(ANALYSIS) Israel’s election on Tuesday could mark a turning point for a country battered by war, political turmoil and growing international isolation. If the opposition manages to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the consequences could extend far beyond a change of leadership.
Read MoreThis week, Religion Unplugged’s culture writers Joseph Holmes and Jillian Cheney sat down before Halloween to explore how Gen Z thinking is changing the horror genre.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Movie studios have struggled through the pandemic and the streaming era, both of which have tanked box office receipts, leaving the field open for movies from offbeat production studios. In addition to The Daily Wire, there has been a whole ream of Christian movies attempting to shift the stereotype of bible movies to something more prestigious — or at least profitable.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Let’s actually dig into the widely held belief that American Orthodox Christianity is experiencing a huge surge in converts post-pandemic. The short answer: That’s a really hard claim to test with survey data, for a simple reason. There just aren’t that many Orthodox Christians in the U.S. to begin with.
Read More(REVIEW) Gabe Bullard’s new book “Against Convenience” addresses some of these problems and argues “not against an easier path, but against the idea that the paths in front of us are truly any easier.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Military service is mandatory for most groups in Israel, although Muslim and Christian Arab citizens are exempted. Jewish Israelis see conscription as a unifying experience and a demonstration of commitment to the state. Starting at 18, most women serve two years and men serve almost three. For decades, however, Haredi men received de facto exemptions.
Read MoreWithin a decade of hitting the religion beat, around 1980, it was obvious to me that the demographic collapse of the “seven sisters” of liberal Protestantism was going to create a giant hole in American life. We are talking about these flocks — American Baptists, the Disciples of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Where do you go to vote on Election Day? I am assuming that all you readers are actually voting. If you don’t, it’s my solemn duty as a classically trained political scientist to tell you that your vote matters and all that. I’ve voted in a bunch of different places in my life, especially when I was in college and graduate school.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The planned execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan sparked renewed debate among Christians over capital punishment. Catholic leaders cited church teaching opposing the death penalty, while some evangelical leaders defended it biblically. Disagreement also centered on whether televising executions promotes justice or glorifies violence.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As some religious studies scholars argue, the charge that Hindus worship false gods and idols took hold in American national culture nearly two centuries ago. Nineteenth-century American schoolbooks, shaped by Protestant beliefs, sorted religions into “true and false,” treating Hindu “idolatry” as proof of moral degradation.
Read More(ANALYSIS) From the Yazidis to the Rohingya, from the Uyghurs to other communities facing growing threats around the world, the use and abuse of AI, technology and social media must not go unpunished. Ignoring these new methods of persecution means that responses to such atrocities will never be adequate.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A significant case the U.S. Supreme Court will hear on appeal Nov. 3 evokes major elements of this century’s culture wars. This public policy clash pits claims based upon venerable religious rights against modern-day LGBT rights. It involves money and taxes, the Trump Administration, politicians of both parties, the Catholic Church and an array of national organizations.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Returning to my failed flight to the mountains, my own beloved, a goddess in her own right, reminded me: “You are a student of Hinduism, and you know that the Himalayan peaks are goddesses.” Unlike the Hindus of Nepal, the Buddhists of Bhutan keep a respective distance from the goddess and their kings always banned mountaineering in their own Himalayas.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Americans who trust science and reason more than their churches’ teachings, but still believe in God or attend services, are also more likely to believe in magic than those who prioritize religious teachings.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Association of Religion Data Archives is awesome for a project like this because I can quickly find the datasets that I need to answer this question from multiple angles. I am going to use two different sources — the General Social Survey, which allows me to trace the contours of American religion all the way back to the early 1970s, and the Pew Religious Landscape Survey, which permits me to do a really deep dive on the state of Catholic retention in the last couple of years.
Read More(ANALYSIS) AI is everywhere. While it’s undeniably omnipresent, is anyone actually home upstairs? According to one researcher, the answer is yes. For centuries, religion has held a strict monopoly on the soul. Sentience, moral agency and the “image of God” have served as the sacred divide separating humanity from inanimate matter.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Political shamelessness threatens democracy by weakening leaders’ respect for ethical principles and the rule of law. Drawing on Plato’s Laws, this article explores reverence as a virtue that encourages humility, self-restraint and recognition of human limitations, arguing that responsible leadership requires accountability and respect for principles beyond personal interests.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Congregants described how belief and belonging helped them overcome challenges such as loneliness, “feeling stuck” due to their legal precariousness and being exploited at work. I heard stories of employers holding migrants’ passports hostage, or refusing to pay construction workers seriously injured on the job. Migrants told me their churches empowered them.
Read MoreThis week’s topic was religion-news coverage of the White House call to execute Major Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad, in response to the U.S. Army psychiatrist’s 2009 mass-murder of 13 soldiers at Fort Hood, while injuring 32 others.
Read More(ANALYSIS) President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a planned Pentagon livestream of the execution of Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan illustrates the competing pressures that can shape his approach to controversial questions of punishment, national security and public morality. Although Trump supported broadcasting the execution, he reversed course after widespread criticism.
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