(ANALYSIS) Celebrating the country music legend is an honor “mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” stressed Bryan Seaver, the son of Parton's sister Cassie Parton, in the family’s announcement of her death.
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This week’s podcast argues that Dolly Parton’s songs, philanthropy and Appalachian roots reveal far more about her faith, character and worldview than her polished public image. By examining songs like “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Am Ready” and “Horns and Halos,” it challenges conventional obituaries to listen more closely.
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Since the news broke Tuesday that Dolly Parton “is in the arms of Jesus,” Weekend Plug-in columnist Bobby Ross Jr. has joined countless millions of fans in reflecting on her life, her legacy — and yes, her faith.
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(ANALYSIS) Parton died Tuesday at 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Her death has prompted the expected celebration of an extraordinary musical career, but it also offers the chance to understand something deeper about the woman behind the rhinestones: Her generosity was not simply celebrity philanthropy. It was an expression of the Christian idea of stewardship.
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The legendary country singer, songwriter and entertainer died on Tuesday at 80. Raised in a deeply Christian family in Tennessee, she credited her faith in God for guiding her life, music and philanthropy. Her enduring legacy includes countless hit songs, films, charitable work and a message of hope.
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Amid celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, bluegrass band Chosen Road released what they believe is one of the most unique recordings in the band’s 18-year history. The 13-song album American Morning dropped July 3, featuring more than 50 minutes of new music from the band.
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(ANALYSIS) When addressing the 2026 graduates of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, country music star Eric Church used words rarely heard in secular campus rites, such as “faith,” “family,” “grace” and “soul.”
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(ANALYSIS) As July 4, approaches, Americans will be paying more attention than usual to events of 1776: the year the American Colonies declared their independence from Great Britain. Public historians, including filmmaker Ken Burns, have tried to offer a more inclusive view of the American Revolution, highlighting lesser-known patriots.
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Are the U.K.’s church pipe organs under threat? A new report from Pipe Up, a charity created in 2022 to save pipe organs from what it calls a “wave of destruction,” claims that Britain’s church organs are heading toward extinction unless action is taken.
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(ANALYSIS) The popularity of musical biopics across both Hollywood and faith-based industries reflects the deep connection between religion and music in the shaping modern culture. It also reveals two different frameworks for interpreting that influence. Ideally, audiences can engage both and think more deeply about what each suggests for their own lives.
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Is country superstar Ella Langley a person of faith? Indeed, the Alabama native — who grew up in a small town in Alabama — professes her love for Jesus.
(REVIEW) This concert marked the first world premiere in the Sistine Chapel. Yet, what lingered most was not the sense of history being made, but the work itself: A meditation on divine presence. In a space accustomed to silence rather than sound, “Angels Unawares” felt less like an interruption and more like a natural extension of the place.
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Christian musician Phillip Vaught is behind bars in Tennessee after being charged with sexual exploitation of a minor.
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In Wales, hymn singing is not just for church services. It is part of the national culture, a unique choral tradition. You can hear them sung in pubs, concerts, choral competitions and even rugby games.
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A new report from the Pew Research Center found that religious radio stations remain ubiquitous — with 98% of U.S. adults living within the local coverage area of at least one of them. The report found that an “overwhelming majority” of those stations are Christian. Despite the rise of digital media, 45% of U.S. adults say they’ve listened to religious programming on the radio.
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(REVIEW) In 1954, the Oscar-winning composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold staged a European homecoming with a new operetta. How this came to pass — and how his planned comeback failed to materialize — is even more convoluted than the piece’s farcical plot. Korngold, a Jewish refugee from Vienna, first came to Hollywood to adapt Felix Mendelssohn’s music for Max Reinhardt’s 1935 film of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
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A former Ohio worship pastor and American Idol contestant, accused of murdering his wife pleaded not guilty to 11 charges during a March 19 arraignment.
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Fred Rogers’ legacy continues to resonate in 2026, from Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl tribute to church celebrations, global music tours and educational initiatives. His timeless message of kindness, peacemaking and “looking for the helpers” remains a source of comfort and connection, inspiring new generations to practice neighborliness during uncertain times.
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A former Ohio worship pastor and “American Idol” contestant has been arrested in connection with the murder of his wife. Police arrested Caleb Flynn, 39, on Feb. 19, three days after responding to a burglary call at his suburban Dayton home and finding his wife Ashley Flynn, 37, shot dead.
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The final months of 2025 brought another dimension to the ongoing discussion about AI among church leaders as a music “artist” named Solomon Ray climbed the charts. It came as another AI artist, Breaking Rust, did the same on the country digital charts. AI can help generate ideas, it cannot be a final source for the music sung during worship
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