(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV travels to Latin America on Nov. 6, 2026, with a packed itinerary that will bring him through Uruguay, Argentina and Peru. It is Leo’s first trip to the region since his elevation to the papacy — and a homecoming for a pope who spent two decades in Peru and holds Peruvian citizenship.
Read MoreThe 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 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 More(ANALYSIS) Most surveys are not particularly good at digging into the reasons why people aren’t reproducing anymore. However, we have a great new addition to the discourse about fertility because Pew has posted their American Trends Panel 147 on the Association of Religion Data Archives. The first line of the summary tells the whole story.
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) Americans increasingly turn to religion for guidance on what to eat amid rising food costs, nutrition concerns and conflicting advice. Drawing on research into four religious alternative food movements, one researcher explores how faith shapes eating habits and inspires efforts to transform the American food system.
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 More(ANALYSIS) A 2025 Vantage Point Counseling Services study found that 28% of adults say they have had an intimate AI interaction or relationship. The same study said 54% of Americans mentioned AI friends, colleagues or confidants.
Read MoreReligious participation in the United States is showing signs of stability following years of decline, but new research from Pew also suggests that reports of a religious revival among young adults may tell only part of the story. For now, these latest findings point to a recovery in religious attendance alongside continued long-term uncertainty about faith in America.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In almost any other parliamentary democracy, such a result would be understood as a decisive victory for the forces seeking a change of government. Yet Israel may be heading toward the extraordinary spectacle of an opposition that wins a commanding majority and nevertheless allows the incumbent, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his allies, to remain in power.
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 More(REVIEW) Gabe Bullard’s new book “Against Convenience” addresses some of these problems and argues “not against an easier path, but against the idea that the paths in front of us are truly any easier.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Military service is mandatory for most groups in Israel, although Muslim and Christian Arab citizens are exempted. Jewish Israelis see conscription as a unifying experience and a demonstration of commitment to the state. Starting at 18, most women serve two years and men serve almost three. For decades, however, Haredi men received de facto exemptions.
Read More(REVIEW) Manga has always been a medium in which the ordinary and the extraordinary coexist. A playground can become a site of spiritual encounter, a forest can conceal ancient powers and a familiar creature can reveal a universe of supernatural possibilities.
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 More(ANALYSIS) From the Yazidis to the Rohingya, from the Uyghurs to other communities facing growing threats around the world, the use and abuse of AI, technology and social media must not go unpunished. Ignoring these new methods of persecution means that responses to such atrocities will never be adequate.
Read MoreThe latest grant round drew 466 applicants and includes the program’s first recipient in Arkansas, as historic houses of worship seek funding to preserve their buildings and community services.
Read MoreDay after day, the senator-judges begin proceedings by asking God for the same things — truth, wisdom, justice and freedom from bias. As they prepare to decide Vice President Sara Duterte’s fate, those prayers have become an implicit measure of the responsibility they have assumed: To turn appeals for divine guidance into a verdict determined by evidence, law and conscience.
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