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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A massive amount of research confirms what your grandma has always told you: Go to church. It’s good for you. And if a church isn’t your scene, a temple, mosque, synagogue or gurdwara would also do. In fact, religious involvement is strongly associated with better mental, physical and social health outcomes, according to a new study.
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(REVIEW) “Hulk Hogan: Real American” succeeds not because it answers questions, but because it refuses to. It presents Hogan as a deeply contradictory figure: A man who inspired millions while struggling to live up to his own ideals, a public hero whose private life was often marked by pain and failure and a Christian who spent much of his life in and out of the ring.
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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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(REVIEW) In an age ruled by smartphones, “Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality” arrives as a timely and stirring documentary that invites viewers to pause, reflect and reconnect — with others, with the world and with something greater than themselves. This 90-minute documentary recounts the story of Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old computer whiz who died of leukemia in 2006 and now set to be canonized a saint.
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Nearly 80 percent of evangelical Protestant pastors reject the scientific consensus that the climate is changing and human actions are a major cause, according to a new report. Only about one-quarter of clergy from other Christian traditions, such as Catholic and mainline Protestants, share this same skepticism.
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Despite this grim reality, church leaders in this nation of 2.3 million are not just in denial about this social crisis — but are also in denial about being in denial, leaving the desperately depressed with no one to give them the much-needed message of hope. Talking about suicide is taboo in many African societies and that includes Lesotho.
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(ANALYSIS) As the star of the scathing documentary "Religulous" — "religious" plus "ridiculous" — Bill Maher has never hidden his agnostic views about faith. But that doesn't mean the stand-up comic doubts the reality of evil. Consider his blistering comment on smartphones, drawn from his “Real Time” talk show earlier this year.
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India’s Christian community has emerged as a proactive force in the battle against mental health challenges. Through initiatives such as national helplines, counselor training programs and pastoral support, they are working towards building a more mentally resilient society.
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(ANALYSIS) A new study from Springtide Research Institute not only suggests that popular narratives about Gen Z’s abandonment of religion aren’t the full story but also that religion and spirituality can contribute to flourishing mental health among this generation.
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In a special year-end edition of Weekend Plug-in, the nation’s top religion writers share their top stories of 2021.
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(OPINION) For a variety of reasons, many African Americans face barriers to mental health care. But as a sociologist who focuses on community-based organizations, Brad Fulton finds that strengthening relationships between churches and mental health providers can be one way to increase access to needed services.
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(OPINION) A new bill Gov. Gavin Newsom introduced in California would allow children access, without parental consent or knowledge, to sex-change operations, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones and abortions through their family’s insurance plan.
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Olympians like Dominique Dawes and Rochelle Stevens talked to ReligionUnplugged about their faith, wrestling with mental challenges in the Games and supporting U.S. gymnast Simone Biles who withdrew from competition this week over mental health concerns and vertigo-like symptoms. Biles and Dawes have both shared leaning on their Catholic faith in their gymnastics careers.
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Thousands of Kashmiris are flocking to Sufi shrines this Ramadan, where their faith and worship is taking a leading role in their healing from trauma, depression, PTSD and other mental health issues.
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In a special year-end edition of Weekend Plug-in, the nation’s top religion writers share their top stories of 2020.
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Father Joseph Pereira, a Catholic priest in Mumbai, is healing substance abuse addicts through yoga and meditation, which can be a controversial practice for Christians in India.
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With the swelling challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic further depriving the impoverished, Danielle Schneider, Brad Brunsch and Rachel Simmons face a year of ministry like no other.
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(OPINION) A Nigerian Christian recounts her experiences struggling with mental illness and letting go of the idea that if she had enough faith, God would heal her.
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(OPINION) Believers draw strength from their faith and support from their communities. The coronavirus is straining the remarkable resilience of medical workers, even those who have the added safety nets that religion provides.
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