Weekend Plug-in 🔌

Editor’s note: Every week, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com.

(ANALYSIS) “Preach the Gospel everywhere. When necessary, use laundromats.”

“Praise the Lord, and pass the Chick-fil-A, some of the best fried chicken in NYC.”

“Monsters are everywhere in the Bible — and some are even human.”

These are some of the religion headlines that caught my attention this past week.

To be honest, though, I haven’t paid as close attention to the news as I normally do.

As I previewed in the last Weekend Plug-in three weeks ago, I took off a week for vacation (I had a wonderful time seeing country shows with my sister and parents in Branson, Missouri). Then I took off a week for a reporting trip to the Chicago area.

But in the Windy City, I came down with what at first I thought were allergies. Eventually, I tested positive for COVID-19. The experience threw me for a loop. I finally tested negative Friday night. I’m feeling much better.

However, I have no doubt I’ve missed a whole lot of the best reads in the world of faith. Feel free to catch me up!

One thing I didn’t miss: those amazing first images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

Think there might be a religion angle there? Enter the Washington Times’ Mark A. Kellner with this fascinating take:

The images raise issues for followers of the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) and affirm the thoughts of Enlightenment philosopher Immanuel Kant, who in the 1700s imagined the possibility of galaxies beyond our own, says Harvard government professor Michael Rosen.

Religion News Service’s Claire Giangravé quotes Vatican astrophysicist Brother Guy Consolmagno:

“The science behind this telescope is our attempt to use our God-given intelligence to understand the logic of the universe,” Consolmagno wrote, adding that “the universe wouldn’t work if it weren’t logical.”

“But as these images show, the universe is not only logical, it is also beautiful. This is God’s creation being revealed to us, and in it we can see both his astonishing power and his love of beauty,” he said.

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. When can a ministry count as a church?: “In the case of the Family Research Council, it depends on if you ask the IRS or the U.S. Religion Census,” Christianity Today’s Daniel Silliman reports.

According to ProPublica’s Andrea Suozzo, the FRC has joined “a growing list of activist groups seeking church status, which allows organizations to shield themselves from financial scrutiny.”

2. A Ukrainian priest splits Sundays between church and the front lines: The Washington Post’s Steve Hendrix and Serhii Korolchuk report from the industrial city of Kostiantynivka.

“Father Vitalii Kester’s Sunday routine is not what it used to be,” they write, “before war drove most of his congregation away and he started wearing army pants beneath his robes and splitting his day between one Mass at church and another with soldiers on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine.”

For more compelling reading, see coverage by The Associated Press’ Lori Hinnant and Vasilisa Stepanenko of famed Ukrainian medic Yuliia Paievska, known as Taira:

Asked if she had feared death in captivity, Taira said it was a question her jailers asked often, and she had a ready answer.

“I said no because I’m right with God,” she told them. “But you are definitely going to hell.”

3. The far-right Christian quest for power: ‘We are seeing them emboldened’: “Political candidates on the fringe mix religious fervor with conspiracy theories, even calling for the end of the separation of church and state,” the New York Times’ Elizabeth Dias reports.

The religion writer’s in-depth story appeared on the front page of last Saturday’s Times.

More Top Reads

• MAGA preacher Sean Feucht scored millions from his Trump-loving flock (by Tim Dickinson and Kara Voght, Rolling Stone)

• Priests once aligned with Russia come under suspicion in Ukraine (by Valerie Hopkins, Oleksandr Chubko and Vera Mironova, New York Times)

• ‘Domestic abuse was worse than death row’ (by Kate Shellnutt, Christianity Today)

• In ‘Ms. Marvel’, Muslim fans see a reflection of their lives (by Deepa Bharath and Mariam Fam, Associated Press)

• The Supreme Court came together on religion this term. Then, it fell apart (by Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News)

• Faith leaders attend White House celebration of gun control law (by Adelle M. Banks and Jack Jenkins, Religion News Service)

• Reading between the lines of Vatican response to Supreme Court overturning Roe (by Christopher White, National Catholic Reporter)

• Southern Baptist seminary announces mandatory abuse response course (by Liam Adams, The Tennessean)

• How Milwaukee faith leaders are answering the call to be a ‘primary piece’ of the city's plan to stop gun violence (by Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

• How Abe and Japan became vital to Moon’s Unification Church (by Marc Fisher, Washington Post)

• Ultrasound ‘window’ on the womb can shift abortion decision to pro-life, advocates say (by Mark A. Kellner, Washington Times)

• On Greece’s Santorini, 13 cloistered nuns pray for the world (by Giovanna Dell'Orto, AP)

• After escaping Highland Park shooting, new priest comforts congregation that lost two (by Brittany Shammas, Washington Post)

• Episcopalians to study their role in Native boarding schools (by Peter Smith, AP)

• Think piece: The masculinity debate needs Johnny Cash (by Hannah Anderson, Christianity Today)

• Think piece: Polls show Americans don’t care that much about Dobbs — and won’t base their vote on it (by Rich Lowry, Politico)

Inside The Godbeat: Behind The Bylines

Kelsey Dallas, the award-winning national religion writer for the Deseret News in Salt Lake City, has a new role.

Besides reporting on religion, she’ll begin writing/editing about national sports, too.

“This is a dream come true, and I can’t wait to get started,” Dallas said on Twitter.

Charging Station: In Case You Missed It

Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from ReligionUnplugged.com.

• Documentary ‘Respect Our Sacred’ exposes struggle to decriminalize African religions in Brazil (by Camila De Silva)

• The past six years have either made you crazy or devout — or a bit of both (by Paul Prather)

• A great mystic of our time: The story of Natuzza Evolo and the Catholic Church (by Eleonora Francica)

• Catholic voters down on Biden ahead of midterms, most favor abortion rights with limits (by Clemente Lisi)

• Gay couple preach to Chicago Catholic parish on Father’s Day (by Terry Mattingly)

• Marvel has issues with God (by Joseph Holmes)

• Christian support for prison, police and policy reform under pressure amid crime surge (by Paul Glader)

• Ukrainian Christians recall 51 days huddled in church building as city was destroyed (by Erik Tryggestad)

• Jan. 6 hearings highlight politicians who had received support from pro-family groups (by Steve Rabey)

• One year later: How Cuban Evangelicals powered the revolution ‘11J’ (by Yoe Suárez)

• Pope Francis retirement rumors grow: Will he follow in Benedict's footsteps? (by Clemente Lisi)

• Pro-life ministries stay the course to end abortion in a post-Roe nation (by Kim Roberts)

• FBI raids several House of Prayer churches in connection with alleged GI Bill fraud (by Anne Stych)

The Final Plug

By my quick count, this is the 122nd edition of Plug-in since launching this weekly roundup in January 2020.

With COVID-19 behind me, I hope to be back next Friday with a more normal — and more timely — 123rd installment.

Thank you for reading! Enjoy the weekend.

Bobby Ross Jr. is a columnist for ReligionUnplugged.com and editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 15 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.