Every now and then, a current event comes along that waves a red flag at the mainstream media — warning editors and reporters that there is no way around the religious content in this story. What kind of red flag?
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Pope Leo XIV’s first international apostolic journey was clouded by heated disputes with President Donald Trump, criticisms of appearing to appease the Islamist persecution of Christians and ongoing conflicts over homosexuality and polygamy among those who are members of the Catholic Church.
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In a ballroom surrounded by fellow Godbeat pros, our columnist immediately thought this when he learned of the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting: There’ll be a religion angle. Why? There always is.
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(ANALYSIS) In India, Muslims and other religious minorities remain under attack. A new report identified credible evidence of widespread and systematic human rights violations in Assam and Uttar Pradesh states — violations which may amount to international offenses, including crimes against humanity.
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(ANALYSIS) Gen Z is driving a renewed interest in in-person life — from bookstores to churches — as a response to digital isolation. But this revival is fragmented, fueled by online subcultures and personal choice. While community is returning, it’s splintered into niche groups, creating connection within silos rather than a shared cultural or social life.
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After several churches and other places of worship were demolished, a public outcry forced Uganda to pause a project that aimed to clean up cities and enforce zoning regulations. But now, government officials say, the project is back on, and more unsanctioned structures might be on the chopping block.
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(ANALYSIS) All this has happened even as President Donald Trump has emphasized a particular idea of religious liberty throughout his second term. In his proclamation for Religious Freedom Day in 2026, he emphasized familiar ideas of Americans’ “God-given right to practice their faith, follow their conscience, and worship their God freely and without fear.” But the statement also seemed to reflect a broader project of lending government support to Christianity.
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A Christian pro-life pregnancy resource center can fight in federal court the state of New Jersey’s order to submit a broad spectrum of documents including the identity of financial donors, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Wednesday.
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(ANALYSIS) Trump claimed the White House Correspondents Dinner attacker “hated Christians,” but reporting indicates the suspect was a believer whose manifesto drew on Christian theology. The discrepancy highlights how Trump’s framing may serve broader political goals, particularly unifying a divided conservative Christian base around perceived religious persecution.
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(ANALYSIS) After years of religious decline, it’s understandable that faith leaders would celebrate any indication of renewal. Yet the eagerness to tout young men’s religious interest and relatively muted discussion of young women’s decreased attachment mirrors a current that has washed through many American churches for over a generation.
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Yazidis in northeast Syria are fleeing yet again as renewed fighting in Aleppo triggers mass displacement, reviving trauma from ISIS’s 2014 genocide. Survivors face deep psychological scars, economic hardship, and persistent insecurity, with many fearing further violence, family separation, and the gradual erosion of their community and identity through repeated upheaval.
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(ANALYSIS) More questions remain. Will the Vatican seek to impose doctrine, potentially provoking further resistance from the West? Or will it allow a degree of local experimentation, accepting the risk of inconsistency in the name of pastoral responsiveness? Leo’s statements on the issue suggest a preference for the former.
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The rise of charismatic Pentecostal churches in Zimbabwe in the last two decades has resulted in the faith groups using open spaces and acquiring stands within residential suburbs to conduct church services. The services include prayer meetings, all-night fellowship and praise and worship concerts.
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Five years after the pandemic upended life across the United States, a new national study shows that many churches are stabilizing — and in some cases rebounding — even as many challenges persist. In a report by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research, which surveyed more than 80 denominations, found that most have either maintained or increased their level of engagement.
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In 1968, the three Apollo 8 astronauts, while the world focused on their Christmas Eve effort to orbit the moon, read the opening verses of Genesis, beginning with: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
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As Weekend Plug-in columnist Bobby Ross Jr. connects with fellow Godbeat pros in Atlanta, he highlights a trend he’s noticed — the rise of religion newsletters.
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(ANALYSIS) Muslim Americans can often feel helpless in combating the hate they experience – more awareness and advocacy could reduce Islamophobia and address the mental health needs of an already vulnerable community. As the war with Iran continues, these issues will continue to persist among America’s Muslim community.
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(REVIEW) The film is an example of how Hollywood uses Christian metaphysical assumptions when dealing with non-Christian faiths — all while denying Christianity and promoting these same pre-Christian religions. “Lee Cronin’s The Mummy” has nothing remotely to do with Egyptian mythology. But that doesn’t mean it has nothing to say about our modern relationship with faith.
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After the first wave of Bible chatbots, independent developers are now building AI tools to solve problems that arise during live worship, and that can operate despite Nigeria’s spotty internet. However, some groups question just how involved an AI tool should be during Sunday services. Critics have said AI will only help spread misinformation in Nigeria and across Africa.
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A Nigerian federal court convicted nearly 400 individuals on terrorism charges this month in what persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said is one of the largest criminal crackdowns in the nation’s history, but none appeared to face murder charges.
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