Posts in Africa
A more diverse, conservative Anglicanism is growing

The Episcopal Church in the U.S., part of the Anglican communion and the Church of England, is too liberal on issues like same-sex marriage for many expats from Africa and the Global South. The split in views and immigration to the U.S. and Canada is prompting growth in the conservative split-off, the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA), while the Episcopal Church is gradually declining.

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How churches are saving forests in Ethiopia

We spoke with award-winning photographer Kieran Dodds about his project capturing the gardens of Eden cultivated by Ethiopian churches. The conservation is an act of worship to save their forests and provide an oasis for their congregations. Listen to the full podcast or read the edited transcript here.

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Nationalism and Catholicism collide in run-up to the European elections

(NEWS ANALYSIS) Matteo Salvini, who leads the League party, could take his anti-immigration stances to Brussels if opinion polls prove correct. His hardline stance on the issue has put him at odds with the Catholic church in Italy as well as with Pope Francis, who has repeatedly spoken in favor of refugees seeking asylum in Western Europe.

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After petition, Kenyan church's pro-life billboards removed

Eleven NGOs petitioned the Kenyan government and won to force a Kenyan church to remove billboards aimed at expecting mothers considering abortion.

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Easter attacks killed Nigerian Christians too

(NEWS ANALYSIS) Reports claim that more than 40 Nigerian Christians were killed in the week leading up to Easter, and many more remain missing. Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari was quick to send condolences to Sri Lanka, but slower to respond to Islamist attacks on Christians in his country.

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How to break an Easter fast like an Ethiopian

(COMMENTARY) Coptic Orthodox Ethiopians fast for 210 days of the year. Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant in New York, serves up traditional injera and berbere, two secret weapons to keep an ultra-lean diet long-term.

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In Israel, a family of Ethiopian Jews protest police violence through art

Ethiopian Jews make up only two percent of Israel’s population, but they account for 40 percent of the public discrimination complaints. The art show “The Color Line” draws inspiration from the Black Lives Matter movement and the African-American writer W.E.B. Du Bois.

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Try these Easter eats from around the world

What would Jesus eat? Some of the world’s oldest Lenten bites, from Israel to India, are still sizzling. Others are cultural adaptions to fit the Lenten fast with local ingredients.

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Pope Benedict and Cardinal Sarah provide leadership in the age of Francis

(COMMENTARY) Again, it was conservative Catholic media that proved to be the preferred mouthpiece for Cardinal Robert Sarah and Pope Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI over the past week. Both men — with help from right-leaning news organizations — have been very vocal about the problems plaguing the church.

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After mosque attacks, Christian persecution remains controversial

(COMMENTARY) Much violence and discrimination against Christians globally goes unnoticed in newspapers. This could be seen with US Vice President Mike Pence’s recent remarks - hardly reported - condemning religious persecution of both Muslims and Christians.

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After New Zealand mosque attacks: what are religious persecution levels around the world?

(COMMENTARY) Religious persecution of Christians is more than at any other time in modern history, while other groups like Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Jews also suffer discrimination and violence in different regions of intolerance.

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Kenyan Muslim students and Methodist school lock horns in Supreme Court over head covering

Cases of religious conflicts in Kenya's education institutions are not new but never before has a dispute over school rules found its way to the highest court in the land like it did recently.

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Kenyan media calls New York Times racist for images of terror attack

(NEWS ANALYSIS) The Media Council of Kenya, the sector's regulator in the country, is demanding that the New York Times take down a graphic photo of a terrorist attack in Nairobi, threatening to withdraw accreditation of its journalists working in Kenya.

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How Christianity's roots in Africa help racial reconciliation in America

A crowd of diverse scholars and Christian influencers gathered in the Central Presbyterian Church on the Upper East Side to remember the life and legacy of the late Dr. Thomas C. Oden.

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Jackie Robinson's forgotten Christianity: How being a devout Methodist impacted his life

A lot has been said and written about Jackie Robinson. The baseball legend — famous for breaking baseball’s color barrier — was known for many things. His athletic abilities, courage in the face of racism and the dignity with which he went about it all remain the focal points. What is often ignored — even forgotten — is Robinson’s Christian faith.

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PBS’ 'Sacred' documentary gives intimate glimpses of faith around the world

(COMMENTARY) A new documentary film recently aired on PBS beautifully shows faith as something lived-- not just a set of beliefs, traditions or doctrines on paper.

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My visit to a Black Hebrew Israelite meeting in Harlem

(OPINION) There are faiths that people may be hesitant to understand. Some wouldn’t dare walk through the church doors because of the group’s radical theology. And the Black Hebrew Israelites are one of those faiths that many would pass by.

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