The Oklahoma City Thunder are still praying. Presumably, so are the Indiana Pacers. Plus, a big rally for Pope XIV at the Chicago White Sox ballpark, and an NFL head coach says God guides him.
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At its annual meeting in the Dallas, the nation’s largest Protestant nomination tackled social issues such as same-sex marriage, online porn and sports betting.
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Just one of the NBA’s 30 franchises tips off each game with an invocation: the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s a tradition that dates back to the Seattle SuperSonics’ move to OKC in 2008 — and even before that when the Bible Belt city served as the temporary home of the New Orleans Hornets after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
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Texas Rangers slugger Jake Burger’s return to form coincided with the election of a fellow Midwesterner as the first U.S.-born pope. Faith is ingrained in the devout Catholic athlete and his family.
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Our Weekend Plug-in columnist loves baseball. And he loves reporting on faith. Combining the two? He calls that a home run.
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On a recent 78-degree Saturday afternoon, a U.S. flag and the Detroit Tigers’ four World Series championship banners — from 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984 — flapped in the Comerica Park breeze. For nearly four decades, Home Plate Detroit has brought fans together to pray and hear player testimonials. In the Motor City and elsewhere, these events mix a faith-based message with a major league game.
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Sure, drinking and cheating songs characterize a whole lot of the country music genre, known for its roots in working-class, blue-collar American life. But faith, too, infuses many Nashville hits, as illustrated by the 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.
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In a presentation at the Associated Church Press annual convention in Chicago, our Weekend Plug-in columnist reflects on his experience covering natural disasters.
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When the leader of the world’s estimated 1.4 billion Catholics passes, it’s always banner-headline news.
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(ANALYSIS) “Americans have lost faith in traditional religion,” announces the sweeping first sentence of a contentious book published during Holy Week: “Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America.”
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On the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, our columnist reflects on how covering the biggest story of his life changed him.
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(ANALYSIS) For more than 50 years ABC — with very few exceptions — has offered “The Ten Commandments” as the network's featured film for Holy Week. In fact, nothing says “Easter” like a showdown between Moses, the 13th century BCE Hebrew prophet, and the pharaoh Ramses the Great and the gods of Egypt.
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(ANALYSIS) People might disagree whether Jesus is King, but he certainly is ruling the box office this Easter season. America loves movies and it loves Jesus. As a result, it’s s safe to say both will be with us for a very long time. You might say it’s Jesus’ world, we’re just living in it. That’s true to Christians at all times. But for now it’s also true when it comes to dominating the U.S. box office.
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(ANALYSIS) Nearly 40% of Black workers feel comfortable talking about their faith with people at work, the highest of any U.S. racial group, our two recent studies found. But they also risk facing religious discrimination.
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Religion Unplugged’s readers see Clemente Lisi’s stories all the time. Here are seven facts to help the audience get to know him better.
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(OPINION) At a professor’s nudge, I first attended a conference in the early 2000s. I don’t remember what city it was in, or even the exact year. I do remember how awkward it felt. I stood shyly by myself — away from the religion reporters I admired so much — when I should have been networking.
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Attempting to determine which American city is the “most Christian” is no easy task. The outcome of a new study came with some surprises. The survey, out in time for Easter, has determined that the urban center with the highest religious engagement for Christians, using a variety of metrics and factors, is New York.
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(ANALYSIS) The bottom line: Religion events and trends draw intense news coverage when they are directly or indirectly linked to politics. This is especially true during tense elections.
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Religion News Association members gathered this week just outside the nation’s capital for their annual meeting. They discussed topics ranging from AI to reporting on religion in small markets.
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When covering a tragedy, faith almost always emerges as a part of the story. That was the case again this past weekend when a monster storm system struck the Deep South and the Plains.
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