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.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Knowing what the declaration actually says, and how its first listeners reacted, might not sway Americans at the extremes. It provides evidence for less polarizing, more nuanced views about the founding generation’s convictions and compromises as Americans commemorate their nation’s 250th anniversary.
Read MoreFive 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.
Read More(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.
Read MoreTucked within the settlement’s remains stands the Jamestown Church Tower, its weathered bricks rising above the landscape like a sentinel. It’s the last visible remnant of a series of churches that once anchored the colony’s spiritual life. As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Jamestown is a reminder of what helped to create a new nation.
Read MoreAfter 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.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Adults who attend multiple congregations are more likely to be politically liberal, whereas political conservatives are more likely to always attend one congregation. Researchers also found, among other things, that evangelicals are less likely to attend multiple places of worship than Catholics.
Read More(ANALYSIS) American religion has rarely, if ever, seen anything quite like these past weeks. Start with President Donald Trump’s profane Easter Sunday message to Iran. Making matters worse, the president then took on Pope Leo, saying the pontiff is a “very liberal person” who is “weak on crime” and “terrible on foreign policy.”
Read More(ESSAY) On the plane and at the airport, strangers from different backgrounds offered unexpected compassion and support. Their kindness became a powerful reminder of shared humanity, transcending religion. It was a moment of revelation. Through my tears I offered my thanks and wished them a happy time. And that’s not all.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A French court found a former ISIS member guilty of genocide, crimes against humanity and complicity in crimes against the Yazidis, an ethno-religious minority. But there is still a long way to go before the international community can hold Islamic terror groups fully accountable for their crimes.
Read More(ANALYSIS) There is a shift happening among young adults when it comes to church attendance, but it’s not Gen-Z men becoming more religious, as some suggest. Instead, young women are leaving the church in droves — bringing them on par with their male counterparts for the first time in American history.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For many people, Trump’s rant against the pope was shocking. But conflicts between popes and rulers are not an aberration; they’re a durable feature of Western history. Whenever political leaders cloak power in sacred language, or religious leaders publicly denounce political violence, they reenact debates that stretch back more than a millennium.
Read More(ESSAY) In the Bay Area, a backyard feast is held to celebrate the end of Passover. The main event of Mimouna is the homemade treats. White tablecloths are meticulously arranged with pink and green marzipan cookies representing spring, dried fruits and muffleta, a silken, thin crepe doused in honey and butter.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The manosphere is a catchall term for websites, forums, blogs and influencers promoting hypermasculinity, from the belief that women and feminism are the cause of men’s problems to calls to legalize rape. Groups within it — including pickup artists, men’s rights groups and “involuntary celibate” or “incel” communities — portray themselves as victims of modernity.
Read MoreSome 1,800 horsemen flooded the streets of Colina, a rural municipality on the outskirts of Santiago, for the Feast of Cuasimodo on April 12. They accompanied the priests who traveled in a carriage to bring communion to the elderly and the sick on the Sunday after Easter, a tradition that dates back to the early years of Chile as a republic.
Read MoreThe clash between Trump and Pope Leo highlights the conflict between political power and moral authority amid the ongoing U.S.-Iran war. The pope condemns violence and rejects religious justification, emphasizing dignity and restraint. Trump counters by politicizing the pope, framing criticism as opposition.
Read MoreWhen journalist Hiba Al-Tabai's husband posted a photo of the newlywed couple on Facebook last year, she never imagined it would upend their lives. Within hours of the seemingly innocuous post, Yemeni member of parliament and Muslim cleric Abdullah Al-Odini, who commands over 150,000 followers, condemned the image as "a violation of Islam and societal values.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) In a big electoral upset, Hungarian voters on Sunday ousted long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orban after 16 years in power — rejecting the authoritarian policies and the right-wing movement he embodied in favor of a pro-European challenger. Orban, in conceding defeat, told supporters: “The responsibility and opportunity to govern were not given to us.”
Read MoreEvery year, between late May and early June, something happens on the 43-mile road to the Catholic sanctuary of Popenguine, outside Dakar, that is unremarkable in Senegal and extraordinary almost anywhere else in Africa or the world: Muslim youth walk the route alongside their Christian peers.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV will begin his journey to four African countries — Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea — on April 13. Africa represents the fastest-growing part of the Catholic Church worldwide, seeing an increase from 281 million members in 2023 to over 288 million in 2024.
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