Posts in Analysis
Latter-Day Saints Back Same-Sex Marriage Law, But Other Faith Groups Have Concerns

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the religious debate over the Respect for Marriage Act. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

Read More
World Cup In Qatar Will Feature A Clash Of Soccer Styles And Islamic beliefs

(OPINION) The controversy at the World Cup in Qatar is largely tied to the Muslim country’s Islamic beliefs. It’s about human rights, welcoming LGBTQ fans, drinking alcohol and modest dress. It’s as much a cultural and societal issue as it is a sporting one.

Read More
Mike Pence’s Memoir Doesn’t Shy Away From His Faith and Trump’s Election Insanity

(REVIEW) Tell-all books have become a staple of our political conversation. They give readers a chance to see what took place in private during some of history’s most trying times. That’s the case of former Vice President Mike Pence’s new memoir about his life and time in the White House with former President Donald Trump.

Read More
Faith And Politics: Winners And Losers In The 2022 Midterm Elections

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the winners and losers in the 2022 midterm elections. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

Read More
Faith And Politics: 5 Key Religion Storylines In The 2022 Midterm Elections

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights five key religion angles in the 2022 midterm elections. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

Read More
Hong Kong’s National Security Law Is Curtailing The Right To A Fair Trial

(OPINION) In January 2022, Hong Kong authorities arrested 53 pro-democracy politicians and activists, on suspicion of “subversion,” namely, of undermining the power or authority of the central government. In August 2022, media reported that the prosecution had named five of the defendants as “major organizers,” facing up to life in prison, and 47 facing being prosecuted for “conspiracy to commit subversion.”

Read More
Americans Who Aren’t Sure About God Are A Fast-Growing Force In Politics

(ANALYSIS) Turnout will likely play an outsize role in the 2022 midterms, too, as voters determine what political party will have control of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in January 2023. If the data is any guide, there are two key communities political analysts often overlook: atheists and agnostics.

Read More
Bishops-Biden Battle Heats Up Around Abortion Debate Ahead Of Midterms

(ANALYSIS) Polls show that voters care more about inflation, but Democrats are hoping that talking up abortion will get out their base. Abortion, however, isn’t just a political issue. As President Joe Biden, a practicing Catholic, promises to make abortion a federal right should Democrats keep a majority, tension among him and prominent U.S. bishops has heated up again.

Read More
Searching For Ring Stains From The Inklings During A Summer At Oxford University

(PERSONAL ESSAY) I’d arrived in the United Kingdom for a five-week summer study-abroad program with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. My short adventure would begin, and part of my quest was to learn more about a couple of my literary heroes along the way, all while studying environmental policy and scientific history.

Read More
There’s No One ‘Latino Vote’: Religion And Geography Add To Voter Diversity

(ANALYSIS) Nearly 1 in 5 people in the United States today are Latino, and “the Latino vote” has attracted significant news coverage as their political voice grows stronger. But the U.S. Latino population is extremely diverse. As scholars who study immigration in the fields of sociology and religious ethics, we are especially interested in the growing religious diversity and often overlooked geographical diversity among Latino populations.

Read More
Pope Francis Extends The Synod On Synodality To 2024: What Does It Mean For The Church's Future?

(ANALYSIS) Pope Francis decided to divide the church’s Synod of Bishops into two sessions, one next October and a second in October 2024, in order to “help everyone to live it as the journey of brothers and sisters who proclaim the joy of the Gospel.” What does it mean for the future of Catholicism?

Read More
Evangelicals Often Feel Misunderstood: What Helps Boost Understanding Between Students Of All Faiths?

(ANALYSIS) Our findings about students’ attitudes underscore important lessons about fostering tolerance and appreciation on campus for any group. Views of evangelicals are particularly interesting, since they highlight the complexities of social privilege: how individuals can feel discriminated against, even when their community as a whole is influential.

Read More
Best In Religion Journalism: Religion News Association Presents Its Annual Awards

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the winners of the Religion News Association’s 2022 Awards for Religion Reporting Excellence. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

Read More
GOP Hoping To Surf On Red Wave Of Catholic Support During Midterms

(ANALYSIS) Whether it’s on issues like abortion or same-sex marriage, transgenderism and school curriculums, faith voters will play their part. If the recent past is any guide, Catholics will play an outsized role in the outcomes depending on the state, especially in the so-called swing states.

Read More
Story Of The Year Finalists To Speak At Religion News Association Awards

This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights five finalists for the Religion News Association’s Story of the Year honor. Plus as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

Read More
Headcovers Have Always Been Political In Iran – For Women On All Sides

(ANALYSIS) Since mid-September 2022, when a young woman named Mahsa Amini died in detention after being detained for not wearing her headscarf “properly,” protests against the morality police and the broader regime have erupted across the country and from sympathizers around the world.

Read More
Native Americans’ Struggle For Control Over Sacred Lands Is Making Progress

(ANALYSIS) Mauna Kea, a 13,802-foot dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii, is one example. The mountain is managed as public land by the state of Hawaii. Native Hawaiians have protested the state’s management of Mauna Kea for decades, saying Hawaii has allowed too many research buildings on their sacred mountain, which disrupts their ability to practice their religion.

Read More
Big Week In Religion News: From Loretta Lynn To Aaron Judge, 9 Names To Know

In a busy week for religion news, this week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights nine names to know. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

Read More
Iranian Women Have Been Rebelling Since The 1979 Islamic Revolution

(ANALYSIS) Shouts of “death to the dictator” and “woman, life, freedom” are reverberating throughout the streets of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, while in custody of the “morality police” in Tehran. These protests have been gaining increased momentum and international attention, giving many Iranians inside and outside of Iran some glimmers of hope.


Read More