The New York Times feature marking the band’s 50th anniversary — the hook for this week’s “Crossroads” podcast — starts with U2 returning to Mount Temple to celebrate on the stage where the quartet did one of its first gigs. The lengthy interview: “50 Years In, What’s the Point of U2? Bono and the Edge Have Answers.”
Read MoreThe Vatican — together with civil and religious leaders in Jordan — began preparations to celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus’s baptism in al-Maghtas, also called Bethany Beyond the Jordan, in 2030. While the Gospels are unclear about when Jesus was baptized, it undoubtedly followed John the Baptist’s revelation that it occurred in “the 15th year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) I am not here to judge those taking mind-altering medication. Rather, my point is that biology and theology now overlap in ways that make spiritual disconnection especially difficult to identify and understand. A parishioner who feels nothing while kneeling at the altar rail might be undergoing an enormous test of faith.
Read MoreThe results demonstrate that faith and politics often intersect in various ways. Moral questions are often put to voters, candidates’ interpretations of religious teachings and debates over the constitutional place of religion in public life were all on the ballot this year. These results are a prelude as voters prepare for the 2028 presidential race.
Read MoreHow does a non-religious person who desires to be religious fully embrace a faith community? And how do religious people make their communities ones in which this is possible? Rabbi Noa Kushner’s new book, “Pretend You Believe,” might just have the answers you’re searching for.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Muslim population of England and Wales is roughly 6.5 percent. Inside the prison system, that number shoots up to 18 percent. A huge slice of the prison demographic shifts toward Mecca the second the iron gates slam shut. The disparity is striking. What explains it?
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV’s playful balancing act between his papal neutrality and his enduring Villanova loyalties offered more than a lighthearted moment at the Vatican. The gathering of Villanova and Notre Dame in Rome demonstrated how sports can transcend school rivalries and national boundaries, bringing people together through shared traditions, faith and community.
Read MoreEvery day, Religion Unplugged covers stories about faith, culture and global religion that are often overlooked by larger news organizations. We believe these stories deserve careful, fair and deeply reported journalism — and we believe everyone should be able to read them without a paywall.
Read MoreIt’s a big news story — at the denominational and local levels — when one of America’s biggest, richest, most powerful and most strategic United Methodist congregations votes to remove the word “United” from its name. Imagine this: What if a dozen members of the Highland Park flock, next to Southern Methodist University, released a manifesto explaining why 90% of the voters in the Dallas pews backed that decision?
Read MoreFrom ghostly monks and spectral nuns to unexplained footsteps and phantom screams, Britain’s ancient religious sites are steeped in supernatural folklore. Discover how centuries of faith, conflict, burial traditions and architectural grandeur have inspired haunting legends that continue to captivate ghost hunters and Halloween enthusiasts alike.
Read MoreA Cleveland-area pastor publicly introduced a second wife to the world last Sunday, saying the widely held Christian teaching that a man should have only one wife is “unbiblical.” Israel Ford, founder of LifeWorks Church, posted a video of the announcement on Oct. 25. His first wife and fellow pastor, Lydia Ford, introduced Minister Shakayla Talley Ford to congregants who gave the threesome a standing ovation.
Read MoreThis week, Religion Unplugged’s culture writers Joseph Holmes and Jillian Cheney sat down before Halloween to explore how Gen Z thinking is changing the horror genre.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Let’s actually dig into the widely held belief that American Orthodox Christianity is experiencing a huge surge in converts post-pandemic. The short answer: That’s a really hard claim to test with survey data, for a simple reason. There just aren’t that many Orthodox Christians in the U.S. to begin with.
Read MoreChristians make up roughly 1% of Japan’s population, and churches are increasingly multicultural, welcoming immigrants from neighboring countries. However, national politics have taken a decidedly nationalistic turn in recent years — worrying Christians that they will once again be ostracized and even face persecution.
Read MoreWithin a decade of hitting the religion beat, around 1980, it was obvious to me that the demographic collapse of the “seven sisters” of liberal Protestantism was going to create a giant hole in American life. We are talking about these flocks — American Baptists, the Disciples of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ and the United Methodist Church.
Read MoreSharia, often called Islamic law, is a system of religious guidelines that inform how Muslims understand their responsibilities to God, themselves, their families and society. The Arabic word — sharia — is commonly translated as “the way” or “the path.” It refers to a way of life rooted in Islamic teachings rather than simply a collection of laws enforced by a government.
Read MoreOn this week’s show, Religion Unplugged spoke with “American Rambler” author Isaac Fitzgerald in order to separate fact from fiction in the tale of Johnny Appleseed and to understand how the writer’s own path, like the legendary figure, led to a connection with nature, an openness towards faith and a few legends of his own.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A significant case the U.S. Supreme Court will hear on appeal Nov. 3 evokes major elements of this century’s culture wars. This public policy clash pits claims based upon venerable religious rights against modern-day LGBT rights. It involves money and taxes, the Trump Administration, politicians of both parties, the Catholic Church and an array of national organizations.
Read More(ANALYSIS) AI is everywhere. While it’s undeniably omnipresent, is anyone actually home upstairs? According to one researcher, the answer is yes. For centuries, religion has held a strict monopoly on the soul. Sentience, moral agency and the “image of God” have served as the sacred divide separating humanity from inanimate matter.
Read More(ANALYSIS) President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a planned Pentagon livestream of the execution of Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan illustrates the competing pressures that can shape his approach to controversial questions of punishment, national security and public morality. Although Trump supported broadcasting the execution, he reversed course after widespread criticism.
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