(ANALYSIS) Here are a few added observations to Religion Unplugged’s continued reporting this election year on vigorous agitation against “Christian Nationalism” as a threat to American democracy, with “White” often added to signal racial animus. This accompanies heavy breathing overall about fusing religion with politics in multiplied events, books, articles, Internet postings and broadcast punditry.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The UMC has just suffered America’s worst schism since the Civil War, with 7,658 traditionalist congregations, a quarter of the former total, departing as of New Year’s Eve. The Charlotte gathering will once again deal with the central problem that has plagued this prominent denomination for most of the 56 years since it was founded through a merger.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The American novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson has accumulated numerous literary prizes, among them the 2005 Pulitzer, but also honors in religion. Her new non-fiction book “Reading Genesis” wrestles with the grand themes and thorny issues raised in the Bible’s first book. It’s a climactic testament at the twilight of a distinguished life and career.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The April issue of the ever-interesting Atlantic magazine features an 11,400-word blockbuster by staff writer Franklin Foer, a prominent Jewish journalist who was formerly editor of The New Republic. The provocative headline of his state-of-the-union assessment proclaims that “The Golden Age of American Jews Is Ending.” Big — if true.
Read MoreHere’s another matter seemingly unrelated to religion. Why care about a pending bill in Congress deals with electromagnetic fields in hybrid and electric vehicles?
Read MoreAs GetReligion.org disbands, something like this website has never been more needed. Will anyone again provide informed running assessments of this complex and emotion-laden journalistic beat?
Read More(OPINION) Evangelicalism may be confusing in terms of organizations and fiefdoms, but since World War II it has developed into the largest and most dynamic force in American religion, striding into the hole in the public square created by the decline of the old mainline. Also, evangelicalism has been the most disruptive, and certainly one of the evident, influences within the Republican Party.
Read More(OPINION) With all that’s going on in The Southern Baptist Convention, one matter is being ignored. But given the current squabbles and embarrassments, this would seem a good time for the denomination to rebrand itself with a new name. For starters, the “Southern” monicker is no longer accurate. Then there’s unfortunate history to overcome in which the name is enmeshed with slavery.
Read More(OPINION) When it comes to religion news, what ultimately mattered in 2023? The Guy observes that we have no idea whether U.S. hatreds are a temporary sickness that will subside, or whether anything can really alter the essential questions in the decades-long Middle East conflict. Thus, The Guy leans toward the importance of permanent changes in direction as depicted below.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Francis’ extraordinary Synod of Bishops, consisting of two meetings last October and the concluding session next October, is dealing with “synodality.” What? The media and Catholic activists are all energized about such topics as letting women be deacons, or married men be priests, or softened LGBTQ+ policies, or allowing Communion for divorced members who remarry, or for Protestants.
Read More(ANALYSIS) White Catholics’ move toward the Republicans is one of the era’s most important political developments (and, as our own tmatt has stressed for years, something appears to be brewing with Hispanic Catholics). Their margin for the GOP is modest but increasingly dependable, and in states like Florida that really matters.
Read More(OPINION) Never assume that America’s third parties don’t matter. Especially in a topsy-turvy political season like this one. After all, some figure that Jill Stein’s 1% in three swing states produced Donald Trump’s 2016 victory, or that Ralph Nader’s 1.6% in Florida elected Bush 43 in 2000, or that Ross Perot’s 19% elected Clinton over incumbent Bush 41 in 1992.
Read More(ANALYSIS) With all-important developments in the Middle East and Ukraine, it seems off-kilter to state that another major international story is being severely neglected and has long been so. But such is The Guy’s opinion about mainstream media neglect of the waves of evidence for ongoing global persecution of Christians, on which we now have a Nov. 1 news peg.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Journalists should be aware that 2023 turns out to be big for the much-discussed “secularization theory” framed by the 19th century founders of sociology. The nub of theory claims that economically advancing societies with improved education inevitably become more secular, largely because modern science explains matters formerly left to the religious realm.
Read More(OPINION) The Supreme Court soon takes up Loper Bright v. Raimondo, which has interested the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Christian Employers Alliance. Meanwhile, the court could decide this term to take up four disputes that are pending in the pipeline with religion implications.
Read More(OPINION) There’s no better indicator of how fraught things have become in the upper echelons of the Catholic Church than Pope Francis’ surprising last-minute decision to clamp strict secrecy upon his all-important Synod of Bishops. This Vatican assembly, very likely the major event of his reign, is running through Oct. 29 with a second, concluding session a year from now.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Until the 1960s, more than half of Americans identified with the “mainline” Protestant churches that “have played an outsized role in America’s history,” says a Sept. 13 report from the Public Religion Research Institute. No longer, as is well known among clergy and parishioners who pay attention, scholars and religion journalists.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Why did the Bible accept slavery? There’s been intense discussion of this never-ending issue in 2023, as we’ll see. In essence, defenders of the Bible explain that slave-holding was a fundamental aspect of society as far back as the earliest written annals we have, well before biblical times.
Read More(ANALYSIS) During the formative first centuries of Christian history, there were some 40 texts in circulation that could be considered “gospels,” according to one scholar, while another counted as many as 70. Marvin Meyer of Chapman University decided a dozen such nonbiblical gospels merited inclusion in a 2005 anthology, while others have proposed different listings.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Guy cannot recall any “legacy media” coverage of Scott Hahn, the influential U.S. Catholic lay theologian. If you haven’t done a feature on this fascinating Ohioan, here’s the ideal news peg — Pope Francis’ Synod of Bishops that begins at the Vatican Oct. 4.
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