(ANALYSIS) The execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi by Iran’s tyrannical regime is not just another macabre hanging in the theocracy’s escalating use of capital punishment, but a revealing incident in how the state confronts ongoing dissent.
Read MoreA new report links interfaith cooperation and religious freedom to economic stability. It measures dialogue, workplace inclusion and government support — arguing that cities fostering trust and pluralism attract investment and skilled talent while reducing social tensions that could disrupt long-term economic growth.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Each March, many of the country’s most selective colleges and universities release their admissions decisions, reviving debates over the roles of race, wealth and privilege — and putting Americans’ cultural obsession with rankings back in the spotlight.
Read MoreI have this short conversation at least once a month, since I do so much of my journalism via telephone and that often means dealing with people I have never met. “What is your name?”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Every major escalation in the Middle East sends shock waves far beyond the region. In the United States, those shock waves arrive not as distant tremors — but as catalysts for domestic radicalization and violence, particularly against Jewish communities. The data, in this regard, is unambiguous.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Silent retreats have become increasingly common in the United States in recent years. To calm down and reset their nervous systems, people relinquish their phones and reading materials and commit to speaking at a bare minimum to learn practices of self-awareness.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In theory, many Christians support pacifism or non-violent resistance, but for Iranian Christians, those theories are challenged by the harsh realities of a hellish regime and an ongoing war. This question of ‘just war’ has a long history, going back to the first centuries of the church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The war in the Middle East is rapidly expanding across the Gulf countries, including Iran and Lebanon. The conflict has already targeted the region’s civilians, natural resources, tourist destinations and U.S. military bases. Some Muslim community leaders in the U.S. warn that people far from the conflict could experience backlash.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If you had the opportunity to share a nice family dinner — emphasis on “family” — with a Hall of Fame pro-football coach, who would you choose? For many Americans, maybe even most folks in flyover country, the National Football League legend Tony Dungy would be at the top of the list.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Having spent a considerable amount of time in Ireland over the past year, St. Patrick’s Day will mean something different for me this year — and, probably, in years to come. Growing up, attending Catholic school, St. Patrick’s Day meant not having to wear the standard uniform — dark blue plaid jumpers with white blouses for the girls — in favor of bright green.
Read More(ANALYSIS) John M. Perkins rose from orphaned sharecropper roots in Mississippi to become a leading Christian evangelist, civil rights activist, and advocate of racial reconciliation. Founder of the Christian Community Development movement, he preached “Jesus and a job,” combining faith, community and reconciliation throughout a remarkable lifetime of service.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, debates about religious freedom continue to occupy the center of American public life.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For millions of Iranians — especially religious minorities — the central political question is no longer simply whether the Islamic Republic can reform itself. After decades of repression, including the criminalization of peaceful religious expression and the systematic restriction of independent faith communities, the deeper question is what kind of political future could realistically secure freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all Iranians.
Read More(ANALYSIS) One thing I am always probing the edges of is how deeply religion is embedded in each one of us. There’s a saying that bounces around the sociology of religion: “you may be done with religion but religion is not done with you.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) As the American and Israeli war with Iran unfolds, some American Christians are speaking of the conflict in biblical terms — mapping end-time prophecies on to current events in the Middle East. In a sermon on March 1, for example, John Hagee, founder of Christians United for Israel, described the war as part of a divine plan.
Read More(ANALYSIS) During the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 5, Paula White-Cain, senior adviser to the White House Office of Faith, introduced President Donald Trump as “the greatest champion of faith that we have ever had in the executive branch.” Taking the podium after her, Trump declared, “I’ve done more for religion than any other president.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Political scientist Ryan Burge warns the aging Episcopal Church faces steep membership decline, with two-thirds of members over 60 and few young adults joining. Leaders acknowledge shrinking numbers but reject predictions of institutional collapse, urging renewal and outreach as part of a broader decline among America’s mainline Protestant denominations.
Read More(ANALYSIS) “Write what you know,” is advice given to many who feel inspired to take up the pen — or, these days, sit at a computer. When it comes to writing about religion, though, including the Catholic Church, it’s amazing how little some writers know (including those who are Catholic themselves). This is evident, where scenes depict liturgies or other expressions of faith and get them wrong.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Alasdair MacIntyre’s journey from Marxism to Catholicism wasn’t a retreat from critique but its completion. He concluded that moral language collapsed without God, that virtue needs tradition and that societies survive only when they share a vision of what human life is ultimately for.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Our polarized era features unique and quasi-religious devotion toward President Donald Trump from his MAGA base, set against profound hostility from foes of his words and deeds. Church leaders in that second camp, mostly mainline and liberal Protestants, have issued a new plea worth noting for the extent of its supporters and a markedly fierce denunciation of America’s “cruel and oppressive government.”
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