The Vatican — together with civil and religious leaders in Jordan — began preparations to celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’s baptism in al-Maghtas, also called Bethany Beyond the Jordan, in 2030. While the Gospels are unclear about when Jesus was baptized, it undoubtedly followed John the Baptist’s revelation that it occurred in “the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Most surveys are not particularly good at digging into the reasons why people aren’t reproducing anymore. However, we have a great new addition to the discourse about fertility because Pew has posted their American Trends Panel 147 on the Association of Religion Data Archives. The first line of the summary tells the whole story.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As both parties begin positioning themselves for the 2028 presidential election, faith could become one of the defining factors in determining which candidates connect with voters. The lesson from the midterms is that religious voters should no longer be viewed as a single political constituency.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A new conservative Presbyterian denomination has broken from the Evangelical Presbyterian Church over whether men experiencing same-sex attraction may be ordained, even if celibate. The dispute coincides with renewed Catholic debate over clergy suitability, following a Notre Dame report supporting restrictions on candidates with deep-seated homosexual tendencies.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Entrepreneur Peter Thiel casts America as a modern Rome, a restraining power standing between authoritarian control and civilizational collapse. But his vision raises a deeper theological danger: The force claiming to restrain evil may become evil itself. How can faith discern the difference before it’s too late?
Read More(REVIEW) Peter Stanford’s biography explores Antoni Gaudi’s extraordinary architectural vision, deep Catholic faith, and Catalan pride. From colorful private residences to Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia, Gaudi fused organic forms with religious devotion. The book portrays a humble, ascetic genius whose monumental masterpiece transcended his lifetime.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV’s playful balancing act between his papal neutrality and his enduring Villanova loyalties offered more than a lighthearted moment at the Vatican. The gathering of Villanova and Notre Dame in Rome demonstrated how sports can transcend school rivalries and national boundaries, bringing people together through shared traditions, faith and community.
Read More(REVIEW) The film tackles religious corruption and persecution with provocative imagery and genuine spiritual conviction, but its clashing tones, underdeveloped character arcs, excessive sexualized spectacle and misogynistic portrayals undermine its message. Rather than transcending its obscenity, this movie mistakes shock value for meaningful artistic depth.
Read MoreFrom ghostly monks and spectral nuns to unexplained footsteps and phantom screams, Britain’s ancient religious sites are steeped in supernatural folklore. Discover how centuries of faith, conflict, burial traditions and architectural grandeur have inspired haunting legends that continue to captivate ghost hunters and Halloween enthusiasts alike.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A 2025 Vantage Point Counseling Services study found that 28% of adults say they have had an intimate AI interaction or relationship. The same study said 54% of Americans mentioned AI friends, colleagues or confidants.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Lula’s victory this past Sunday is just one more example of how race intersects all facets of Brazilian society, including religion. Experts said these durable divisions will mark Brazil’s political and religious landscape for the foreseeable future.
Read More(OPINION) Never damage another person’s reputation simply for sport or to build your own social currency. Don't assume the worst about people; instead, try to assume the best. If you say something harmful that turns out to be untrue, make every effort to set the record straight.
Read MoreOver the last few years, young educated adults are finding Catholicism more attractive than other forms of Christianity. Even at secular universities, these young men and women have settled on the Catholic Church, drawn in by its 2000-year-old intellectual tradition and beauty. Data from the prayer app Hallow shows that colleges saw students involved with Catholicism jump 115%.
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) 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 MoreThe latest grant round drew 466 applicants and includes the program’s first recipient in Arkansas, as historic houses of worship seek funding to preserve their buildings and community services.
Read MoreDay after day, the senator-judges begin proceedings by asking God for the same things — truth, wisdom, justice and freedom from bias. As they prepare to decide Vice President Sara Duterte’s fate, those prayers have become an implicit measure of the responsibility they have assumed: To turn appeals for divine guidance into a verdict determined by evidence, law and conscience.
Read More(ANALYSIS) There is also a contemporary way of eating lotus. It consists in settling in. At first, we live off our reserves: convictions, habits and certainties we acquired when we still remembered where we were going. Then we compromise.
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.
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