As the Diocese of Jackson advances Sister Thea Bowman’s cause for sainthood, Catholics reflect on her prophetic witness. A Mississippi teacher, scholar and evangelist, she challenged the church to recognize Black faith and everyday holiness — urging believers to see saints not only in Rome’s past, but in their own families.
Read MoreWhile reading some of the outraged commentary about the spectacular staff cuts at The Washington Post, I keep thinking of the immortal words of King Theoden of Rohan, when facing dark waves of evil during the Battle of Helm’s Deep. All together now: “How did it come to this?”
Read MoreTennessee Gov. Bill Lee reflected on faith and redemption after reconnecting with singer Jelly Roll, whom he had met years earlier while speaking in prison. At a divided National Prayer Breakfast, Lee avoided politics, sharing how personal tragedy reshaped his life, as other speakers highlighted religious freedom.
Read MoreFor Don Lemon, here’s the bottom line: He says he was a journalist “on the front lines,” embedded with protestors whose actions were the subject of his reporting. In addition to the coffee and donuts, the lifestream suggests that he took part in discussions of which church to invade and the details of what to do during the protests.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo warned that, “The stakes are high. The power of simulation is such that AI can even deceive us by fabricating parallel ‘realities,’ usurping our faces and voices. We are immersed in a world of multidimensionality where it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from fiction.”
Read MorePope Leo XIV cautioned against “overly affectionate” AI chatbots, warning they can manipulate emotions and blur lines between humans and machines. The discussion, covered by CNN and explored in the “Crossroads” podcast this week, raises broader questions about AI as quasi-divine. A “Harry Potter” quote underscores the perils of trust and unseen entities.
Read MoreAllen was a journalist who was a Catholic and an active Catholic who was a real journalist, and he fought to balance that equation in his daily reporting. His death on Jan. 22, after a long battle with cancer, left a strategic hole in Catholic life.
Read MoreDuring this tense moment in journalism, will Southern Baptist leaders return telephone calls from elite newsrooms or will they choose to speak to “conservative” and “religious” publications, alone?
Read More“It is painful to see how, especially in the West, the space for genuine freedom of expression is rapidly shrinking," said Leo.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Let’s start with a question: Have you heard leaders in your congregation discuss any of this information in a setting that will reach active members, as opposed to special events that draw the “usual suspects” in the flock (maybe 10-20% of members) that attend just about everything?
Read MoreA recent New York Times feature noted that quarterback Fernando Mendoza, before helping change University of Indiana football history, excelled at Belen Jesuit, an all-boys Catholic school in Miami, and then Miami Columbus High, another all-boys Catholic school. Oh, and his mother was a star athlete at Lourdes Academy, an all-girls Catholic school.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Philip Yancey, a bestselling evangelical author known for emphasizing grace and compassion, retired after confessing to an eight-year adulterous relationship. His fall has sparked renewed debate within evangelical Christianity about sin, forgiveness, accountability and the dangers of weaponizing grace, especially amid broader concerns over moral failures.
Read MoreAnyone who has followed religion news published by the Gray Lady in the years since January 22, 1973, knows that when debates linked to evangelicalism must be covered, The New York Times knows how to tell “good” evangelicals from “bad” evangelicals, as in the evangelicals who are worthy of respect and those whose moral, cultural and theological views are considered extreme, if not dangerous.
Read MoreFormer U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, 53, said in an X post just before Christmas that said: "I'll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) For members of the Religion News Association, this was the kind of dramatic appeal that made the Chicago native the top Religion Newsmaker of 2025. The runner-up was Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, who was elected as New York City's first Muslim mayor. The assassinated evangelical activist Charlie Kirk placed third.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Faith and politics collided as a U.S.-born pope emerged, Donald Trump returned to power, immigration crackdowns intensified across the U.S. and churches faced violence. At the same time, a Muslim mayoral win stirred debate, while antisemitic attacks surged. Here’s a recap of the past 12 months.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Why do I think Christian families should have a “Christmas movie” tradition in which there are a few (very few) wonderful flicks that they watch as part of its “traditional” (small “t”) festivities linked to Christmas?
Read MoreHong Kong was tense and festive when I arrived for a small 1997 conference about religion coverage in global media. The reason for the odd atmosphere was obvious: In a few days, on July 1, Great Britain would yield control of that great city to the People’s Republic of China.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Most of all, people in the valleys between the ridges wanted to find ways to be together — somehow. The traditional 12-day season, ending on Jan. 6, gave them more time for travel and simple festivities.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Ask yourself this question: Based on the mainstream news coverage you have seen in the past decade of two, which is the bigger news story — growing churches or dying churches?
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