting that informs rather than inflames.
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Certain corners of the Orthodox internet are not just conservative or traditionalist, but openly racist and antisemitic, with several far-right figures converting in recent years. In the South, there is a strain of neoconfederate Orthodoxy that marries white supremacy and Orthodox practice. Matthew Heimbach, who organized the notorious Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017, had been excommunicated from the Antiochian Orthodox church but joined another branch.
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A quarter-century ago, the millionaire businessman who brought the NBA’s original Charlotte Hornets to North Carolina’s largest city became embroiled in a sex scandal. Now he has published a book chronicling his stumbles and triumphs.
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(ANALYSIS) These films give us hints as to potential “whys” behind rising Western antisemitism. When you look at the lessons the historical dramas teach, and the movies made about their legacy today, you see deep tensions. These tensions suggest that some of the popular secular lessons our culture has derived from the Holocaust are also planting the seeds of its rejection.
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It was a stunning reversal of fortunes. In October, Lazarus Chakwera, Malawi’s charismatic preacher-turned-politician who once promised to “serve both God and the people,” lost his presidential re-election bid to long-time rival Peter Mutharika, who was formerly president himself from 2014 to 2020.
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Research carried out by the Bat Conservation Trust has revealed that over 8,000 churches provide bats with a home. They are messy houseguests, and churchgoers must coexist with them. At the same time, a U.K. law prohibits removing or disturbing the winged creatures that have scared people for centuries.
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Despite potential barriers within the congregation, the community and the broader culture, new Hispanic churches in the U.S. are reaching new people and welcoming new faces. Working with 16 denominations or similar groups, Lifeway Research surveyed leaders at almost 300 new Protestant Hispanic church works to gain an understanding of the current landscape.
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Churchgoing adults in the U.S. are likely to make financial and item donations during the Christmas season, according to a Lifeway Research study. More than four in five U.S. Protestant churchgoers say they typically make an extra monetary donation this time of year, while three in \four usually give new items to help others.
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Collections of Christmas music often include a few popular Advent hymns sung in Protestant services and even in Christmas parties, such as “Joy to the World,” “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” and, especially, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” Many Catholic Advent hymns focus on the role of Mary, the mother of Jesus, such as "Rorate Caeli (Drop down, Ye Heavens).”
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(ANALYSIS) Unfortunately, the current Israeli government seems uninterested in repairing what they have broken. The Jewish state will not crumble overnight if they remain indifferent to these needs. The country’s morale will weaken. And everything that has kept it strong and surviving — its defenses, its international supporters, its belief in its own mission — will do the same.
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(OPINION) America today is a paradox: A land of both freedom and fear. For some, the journey is from fear to freedom; for others, from freedom to fear. “My way or no way” has become a mantra.
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(ESSAY) When a beloved pet dies, a family finds solace in handmade quilts and TV church.
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(ANALYSIS) Until the 1960s, Quebec was the most religious part of North America. Now it is home to an aggressive secularist government that, on Nov. 27, introduced a proposed law, Bill 9, that would outlaw public prayer. For several centuries, religious minorities faced discrimination and, until the 1960s, Jehovah's Witnesses were still being arrested for their refusal to salute the flag.
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(ANALYSIS) The 2025 Story of the Year in religion is obviously the surprise May 8 election of the first Pope from the United States, Leo XIV. The second-place story, less publicized but important, is the Oct. 16 proclamation of a planned split among the world’s 97 million Anglican Christians over their anguishing dispute on the Bible and sexual morality.
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“I’m based in Africa, where a lot of stories are underreported, so my articles help readers make sense of the world from an African point of view.”
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Sadly, Richard died on Nov. 26. He left behind a wonderful wife, Caroline, and four children and many grandchildren. The most acute loss is undoubtedly theirs. He had countless friends, too, all of which are grieving his loss. He had just retired and assumed the title of director emeritus of CEME and was on the verge of enjoying a well-earned retirement filled with only the things he wanted to do when a surprise cancer diagnosis cut those plans short.
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(ANALYSIS) I can pretty much pinpoint the moment I got the inspiration for this post. I was riding my spin bike in the basement, watching a series on my phone called “Band of Brothers.” I know, I know — I should have watched it multiple times by now.
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In just under seven months, the new pontiff has curated a jersey collection worthy of a sports museum or a Windy City man cave. Each of these jerseys, often delivered by dignitaries or guests from the U.S., reveals something about Leo XIV’s identity as both a clergyman and a fan.
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