(EXPLAINER) Thousands of people have spent the past few weeks waiting in line for hours in a small Missouri town to see a nun whose body has barely decomposed since she died in 2019 at age 95. Sister Wilhelmina Lancasterās body was exhumed in April, according to the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, in Gower, Missouri. What it all means is rooted in Catholic belief that something supernatural has taken place.
Read More(OPINION) Members of religious minorities ā especially Ahmadi Muslims, Sufis, Bahaāis and converts to Christianity ā may be accused of fomenting āsectarian strife,ā spreading āmisinformation,ā āinsulting a heavenly religionā or threatening ānational security.ā In regions controlled by Sunni Islam, rival Shia Muslims may face similar accusations, with that equation being reversed in lands controlled by Shia clerics, such as Iran.
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(ANALYSIS) There is an unstudied wisdom in the defiant, dirty beats of hip-hop, and even religious dimensions ā a focus of my research today, which explores the prophetic and even mystical elements in the genre. Its lyrics can be sweet like honey, as the biblical prophet Ezekiel describes the scroll of the Lord. Yet they can also be bitter, like the herbs of Passover ā a remembrance of pains and indignities.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The countries in Europe that are more likely to attend religious services than the American average are Poland, Slovakia, Cyprus, Ireland and Italy. The rest have attendance rates that are much lower than the overall American attendance mark.
Read More(OPINION) Havenāt bishops ā in Illinois and across the U.S. ā learned that despite the best efforts of their high-priced lawyers and public relations professionals, victims are becoming increasingly empowered, civil attorneys are becoming more aggressive and creative, law enforcement is becoming more determined, and those who commit and conceal assaults on children are becoming āoutedā more and more?
Read More(ANALYSIS) The International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance (IRFBA) earlier this month released a significant statement on the current worldwide persecution of Christians. Itās essence: Religious freedom is still comparatively neglected as a human right, and the ongoing persecution of Christians is relatively unknown.
Read MoreMillions of pilgrims honor the 45 Catholic and Anglican men who were sentenced to death by Kabaka Mwanga II of the Buganda Kingdom. Ugandan reporter Deborah Laker walks in the footsteps of the 22 Catholic martyrs and unearths the tale of religious devotion, complex relationships and colonial oppression.
Read MoreThis weekās Weekend Plug-in highlights testimony in the death penalty trial in the Tree of Life synagogue massacre. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(REVIEW) āFlaminā Hotā portrays faith as a central part of Richard Montanezās life and depicts his faith as real and important. Whether itās his abusive father clinging to faith to cover up his previous alcoholism, or the strength that his wife gains from her faith, or Richard eventually acknowledging Godās hand in the good that has happened to them and praying together with his wife, Richardās faith matters.
Read More(REVIEW) āThe Secrets of Hillsongā uncovers Hillsong culture, abuse and Carl Lentz. The four-part documentary dropped on May 19th. Since Carl Lentzās fall from grace due to his affair with Ranin Karim, many celebrity gossip and media voices have chimed in to tell Lentzās story. For the first time since the scandals, both Carl and Laura Lentz tell their own stories in the documentary.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Baseball, and specifically the Los Angeles Dodgers, became the focus of controversy over the last two weeks when the team invited, then uninvited, and then issued a welcome once again a group known as the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a well-known San Francisco group of queer and transgender people dressed as nuns at the teamās annual Pride Night on June 16.
Read More(OPINION) Starting with a band of Anglicans landing at Jamestown in 1607 and then Pilgrim dissenters at Plymouth in 1620, various forms of Protestantism collectively dominated what became the United States. But the Religious Landscape Study from the Pew Research Center tells us the U.S. population is now only 46.6% Protestant.
Read More(OPINION) An extensive new survey by the Public Religion Research Institute finds that only 16% of Americans say religion is the most important thing in their lives. But what could 50 million gracious, merciful disciples do for this country today, if they really got focused on loving their neighbors and making peace and preaching good news instead of gloom and despair?
Read MoreThis weekās Weekend Plug-in highlights the faith of the two newest candidates to declare for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(REVIEW) The āAvatarā franchise contains two of the highest-grossing movies in history. Its spiritual influences and concern for the environment are two of the franchiseās most notable themes, and they are inextricable from real world events in the modern day.
Read More(OPINION) Only 1% of New York City was āevangelicalā when Keller arrived in 1989, and homicides hit 2,245 during his first full year of ministry in the tense city. Yet there was a ācracking in the iceā as immigrants from a variety of faiths poured into the cityās boroughs. Soon, many new churches were born.
Read More(OPINION) Because a key tenet of Quakerism is continuing revelation, Quakerism has become a safe place to explore spiritual journeys and learn what your own Inner Light is saying to you. It was the echo I saw between the early Quakers and the current seekers and the need I saw for an in-flesh community that led me to advocate for a workshop to explore those ideas.
Read More(REVIEW) More books have been written about St. Francis of Assisi than virtually any other historical figure after Jesus Christ. In the Italian town of his birth, he is even the subject of an entire bookstore. As this enthralling exhibition at The National Gallery demonstrates, the revered saint also captured the imaginations of artists who have for generations told his remarkable story without the need for words.
Read More(OPINION) Many years ago as a consultant, I joked with colleagues about our tongue-in-cheek disclaimer for final reports: āWe have not succeeded in solving your problem. We are still confused, but we are confused at a much higher level.ā Generative artificial intelligence (the kind behind chatbots) has the ability to confuse us all at much higher levels!
Read More(REVIEW) The summer is synonymous with reading on the beach or near the pool. So here are three new books to consider adding to your list. While many seek mindless books to indulge in during this time of year, these will make you think and reflect about yourself and the world around you.
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