Posts tagged primary feature
Solar-Powered Audio Bibles Bring Hope To Mozambique

In 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 More
Violence In Southern Syria Brings Druze Community To The Fore

(ANALYSIS) A fragile ceasefire was put in place in southern Syria on July 19, after days of violence between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes that drew in government forces and prompted Israeli strikes on the capital, Damascus, as a warning to pull back from Druze areas. The United States helped broker the latest agreement, fearing a spillover of violence to other parts of Syria.

Read More
From Nature Spirits To Gods: Tracing The Sacred Art Of Ancient India

(REVIEW) The devotional art of Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism share many similarities, even some gods. To understand why, you need to examine the ancient Indian origins of these religions and their iconographies, which can be traced back to the powerful nature spirits and divine serpents once worshipped across the subcontinent.

Read More
Christians Organize Emergency Food And Supplies After Texas Flooding

Christians 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 More
A Pitch To Follow Jesus: Baseball Fans Embrace Players’ Faith Testimonials

On 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 More
Young Men Lead Renewed Interest In Christianity Across The UK

A curiosity about Scripture and God may be one of the leading factors behind a study that claims a “quiet revival” is expanding among young people in the United Kingdom, said an International Mission Board leader. An increase in church attendance among 18-24-year-olds from 4 percent in 2018 to 16 percent in 2024, with young men’s attendance jumping from 4 percent to 21 percent.

Read More
How Canterbury Cathedral Seeks To Reclaim Its Medieval Pilgrimage Legacy

Canterbury Cathedral has been a significant pilgrimage destination for over a thousand years. Despite the West’s growing secularization, there seems to be no shortage of travelers from around the world looking to make the journey to the English house of worship. These days, people come for historical, cultural as well as spiritual reasons.

Read More
Choosing A New Pope: Cardinals Face Test Of Continuity Vs. Change

This conclave is significant not only for its size, but also for the opportunity it presents to shape the future of Catholicism. The outcome will have implications for the church's stance on a variety of issues and determine whether the church wants to continue with the direction set forth by Pope Francis. In four days, 133 cardinals will make their way inside the Sistine Chapel to elect the next pontiff.

Read More
India And Pakistan Must Step Back From The Edge Of War

(ANALYSIS) The April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir, which killed 26 civilians, has pushed India and Pakistan into one of their most dangerous standoffs in recent years. Daily gunfire is being reported across the Line of Control and diplomatic ties have been cut off and military activity is intensifying between the majority Hindu nation and their Muslim neighbors.

Read More
How A Pope Is Chosen: 6 Things To Know About The Conclave

(EXPLAINER) Pope Francis’ death and funeral will usher in a period of transition for the Catholic Church, with cardinals gathering at the Vatican for the papal conclave, the secretive voting that will result in the election of a new pope. A conclave is the special gathering of cardinals for the purpose of electing a pope. The next conclave is not expected to begin before May 5.

Read More
‘A Pope Among The People’: Mourners Across Rome Bid Farewell To Francis

A crowd of 250,000 gathered in a sun-drenched St. Peter’s Square on Saturday to bid a final farewell to Pope Francis, who was remembered as having had “an open heart towards everyone.” The Argentine-born pope — the first Latin American and first Jesuit pontiff — died this past Monday at the age of 88 after suffering from cardiac arrest while recovering from pneumonia.  

Read More
Pope Francis, First Latin American Pontiff Who Shook Up The Church, Dead At 88

Pope Francis — the first pontiff from the Americas, who clashed with traditional Catholics but was hailed as a reformer by progressives — died on Monday, a day after Easter, at age 88. The pope had been plagued by a series of health issues in recent years. Hours after his death was announced, the Vatican said Francis died from a stroke that put him into a coma and led to heart failure.

Read More
Jesus Christ Box Office Superstar: Why Faith-Based Films Are Dominating

(ANALYSIS) People might disagree whether Jesus is King, but he certainly is ruling the box office this Easter season. America loves movies and it loves Jesus. As a result, it’s s safe to say both will be with us for a very long time. You might say it’s Jesus’ world, we’re just living in it. That’s true to Christians at all times. But for now it’s also true when it comes to dominating the U.S. box office. 

Read More
Inside The Popular Easter Pageant That Draws 100,000 Visitors

An Easter Pageant in Arizona is now one of the world’s largest. The event, which runs for nine days before Easter Sunday, draws crowds of 10,000 each night and has a cast of 500. If you don’t live in the area — or if you’re not connected to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly called the Mormon Church — the Mesa Easter Pageant, an 87-year-old festival, is likely not on your radar.

Read More
Why Christian Broadcasters Are Clashing With Automakers Over A New Bill

Ever since the repeal of the FCC’s Fairness Doctrine in the 1980s, AM radio has maintained a reputation as the domain of free market capitalist advocacy. But now that automakers such as Ford and Tesla have been removing AM radios from some new models, many groups are fighting to save the format through government regulation.

Read More
To Sin Or Not To Sin: Shakespeare’s Vision Of God And Man

(ANALYSIS) Shakespeare’s works are, and have always been, profoundly theological — not because they provide answers but because they compel us to confront fundamental questions of existence. Is there justice in the universe? Do our actions have eternal consequences? Can the worst among us be saved? These questions not easily answered, if they can be answered at all. These are questions that still haunt us.

Read More
How The Orthodox Church Influences Russian Families And Putin’s Regime

(REVIEW) Six months after the invasion of Ukraine, the Putin regime announced a document titled “State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values.” The document aimed to shape the worldview of Russians, including a “strong family.” Putin has utilized the rhetoric surrounding traditional values, which the Russian Orthodox Church has promoted, for his own purpose.

Read More
Coat of Hopes’ Endless UK Pilgrimage: Spreading Messages Of Climate Action

An endless pilgrimage around the U.K. involving an object rather than a person has attracted considerable attention in every place it visits. Known as the Coat of Hopes, it has traveled over 1,500 miles. Along the way, the loose blanket style robe has been covered with ever increasing numbers of colorful patches bearing the hopes and dreams of those who encounter it.

Read More
Disgraced Ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Accused Of Sexual Abuse, Dies At 94

Theodore McCarrick — once one of the Catholic Church's most influential figures in the United States who was later defrocked following a Vatican investigation that found he had abused both adults and minors — has died at age 94. McCarrick, who served as the archbishop of Washington from 2000 to 2006, remains one of the highest-ranking U.S. prelates accused in a sexual abuse scandal.

Read More
On Religion: Why Is Lent In America No Big Deal?

(ANALYSIS) The bridge between Ash Wednesday and Easter is the penitential season of Lent. However, Lent is “not on the radar” for most Americans, according to a new Lifeway Research study focusing on Catholics, Protestants and the unchurched. Most who observe Lent find their own ways to mark the season, with some form of the “give up one thing for Lent” pattern as the norm.

Read More