(ANALYSIS) If she were still alive, Tuesday would mark Flannery O’Connor’s 100th birthday. This milestone invites us to explore the many ways in which her Catholic faith shaped her literary genius. O’Connor was born in Savannah, Georgia, where Protestantism was the norm. Her decision to follow Catholicism wasn’t just a personal faith choice, but a key part of her identity and a driving force in her writing.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Thirty-eight days have gone by since Feb. 14, when Pope Francis left the Vatican to be hospitalized at the Gemelli Polyclinic Hospital. These weeks have been challenging for an 88-year-old patient battling bilateral pneumonia. Medical reports did not downplay the severity of his condition, the crises he endured, or the complexity of his clinical picture.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It seems like I get asked about the transgender issue nearly every day. I readily admit that it may be the most caustic and divisive social issue of this era of the culture war. My goal here is to give you the very best estimates possible about the share of Americans who don’t currently identify as male or female in the U.S. and then describe the overall religiosity of this group.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Iranian regime continues to ramp up efforts to restrict the rights of citizens across the country, and this is to crush dissent. According to a new report of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, Iranian authorities have committed gross human rights violations, some of which amount to crimes against humanity.
Read MoreWhen it comes to basic statistics, the 1960s and ‘70s were the high-water mark for liberal mainline Protestants. Pews were often full and strategic mergers — such as the process that eventually created the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in 1983 — led to membership totals that inspired ecclesiastical bureaucrats to dream about bold “reforms” in the future (click for a timeline of LGBTQ+ activism in the Episcopal Church).
Read More(ANALYSIS) The goal was to create local educational events about smartphones and digital technology that would let parents interact with representatives from Troomi and other major companies in the “minimalist” phone marketplace — such as Gabb, Bark, Pinwheel and The Light Phone. What happened next?
Read More(ANALYSIS) If the saga of SWBTS does indeed have a happy ending, or at least a thriving next chapter, a good bit of the credit can be attributed to one man: Dr. David Dockery.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In recent days, a horrifying surge of violence and bloodshed has swept across Syria, leaving a civilian death toll of nearly 1,400. Most of the victims were part of the Alawite sect, former Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad’s religious community. A number of Christians who live in close proximity to Alawite communities have also been killed.
Read More(ANALYSIS) To many, George Berkeley is little more than a bishop — a distant historical figure whose name happens to adorn the University of California at Berkeley. A polymath of epic proportions, he sought to dissect reality itself. While Elon Musk pursues a future of technological transcendence, Berkeley strived for clarity in the present, reducing reality to its bare bones.
Read More(ANALYSIS) After two years of thinking and writing, Cameron DeLaFleu and Joe Wilson have posted their full, final version of “The Official List of 100 Movies Every Catholic Should See.” They never took a week off in this process. The goal was to put a spotlight on “films which truly reach for the Good, True, and Beautiful in their themes as well as in their technical artistic prowess.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) As Muslims fast from dawn to dusk during Ramadan, an important aspect of their faith is their role as stewards of God on Earth. One way Muslims do this is through the practice of Zakat, an obligatory kind of charity that’s one of the five pillars of Islam.
Read MoreDuring a typical week, readers (or podcast listeners) send me emails or messages through various social-media platforms. Often, these people are frustrated or even angry. Most folks are not upset with me. More often than not, they are ticked off about something they have seen — or failed to see — in mainstream press coverage of the news.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In the chaos, journalists have struggled to confirm statistics about fatalities, while waves of social media videos claim to show crucified Christians, Alawites and other members of religious and ethnic minority groups being beaten, militants firing machine guns into houses and committing other atrocities.
Read More(ANALYSIS) One of the most impactful cultural changes in 21st-century America has been the steady decline in Christian vitality, as measured by membership, baptisms versus funerals, worship attendance, practices, and perceptions. Two major new social science surveys suggest that this decline may have bottomed out — though statistics about secularizing youth give believers ample reason to worry about the future.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pilgrims would journey across continents to light candles beneath their frescoed domes, whisper prayers into the cool stone walls, and gaze upon centuries-old icons bathed in flickering candlelight. These sites are much more than buildings. They are testaments to Greece’s spiritual, cultural and historical identity. Yet today, that serenity is under attack.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Using FIRE’s recent survey of a bunch of college and university students, let me show you the religious composition of Harvard and Yale, compared to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, which is the epitome of a directional university in a flyover state.
Read MoreIn a California meeting, Compelling Preaching Initiative participants enjoyed how-to sessions on the content, crafting and delivery of sermons as well as one-on-one coaching and fellowship with other men — and women — of God.
Read MoreWriting a news feature about the life and work of historian Martin E. Marty requires two things — lots of numbers about what he accomplished and stories about how he managed to get so much done, as a scholar, teacher, colleague, mentor and friend.
Read More(OPINION) Marty died on Feb. 25 at the age of 97, a quarter of a century after retiring from teaching at the University of Chicago Divinity School. The research center he launched in 1979 was then rebranded as the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. He received numerous other awards, including more than 80 honorary degrees.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Five hundred years ago, in the winter of 1524-1525, bands of peasants roamed the German countryside seeking recruits. It was the start of the German Peasants’ War, the largest uprising in Europe before the French Revolution. The peasants’ goal was to overturn serfdom and create a fairer society grounded on the Christian Bible.
Read More
