(ANALYSIS) Iran’s leaders warned the United States and Israel of retaliation as nationwide protests challenged the Islamic Republic’s theocracy. Facing mounting deaths and unrest, Iranian officials framed dissent as foreign-backed chaos, tightened repression and escalated external threats, revealing a regime prioritizing clerical survival over popular consent.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Japanese tea ceremony is deeply rooted in the ideals of Zen Buddhism, but the current matcha hype has little to do with the tea ceremony. Green tea has become part of the on-the-go coffee culture. On social media, a centuries-old spiritual practice is compressed into a 15-second reel.
Read More(ANALYSIS) There’s this well-worn phrase you hear in Christian circles: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.” It’s often used by pastors to remind people that simply showing up on Sunday isn’t enough to be a faithful Christian. The point is that authentic faith is more than just checking a box once a week.
Read MoreRaising up the next generation of church leaders is “vitally important,” says Brian Frable, pastor of Kona Baptist Church on the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s important to Kona Baptist Church and the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention “as we advance God’s Kingdom work in the Pacific, Asia, and throughout the world,” he said.
Read More(REVIEW) “The Gridiron Gospel” is a wonderful addition to the study of religion and sport. It focuses on schools like Notre Dame, BYU and Liberty University. Historian Hunter M. Hampton convincingly shows that college football was not just shaped by faith, but actively helped form how millions of Americans understood Christianity throughout the twentieth century.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV used an annual address to Vatican diplomats to warn that global politics had shifted toward militarism and force. Without naming any political leaders, he criticized war, erosion of international law and weakened human rights, positioning the Holy See as a moral counterweight to rising geopolitical tensions in many places around the world.
Read More(ANALYSIS) One of the things few people discuss about the “Avatar” films is how deeply “faith-based” they are. In fact, their spirituality may be one of the most influential things about the franchise in Hollywood. Since the first film graced theaters in 2009, Hollywood has followed its example in portraying religiosity on film — both for good and ill.
Read MoreAnyone who has followed religion news published by the Gray Lady in the years since January 22, 1973, knows that when debates linked to evangelicalism must be covered, The New York Times knows how to tell “good” evangelicals from “bad” evangelicals, as in the evangelicals who are worthy of respect and those whose moral, cultural and theological views are considered extreme, if not dangerous.
Read MoreTo Gwen Cummings, the late Marshall Keeble was more than a famous traveling evangelist. He was her “Pop.” Cummings shared her personal memories of Marshall and Laura Keeble, her great-grandparents who were more like grandparents to her.
Read MoreNearly six decades after a renowned evangelist’s death, hundreds of Christians lined up at a Nashville, Tennessee, church — where the son of former slaves preached his first sermon in 1897 — to see a new exhibit honoring his legacy.
Read MoreRather than answering blood with blood, many residents in one part of India turned to prayer, ritual and mutual care. This response has become as much a political statement as a spiritual one. In the days after deadly clashes took place, monks were visible in the streets. They organized food for families stranded by an imposed curfew, led quiet gatherings — and urged people to avoid retaliation.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Nothing can provoke anger quicker than mercy, when it’s directed to the wrong kind of people.
Read MorePopular Christian writer Philip Yancey has confessed to “a sinful affair with a married woman” that lasted eight years. The 76-year-old author of “What’s So Amazing About Grace?” and “Where Is God When It Hurts?” said he would not share more details about the adultery out of concern for the privacy of the other family. Yancey said his actions “caused deep pain” for his wife and family.
Read MoreFormer U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, 53, said in an X post just before Christmas that said: "I'll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.”
Read MoreA majority of New York voters believe that Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s harsh criticism of Israel is a legitimate policy disagreement and that elected officials should challenge U.S. support for Israel, even if it upsets some voters, a new poll found. Views differ sharply among Jewish New Yorkers.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The most important piece of data analysis in that post came from the Nationscape survey — a weekly study conducted between 2019 and early 2021. The total sample size was over 477,000 respondents, which means there were nearly five thousand Latter-day Saints in the dataset.
Read More(REVIEW) Children’s constant attachment to their screens — and how that behavior impacts their mental health and development — is an issue of much consternation for parents today, and one that’s virtually impossible to avoid or ignore. “Connected: Parenting Faithfully in the Digital Age” looks to equip parents to combat the ill effects of unlimited digital access — centered around a God-seeking family life.
Read MoreMilitants have killed at least 58 individuals in Christian villages in northeastern and northcentral Nigeria since Christmas, and kidnapped others from a Catholic boarding school, according to numerous reports.
Read MoreIt is a fraught time to lead a Christian congregation. Church leaders are navigating concerns about President Donald Trump’s second term, ongoing ICE raids, difficult conversations following Charlie Kirk’s murder — and also trying to dodge spiritual and occupational burnout along the way.
Read MoreWhile their day jobs may be different, the advice of men and women anchored in years of religious life, like nuns and priests, perhaps unsurprisingly, focuses on the same tools as laymen for navigating difficult times: Contemplation, community, empathy and solidarity with those who are often forgotten.
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