Beneath a church sanctuary, a basement is filled with skeletons of over 40,000 individuals arranged in horrifying ways — it is like a scene out of a scary movie, but it is entirely real. For Christians, memento mori — a Latin phrase meaning “remember you must die” — is inescapable. The cross, a symbol of execution, is mounted on the walls of sanctuaries, hanging from chains on necks and even tattooed on arms.
Read More(OPINION) After participating in multiple protests this year opposing authoritarianism, a Christian minister reflects on how people of faith can help sustain the growing No Kings movement — with hope, humor, and moral clarity. The “No Kings” movement, thank God, has only just begun.
Read MoreThe Anglican Church of Uganda has unveiled a digital land information management system to curb rampant land grabbing that threatens its vast properties. Land grabbing remains one of the church’s most pressing challenges in Uganda. Illegal squatters and unscrupulous land dealers have deprived the institution of the property church leaders had planned to develop for religious schools and worship space.
Read MoreAcutely aware of the painful history of Christian participation and complicity in antisemitism, and a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents nationally and globally, Christian scholars and clergy are calling for a new level of reflection and accountability for churches, starting from the pulpit.
Read MoreAfter the implosion of Mars Hill Church, Mark Driscoll started a new congregation in Arizona, but former attendees say problems still persist.
Read MoreMany Americans may think Buddhism is a philosophy tied to mindfulness and yoga — but across much of Southeast Asia, being Buddhist is an important part of national identity, a new study reveals. The same is also true of the region’s Muslim-majority nations.
Read MoreSome free churches in Sweden may be showing the way toward growth: Engagement with young families, engagement with seniors, engagement with neighbors and the world. The Church of Sweden hasn’t completely given up on this kind of engagement either.
Read MoreThe following is the result of the chat Religion Unplugged contributor Davor Dzalto had with ChatGPT on July 12, 2023, on the questions regarding Orthodoxy, anarchism and AI. The resulting Q&A is a fascinating journey into what artificial intelligence knows about faith, theology and religious practices.
Read More(PERSONAL ESSAY) How did I — a child raised into that organization — break free? How can anyone break free of misguided, fundamentalist religious movements or cult-like organizations and, yet, still retain any kind of religious belief?
Read More(TRAVEL) Many tourists coming to Turkey visit Ephesus, the sprawling archeological site where, according to the Book of Acts, Paul lived, worked and preached for nearly three years. Yet, there are numerous other fascinating sites associated with Paul that are more off the beaten path.
Read More(VIDEO) A wave of violence started in Manipur state, situated in the northeastern part of India, on May 3, 2023, leading to the death of more than 140 people and the destruction of over 6,000 homes and 400 churches. The conflict has also resulted in a viral video of two women being stripped naked, paraded through a rural area and allegedly gang-raped.
Read More(ANALYSIS) With the world around us getting better, why do so many faith-based films insist the world is getting worse? And what does that say about the religious right in America?
Read MoreThe High Court in Uganda overturned a decision by the government to categorize the Watoto Church property in Kampala as a heritage site, which had blocked the owners from redeveloping it into a modern church complex.
Read More(OPINION) In the new film, Jones confesses: "I don't believe in magic, but a few times in my life I've seen things, things I can't explain." But after a life wrestling with sacred mysteries, he concludes: "It's not so much what you believe. It's about how hard you believe it."
Read More(ANALYSIS) Sotomayor’s dissent poses an interesting inquiry, regardless of one’s personal opinion of where the court should have landed on affirmative action: Does the Constitution uphold the spiritual and religious freedom of faith-based higher education institutions to engage in holistic, race-conscious admissions practices as an expression of their sincerely held institutional religious beliefs?
Read More(ANALYSIS) Religion in 21st century America has become an enclave for people who have done everything “right.” They have college degrees and marriages and children and middle-class incomes. For those who don’t check all those boxes, religion is just not for them.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The pope’s recent appointment of Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernandez as prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has been a very big story this month. The appointment could influence the future direction of the church and Pope Francis’ legacy. This pontiff very much wants to leave a lasting impression on the global church, in part acting through the upcoming synod, and Fernandez could help shape it.
Read More(REVIEW) Joseph Lovett’s “Children of the Inquisition” is a feature length documentary exploring the worldwide Sephardic diaspora and recounting the history of various Jewish families seeking refuge during the Spanish Inquisition.
Read MoreAlliance University, a Christian college in lower Manhattan that primarily served minority students, announced it will close this year after losing its accreditation amid other hurdles.
Read MoreSandwiched between a laundromat and an appliance shop, is the only halal store in the southeastern Washington state and central Idaho area known as The Palouse. Until June, PNW Halal Meats, LLC had been hidden away on the northeast side of town in Pullman, Washington, close to the Washington State University campus. The store was cramped with a confined parking lot, easy to miss if one wasn’t looking for it.
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