📣 Remembering The Rev. Jesse Jackson: His Life In Quotes 🔌

The Rev. Jesse Jackson’s life was not without controversy. Still, the civil rights icon’s immense influence was evident in the wake of his passing.

Vatican Museums Begin Restoration Of Michelangelo’s Monumental ‘Last Judgment’

(ANALYSIS) Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel will undergo a three-month restoration. The monumental fresco, completed in 1541, is famed for its dramatic imagery, bold nudes and layered Christian and pagan symbolism. A digital reproduction will be displayed to visitors during conservation work.

Crossroads Podcast: When A Religion Story Turns Into A Botched News Brief

While most “Crossroads” podcasts focus on religion angles in major news stories, this week’s episode focused, you guessed it, on a short news “brief.” The problem is that we are talking about a brief about a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod story that, if the details had been accurate, was worthy of an A1 feature.

The Sainthood Cause Of Sister Thea Bowman Moves Forward

As the Diocese of Jackson advances Sister Thea Bowman’s cause for sainthood, Catholics reflect on her prophetic witness. A Mississippi teacher, scholar and evangelist, she challenged the church to recognize Black faith and everyday holiness — urging believers to see saints not only in Rome’s past, but in their own families.

Those Non-Denoms Are Just Southern Baptists, Right?

(ANALYSIS) It’s become my hobby horse at this point — non-denominational Protestant Christianity. I swear, it’s somehow gotten more legs than the “nones” in the larger cultural discussion about religion.

When Faith Disappears, Idols Return: Santayana’s Warning to the Modern World

(ANALYSIS) People love to talk about “profound” philosophers. Socrates with his questions. Nietzsche with his hammer. Marx with his systems. But George Santayana rarely gets the same reverence, despite the unsettling precision of his view of modern life. Santayana is hard to place, which may be why he is often skipped.

How Muslims Determine When Ramadan Begins Each Year

(ANALYSIS) Once again, Muslims across the globe are nearing the arrival of Ramadan — a sacred month in which Muslims fast from dawn to dusk. Ramadan is a time of strengthening our faith, cleansing both body and soul, counting our blessings and giving whatever we can to those less fortunate.

History, Islam, Analysis, NewsMaimoona HarringtonFebruary 17, 2026Maimoona Harrington, Ramadan, Ramadan 2026, analysis, Islam, Muslims, calendar, news, recharge, Secondary featureComment

Should Religions Have Rituals Such As Baptism For Infants?

(ANALYSIS) Former Irish President Mary McAleese argues that infant baptism violates children’s human rights by imposing church membership without consent. Critics respond that parents possess religious freedom in child-rearing, note historical and biblical defenses of infant baptism, and compare similar birth rituals across Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.

Hindu Moral Panic And The Policing Of Valentine’s Day In India

(ANALYSIS) Each Valentine’s Day, Hindu nationalist groups in India target couples, framing public affection as a cultural threat. Drawing on theories of moral panic, moral foundations and crowd psychology, this anxiety about social change, identity politics and purity-based values combine to justify moral policing and restrict personal freedom.

15 Years After Egypt’s Uprising, How Faith Reshaped A Generation

(ANALYSIS) Fifteen years ago, Egyptians from all walks of life took to the street to demand “bread, freedom, social justice.” They were protesting the oppressive 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak. Egypt had been under martial law for 31 years. This meant that political opposition was silenced, and opponents were often imprisoned and tortured. Police brutality was the norm.

Thinking About Love As A Virtue Changes Our Response To Hate

(ANALYSIS) Love and hate seem like obvious opposites. Love, whether romantic or otherwise, involves a sense of warmth and affection for others. Hate involves feelings of disdain. Love builds up, whereas hate destroys. However, this description of love and hate treats them as merely emotions.

Crossroads Podcast: Preaching To The Choir And Washington Post Layoffs

While reading some of the outraged commentary about the spectacular staff cuts at The Washington Post, I keep thinking of the immortal words of King Theoden of Rohan, when facing dark waves of evil during the Battle of Helm’s Deep. All together now: “How did it come to this?”

✈️ Soldier Who Helped Capture Saddam Hussein Leads Aviation Ministry 🔌

U.S. Army soldier. Republican congressman. Executive pastor. That was former U.S. Rep. Steve Russell’s career path before his 2022 recruitment to lead a North Carolina-based international ministry known as JAARS — which stands for Jungle Aviation and Relay Service.

Weekend Plug-In, Analysis, Religion, Religion News, Opinion, PoliticsBobby Ross Jr.February 13, 2026Bobby Ross Jr., religion, opinion, Christianity, news, militaryComment

Romantasy: The Book Genre That Blends Love, Magic ... And Moral Dilemmas?

Romantasy is the literary genre that has become all the rage around the world. Combining imaginative scope of fantasy with the emotional intensity of romance, these books use love as a central narrative driver. At the same time, the setting provides a chance for world-building and supernatural elements that heighten the stakes of romance.

From Prison Testimony To Pardon: Gov. Bill Lee’s Full-Circle Moment With Jelly Roll

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee reflected on faith and redemption after reconnecting with singer Jelly Roll, whom he had met years earlier while speaking in prison. At a divided National Prayer Breakfast, Lee avoided politics, sharing how personal tragedy reshaped his life, as other speakers highlighted religious freedom.

The People Streaming Church Aren’t Who You Think

(ANALYSIS) I’ve been thinking a whole lot about social isolation recently. It’s probably because it’s this unspoken concept in a lot of the work that I do and many of the questions that I’m asked about religion in the United States. I swear I bring up Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” about twice a week when I’m doing interviews or giving presentations about data on religious attendance.

The Original Eco-Warriors: Desert Monks Who Lived With The Land

(ANALYSIS) The ecological and environmental crisis is undeniable. Discussions around political action, however, quickly fragment into a rivalry of socio-economic interests that result in seemingly inescapable deadlocks. Religious traditions still play rather marginal roles in ecological thought, which often reflects narratives that seek liberation from religion.

From Venezuela To Greenland, Catholic Bishops Reassert ‘Just War’ Limits

(ANALYSIS) In recent weeks, Catholic leaders have been increasingly outspoken in their criticism of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, especially its military intervention in Venezuela and saber-rattling over Greenland. Last month, the three cardinals heading U.S. archdioceses issued a rare joint statement of rebuke.

Sacrifice And Rituals: Rethinking Menstruation In Chinese Buddhism

(ANALYSIS) Religious traditions across cultures have often treated menstruation and childbirth as sources of ritual impurity. In Chinese Buddhism, the “Blood Bowl Scripture” condemned women to “Blood Pond Hell.” Today, women reinterpret these beliefs, emphasizing maternal sacrifice, agency and alternative understandings of female bodies.

Analysis, Asia, Buddhism, China, Culture, Health, History, Science, Society, Women, women, NewsMegan BrysonFebruary 11, 2026Megan Bryson, China, Buddhism, women, analysis, religion, motherhood, menstruation, health, science, Asia, Secondary featureComment

Deportations, Faith And The 2026 Midterms: Will Trump’s Crackdown Move Religious Voters?

(ANALYSIS) President Trump’s deportation drive is reshaping the 2026 battle for Congress, but celebrity protests and mass demonstrations show little evidence of moving voters. The real test may come in churches, especially among Catholics, whose leaders condemn mass deportations and whose increasingly fluid voting patterns could decide close races.

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