The faith of Generation Z frequently draws them to church on Sunday but often fails to shape their lives during the week.
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(ANALYSIS) The Kane Parsons film “Backrooms” has captivated audiences since it hit theaters in May. The movie — a horror film about liminal spaces based on internet mythology — also taps into a series of religious ideas that have existed for centuries, particularly concepts such as purgatory, limbo and salvation.
Read MoreAfter decades of silence, Spain and the Catholic Church have agreed on a compensation deal for victims of clergy sexual abuse. For survivors, it is a long-awaited recognition—but also a reminder that justice remains incomplete.
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(ANALYSIS) For decades after Supreme Court rulings barred school-sponsored prayer and Bible reading, faith remained present in public schools through student-led religious expression and community culture. Now, a series of new state laws mandating displays like the Ten Commandments are testing long-standing church-state boundaries and reigniting debate.
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As we celebrate the U.S.’s 250th birthday, the question of whether or not America is a Christian nation continues to show its face. Three professors try to provide an answer in Religion Unplugged’s latest podcast.
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(ANALYSIS) Whether cities or villages, many communities across Europe spend the day and night of June 24 celebrating Midsummer. Congregating around bonfires, or sometimes maypoles, sporting handwoven wreaths of wildflowers or oak leaves, they’ll sing, jump, dance, eat, drink, catch up and celebrate the arrival of the longest day of the year.
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The Chennai office and other programs are carefully presented in the language of human dignity and spiritual accompaniment, not rights advocacy. But the effect, in the current political moment, is inherently political. For trans Catholics who seek out these spaces, carrying both faith and the experience of rejection, the distinction may matter less than the fact of welcome itself.
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(ANALYSIS) Memorable goals are generally linked to the players who scored them. Few can be recalled without mention of the individual — or even the team — involved. Yet, two goals in one game 40 years ago have attained that status. One is known universally as the “Hand of God,” and the other is widely acknowledged as the “Goal of the Century.” Both were scored by Diego Maradona.
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(ANALYSIS) It’s the “cry more, libs” approach for Republicans. A Democrat will demonize or mischaracterize the other side of the argument because this helps them justify their own voting choices. It really goes both ways. But now that we have data from the 2025 Cooperative Election Study, we can actually dig into how vote choices are relating to approval ratings of Donald Trump.
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(OPINION) Like many guys my age, I credit my dad for a love of the game that punctuated my formative years and beyond. It is because of his influence that I have successfully passed on an appreciation for baseball to my adult children and my grandchildren. While I’m grateful for that success, what matters to me more is helping them catch my love for their Creator.
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Please rise, for the hymn of the day: “Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd; Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, I don’t care if I never get back. Let me root, root, root for the home team, If they don’t win, it’s a shame. For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, At the old ball game.”
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Jackson Lahmeyer, the Tulsa pastor endorsed by President Donald Trump in the race for an open Oklahoma congressional seat, suspended his campaign Wednesday shortly after losing the president’s backing.
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The multicultural excitement around soccer’s World Cup feels palpable in host cities across the nation and a recent survey shows that most Americans want the U.S. to be multicultural. But the celebrations at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey stand in stark contrast with the alleged inhumane conditions at the ICE facility just a few miles away.
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As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, half of Protestant pastors say their churches should mark the occasion with special celebrations, according to Lifeway Research. While support for patriotic elements in worship continues to decline, most churches still recognize veterans, military families, or America’s heritage around Independence Day.
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To understand what it’s like to be a Christian while approaching death, Culture Critic Joseph Holmes spoke with actor and writer Victoria Jackson. Jackson suffers from terminal breast cancer, and, with the knowledge that her life is going to end, she recently wrote “Not Dead Yet,” which tells the story of her life, her faith and how she is dealing with dying.
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(ESSAY) As an anthropologist who studies social bonding during times of crisis, I now understand how cultural religious traditions — even when they seem different — can create unexpected connections. Many years after my military service, during the final days of my father’s life, my large family kept vigil beside him. Sitting with my siblings, mother and dozens of nieces and nephews, I told them this story.
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(ANALYSIS) Democrats hope Texas state legislator and Presbyterian seminarian James Talarico can win a U.S. Senate seat by appealing to religious voters. Republicans are highlighting his progressive positions on gender, sexuality, abortion, and church-state issues as evidence he is out of step with Texas conservatives.
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Authorities in southwestern China launched a large-scale raid against Early Rain Covenant Church during its Sunday worship service on June 14, detaining dozens of believers, according to reports received by ChinaAid and a subsequent church statement.
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(ANALYSIS) I am back home, writing at my desk in the Southern Highlands after two weeks visiting Scotland, Ireland, Wales and thereabouts. I remain a bit jet-lagged, as is common for folks of my age, but there is work to be done.
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A new Pew Research Center study found religious hostilities increased sharply around the world in 2023, driven by harassment of religious minorities and fallout from the Israel-Hamas war. Government restrictions on religion remained near record highs, an issue affecting billions of people across dozens of countries.
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