(ANALYSIS) The general admonition is the same in many faith communities: Try to marry someone who shares your faith background. That’s certainly a well-established norm in Jewish communities.
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(ANALYSIS) Mother’s Day in the U.S. now drives about $34 billion in spending, but its founder, Anna Jarvis, envisioned it as a day honoring mothers’ social and moral influence. From ancient traditions to modern activism, mothers have long been seen as protectors and advocates for peace — a legacy often overshadowed today.
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Polls and news coverage explaining the voting habits of “evangelicals” are haunted by the same kinds of questions. Define an “evangelical” voter. Please.
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(ANALYSIS) There is nothing unusual about turning a corner in West Virginia's maze of rough mountain roads and seeing churches with plain white walls and big porches. The new sanctuary at the Hermitage of the Holy Cross — 10 miles of twists and turns into a holler outside the town of Wayne — offers a variation on that vision. Its green-metal roof has domes resembling medieval Russian helmets, topped with golden cupolas and soaring Slavic crosses.
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(ANALYSIS) When he was elected pope last May, Robert Prevost, who took the name Leo XIV, greeted the crowd with Christ’s words to his disciples: “Peace be with you.” Peace has become a central theme of the pontificate of the first American pope. In recent months, opposing the war in the Middle East, Leo has said that the “world is being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.”
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(ANALYSIS) For those who have been long-time subscribers to this newsletter, you will know that the predominant approach to measuring religion is called “the three B’s.”
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(ANALYSIS) Across American history, many colleges have attenuated or dropped their original religious purposes. Harvard University stripped down its 17th-century Latin motto, “Veritas Christo et Ecclesiae” (Truth for Christ and the Church) to simply “Veritas.” However, Baylor still proclaims “integrating academic excellence and Christian commitment” as its core mission.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Ask most people what they know about religion in the Pacific Northwest, and you’ll get a shrug. “Isn’t that the none zone?”
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(ANALYSIS) The last half-century might one day be described by church historians as the Age of the Megachurch. However, it appears that this era — if it existed at all — is coming to an end. Megachurches are not going away, of course. But data in recent years suggest their growth and numbers are leveling out, and possibly even declining.
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(ANALYSIS) Using limited existing data, a new large survey examines how nonreligious Americans view religion, exploring whether they feel hostility toward it and what factors shape attitudes.
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(ANALYSIS) Gen Z is driving a renewed interest in in-person life — from bookstores to churches — as a response to digital isolation. But this revival is fragmented, fueled by online subcultures and personal choice. While community is returning, it’s splintered into niche groups, creating connection within silos rather than a shared cultural or social life.
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(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV, during his recent Africa visit, warned Catholics against mixing Christian faith with superstition or other religious practices. He emphasized fidelity to Church teachings amid rapid growth in African churches, while renewed attention to past imagery linked to Pachamama has sparked debate about syncretism and theological clarity.
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(ANALYSIS) All this has happened even as President Donald Trump has emphasized a particular idea of religious liberty throughout his second term. In his proclamation for Religious Freedom Day in 2026, he emphasized familiar ideas of Americans’ “God-given right to practice their faith, follow their conscience, and worship their God freely and without fear.” But the statement also seemed to reflect a broader project of lending government support to Christianity.
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(ANALYSIS) Trump claimed the White House Correspondents Dinner attacker “hated Christians,” but reporting indicates the suspect was a believer whose manifesto drew on Christian theology. The discrepancy highlights how Trump’s framing may serve broader political goals, particularly unifying a divided conservative Christian base around perceived religious persecution.
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(ANALYSIS) After years of religious decline, it’s understandable that faith leaders would celebrate any indication of renewal. Yet the eagerness to tout young men’s religious interest and relatively muted discussion of young women’s decreased attachment mirrors a current that has washed through many American churches for over a generation.
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(ANALYSIS) More questions remain. Will the Vatican seek to impose doctrine, potentially provoking further resistance from the West? Or will it allow a degree of local experimentation, accepting the risk of inconsistency in the name of pastoral responsiveness? Leo’s statements on the issue suggest a preference for the former.
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(ANALYSIS) One of the central stories of that work is that white Christianity has become noticeably more conservative. That’s not just the case in white evangelicalism (which most people know about), but it’s also true among white Catholics. It has become increasingly the case that to be white and Christian is to support the Republican Party.
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(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.
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In 1968, the three Apollo 8 astronauts, while the world focused on their Christmas Eve effort to orbit the moon, read the opening verses of Genesis, beginning with: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.”
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(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.
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