When people say they “lose themselves in music,” it can describe the spiritual-like experience of entering a trance or altered state evoked by rhythm or melody. In various cultures and faith traditions, music acts as a bridge to spirituality. Interpretive choreography, beating on drums, humming and chanting — all create an atmosphere that draws people into connection with something greater.
Read MoreThe mission requires going into rural communities to preach the Gospel. In fact, AMEN introduced what Pastor Oscar Amaechina calls a “humanitarian service directorate,” mainly to help attend to the physical needs of the poor, especially women who are victims of religious violence.
Read MoreA new congressional bill would require the U.S. to designate Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC), indicating egregious, systemic and ongoing religious freedom violations in the country that is the deadliest for Christians. The Nigeria Religious Freedom Accountability Act of 2025 echoes a longstanding call by many religious freedom organizations.
Read MoreRastafarians celebrate Emperor Haile Selassie I because they believe he is the living God, or Jah, who appeared in human form to bring salvation to people of African descent. His coronation in 1930 was seen as the fulfillment of a prophecy that a Black king would be crowned in Africa, signaling the beginning of deliverance from oppression.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As Algeria tries to assert itself on the international stage as a civilizational bridge, the country’s Christian community continues to face renewed challenges. In late July, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune traveled to Italy to meet with both Pope Leo XIV and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. The latter meeting produced a joint initiative to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for several historic sites in Algeria linked to early Christianity.
Read MoreThe monastery is in the news again, and for unhappy reasons connected to the court decision. Under pressure from Greek Orthodox leaders internationally, the monastery's head, Archbishop Damianos, announced that he would resign as of last Friday. Meanwhile, on Sept. 8, the Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem unanimously resolved that Damianos be already deposed.
Read MoreFinancial instability, high unemployment and poverty in South Africa have led some women to choose prostitution as a means of supporting their children. As South Africa moves to decriminalize prostitution, Religion Unplugged interviewed Christian ministries that preach to women involved in prostitution to explore the church’s role in restoring their dignity.
Read MoreA new study by the Pew Research Center released Thursday reveals that many religiously unaffiliated adults — often referred to as “nones” — still hold beliefs commonly associated with religion, such as belief in life after death, a spiritual realm or even God. The study surveyed adults in 22 countries with large populations of religiously unaffiliated individuals.
Read MoreWhile Nigeria grapples with growing homelessness and drug addiction, a pastor has made it his mission to reach out to some of the country’s poorest with the creation of the “Church Under the Bridge.” The project, created in 2024 by chance, aims to give hope to groups of people who have been largely ignored by the government and most of society.
Read MoreAt a time when more than three billion people worldwide live without access to a local church, International Cooperating Ministries is inviting Christians to help bridge that gap. The Virginia-based missions organization, which has helped construct more than 13,600 permanent church buildings in 110 countries, recently launched its new Community Impact Partners program.
Read MoreA Muslim convert who said he saw a vision of Christ while napping at a Ugandan mosque is recovering after his relatives beat him and destroyed his home. While Uganda is not included in Open Doors’ World Watch List of the 50 countries that are the worst persecutors of Christians, Uganda ranks 72nd in the world for Christian persecution.
Read MoreIt is early one morning and a child on the shore spots the ship before anyone else, shouting to greet its arrival. Women begin to gather with babies strapped to their backs. Somewhere inside a crumbling church a bell rings — not for worship — but for medicine. This is the quiet, but powerful work of a long-standing partnership led by the African Inland Church Tanzania and the U.K.-based Vine Trust.
Read MoreEgypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports has launched “Youth Against Atheism,” a government program partnering with Al-Azhar, the country’s top Sunni Muslim institution and the Coptic Church to combat what officials call “electronic atheism” spreading through social media platforms. The initiative targets five areas and marks an escalation in state efforts to address the phenomenon.
Read MoreThe murders this past May in Kenya of two Catholic priests reflecst a global context in which clergy, who have always lived among the poor and on the peripheries, are now being hunted. In many areas around the world where the state has receded, faith often becomes the last visible institution — and the first to be attacked. From the Americas to Africa, religious workers have become marked men and women.
Read MoreReligious demand for wildlife products can be just as relentless as demand for items used in traditional medicine, status symbols or investments. From African elephant ivory carved into crucifixes for Catholics to Islamic prayer beads and Coptic crosses to amulets and carvings for Buddhists and Taoists in Thailand, the list is very long.
Read MoreA leading academic who has called for the return of precious artifacts “stolen by Pope Pius XI and his missionaries” from Indigenous First Nations communities has urged Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican Museums to “rethink their colonial mindset.” Gloria Bell said the Vatican continues to falsely “refer to everything” in their collection as a “gift.”
Read MoreThere are 81,011 inmates in Nigeria’s prisons. However, inadequate healthcare remains a significant challenge, contributing to numerous health problems and affecting inmates’ overall well-being. Founded in 1992 by the Discalced Carmelite Friars in Nigeria, CAPIO addresses the health and needs of inmates across the country.
Read MoreNigeria has allocated just 7% of its national budget this year to education, far below UNESCO's recommended 15 to 20%. Despite years of criticism over this consistent underfunding, there has been little to no change. As a result, one Christian woman has made it her mission to help the many men and women impacted by years of conflict.
Read More(ANALYSIS) When Zohran Mamdani announced his candidacy for mayor of New York City, political observers noted his progressive platform and legislative record. But understanding the Democratic candidate’s background requires examining the rich cultural tapestry woven into his very surname: Mamdani.
Read MoreIn the heart of Mozambique, a quiet transformation is taking place — powered not by electricity, but by sunlight and faith. Missionaries Rolland and Heidi Baker, for nearly three decades, have been working among some of the most marginalized communities in the country through their organization Iris Global.
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