After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, pastors found themselves in a difficult position — whether or how to address the event from the pulpit. Todd Fisher, executive director of Oklahoma Baptists, received messages from pastors confused by their congregations’ reactions, prompting him to address the issue. Many pastors were unaware of Kirk’s cultural influence, especially among younger members.
Read MoreU.S. adults don’t think God changes. Their beliefs about the divine have basically stayed the same, as well. The latest State of Theology study from Lifeway Research and Ligonier Ministries finds significant stability across a wide range of theological beliefs.
Read More(OPINION) America is dangerously polarized. We are split into camps with different facts, values and even realities. Kirk often stepped into that arena as a kind of devil’s advocate — lobbing provocative challenges and daring opponents to prove him wrong. If his death teaches us anything, it may be that endless condemnation cannot heal us.
Read MoreAfter 40-plus years on the Godbeat, let me offer this observation: It’s extremely difficult to write about ancient, complex, often mysterious religious beliefs and doctrines in language that is both accurate and easily understandable in the mainstream media.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The fatal shooting of Christian conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a speaking engagement at Utah Valley University has drawn condemnation and renewed attention to the climate of political violence in the United States. He was one of the most visible leaders of the young conservative movement.
Read More(ANALYSIS) During the rituals of prayers and stories one night, Angel Studios co-founder Jeffrey Harmon's young son asked: "Dad, what does the other side of your eyeballs look like? ... Can I pull them out and look at them?” The answer was “No.” The exchange was a reminder that kids have “wild ideas,” said Harmon in a video chat with Angel Guild members who crowdfund the studio's movies.
Read MoreEgypt’s Ministry of Youth and Sports has launched “Youth Against Atheism,” a government program partnering with Al-Azhar, the country’s top Sunni Muslim institution and the Coptic Church to combat what officials call “electronic atheism” spreading through social media platforms. The initiative targets five areas and marks an escalation in state efforts to address the phenomenon.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The first 100 days of a U.S. president’s term are a widely recognized milestone, often scrutinized for signs of momentum, direction or policy implementation. But the same metric, when applied to a newly elected pope, serves a very different purpose. A pope, however, enters office without the expectations of an electoral mandate — yet still under the global spotlight.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This summer’s “Superman” is more than just another superhero movie. James Gunn's latest, starring David Corenswet, offers something different: A return to the character's core — not just as a cultural icon, but as a figure imbued with spiritual and moral gravity. Because Superman has always been religious. Maybe not explicitly, but unmistakably.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In a summer when world leaders debate regulation of artificial intelligence and digital platforms scramble to retain user trust, Pope Leo XIV is offering a different vision — rooted not in control but in communion, not in efficiency but in encounter. Over a million young people under the Roman twilight, that invitation resonated — not as nostalgia, but as a hopeful step into the future.
Read MoreThe King’s College, a private four-year Christian school based in New York City, will permanently close, the school said. “Despite a thorough search for such a partner, the Board has been unable to secure the support necessary to present a plan to resume operations by the July 15 … deadline granted to us by the New York State Education Department.”
Read MoreIn the heart of Mozambique, a quiet transformation is taking place — powered not by electricity, but by sunlight and faith. Missionaries Rolland and Heidi Baker, for nearly three decades, have been working among some of the most marginalized communities in the country through their organization Iris Global.
Read MoreEvan Carter helped the Texas Rangers win the World Series in 2023. But Carter — still just 22 — has faced multiple challenges over the past two seasons. He talked to Religion Unplugged about his journey as a ballplayer and, more importantly, as a person of deep Christian faith. “Baseball is what I do, but I try and not make it, as the cliché goes, who I am,” he said.
Read MoreBaylor University’s president announced in a letter Wednesday (July 9) that the school has rescinded a grant toward the study of “disenfranchisement and exclusion of LGBTQIA+ individuals and women” in churches. The move came after Baylor’s Diana R. Garland School of Social Work announced on June 30 that it had received a grant of nearly $644,000 toward its Center for Church and Community Impact, also called C3I.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This is a mountainous and, until recently, remote area that is culturally and historically distinct from the rest of India. It is also the most thoroughly Baptist region in the world. For example, the church in Mon, a town of approximately 17,000 people, is the largest Baptist church in Asia. It dwarfs surrounding buildings and can seat 10,000 worshippers.
Read MoreChristians in this central Texas community are working to help after catastrophic flooding claimed at least 89 lives and left an unknown number of others still missing over the holiday weekend. A tractor-trailer rig from the Churches of Christ Disaster Relief Effort in Nashville, Tennessee — nearly 1,000 miles away — arrived at the Riverside Church of Christ in Kerrville on Sunday afternoon.
Read MoreIt was just another bombing in a complicated corner of the Middle East, but this one was important — the Associated Press noted — because it had major political implications. In this week’s episode, we dig into what it all means.
Read MoreOn a recent 78-degree Saturday afternoon, a U.S. flag and the Detroit Tigers’ four World Series championship banners — from 1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984 — flapped in the Comerica Park breeze. For nearly four decades, Home Plate Detroit has brought fans together to pray and hear player testimonials. In the Motor City and elsewhere, these events mix a faith-based message with a major league game.
Read MoreIndian authorities have allegedly “abandoned” — rather than deported — 40 Rohingya refugees in international waters near the Myanmar maritime border, forcing women, children and the elderly to swim to safety using life jackets. The action could be seen as a “secret rendition,” a term used to describe the covert transfer of individuals across borders without legal process.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Despite the disruptions of global economics and trade, and a couple dozen other hot disputes, let's not neglect such perennial realities as the way religion can affect politics, and vice versa. As President Donald Trump promised, this is a central aspect of his agenda, underscored by the recent establishment of the new Religious Liberty Commission.
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