Crossroads Podcast: Why Are There So Few Nuns These Days?

About 25 years ago, I wrote two columns examining the Church of Rome’s priest shortage — through the eyes of faithful mothers, with the help of a priest who had led a seminary. The headline: “Fathers, mothers & Catholic sons.” I was reminded of themes from those columns during this week’s “Crossroads” podcast.

Analysis, Catholicism, Christianity, Women, womenTerry MattinglyAugust 21, 2026news, nuns, women, Catholic Church, Christianity, podcast, recharge, analysis, Terry Mattingly, RechargeComment

A Bishop’s Open Letter To Pope Leo XIV Asks A Hard Question

In the digital age, one blunt way to reach Pope Leo XIV is to write a candid letter and post it online. That's what Bishop Robert Mutsaerts, an auxiliary bishop in the Netherlands, did recently. “Holy Father,” he began, with “reverence for the office entrusted to you as successor of Saint Peter, and in communion with the Church which Christ built upon the apostles, I address you with this open letter. I don't do so lightly.”

Birmingham Bombing Wasn’t Isolated: Black Churches Were Attacked Across The South

(ANALYSIS) This Sept. 15 marks the anniversary of an infamous terror attack: The 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. On that Sunday morning, members of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, planted dynamite on the east side of the brown brick building. The bomb went off in the midst of Sunday school, at 10:22 a.m., murdering four girls.

‘A Sacred Land’: India’s Religious Pluralism Has Deep Historical Roots

(ANALYSIS) India’s religious diversity has deep historical roots, reflected in the experiences of Hindu soldier Sitaram Pande and Muslim poet Mirza Ghalib. Their writings portray sacred landscapes shaped by multiple traditions while revealing identities that crossed religious boundaries, challenging contemporary claims that religious purity justifies anti-minority rhetoric or violence.

How Evangelical Apocalypticism Hurts The Planet

On this week's podcast, anthropologist Susannah Crockford explains why she believes part of the root of climate change may be buried deep inside of evangelical Christianity.

Belief And Belonging: Which US Racial Group Is The Most Religious?

(ANALYSIS) Religion in the United States “works” differently for Asian Americans compared to African Americans. The average white American doesn’t think about religion the same way, or practice their faith in the same patterns, as Hispanic Americans. Race is a central component of how religion operates in the American context.

Analysis, Data, History, North America, Religion, Religion News, Religion ResearchRyan BurgeAugust 18, 2026analysis, race, religion, Ryan BurgeComment

Japan’s Emerging Anti‑Immigration Sentiment Obscures Its Islamic History

(ANALYSIS) Today, amid Japan’s shrinking population and anti-immigrant sentiment, it might be jarring to remember that there once were hopes that the island nation would be the anti-colonial leader of the world’s Muslims and that some of Asia’s Muslims dreamed of an “Islamic Republic of Japan.”

From Vance Law To Mark Grace: What Baseball Can Teach You About The Gospel

(ANALYSIS) Our family’s love of baseball has taken us from the Oakland A’s to the Chicago Cubs and Seattle Mariners. Along the way, baseball cards featuring Vance Law and Mark Grace sparked a powerful gospel illustration: God’s law exposes our sin, while His grace brings redemption through Jesus.

The LDS Church Has A Retention Problem

(ANALYSIS) I often think of religious traditions as a styrofoam cup. Each of them has a different level of water in them at any given time. However, that volume of water never stays fixed for long, because religious groups operate in a volatile environment with constant pressure to rise or fall.

‘Peak Of Permissiveness’: Is America Really Morally Bankrupt?

(ANALYSIS) To believe a lot of the commentary, especially on the right, you would think America is headed, if not already sinking, into a bottomless moral abyss. But a recent report tells a rather different story. If America was on an immoral path, it is now slowly correcting course. Emphasize slowly.

⚾️ Chicago White Sox Give Away 40,000 Pope Hats: 5 Things To Know 🔌

The Chicago White Sox gave away 40,000 miter-shaped hats Tuesday in honor of the team’s most famous fan, Pope Leo XIV. Here are five interesting facts to know about “Pope Night.”

Crossroads Podcast: The Missing Faith Angle In The WNBA’s Culture War Debate

To say the least, Indiana Fever star Sophie (“Do the Sophie”) Cunningham’s quotes about trans athletes and women’s sports has ignited a firestorm in sports, politics, social media and the elite press. In this case, the sports world includes the small, struggling WNBA.

Australians Increasingly Saying They Have ‘No Religion’ In Every Census

(ANALYSIS) Religion looks different in Australia. The first option for religious affiliation on the census is “no religion”, before Catholic, Anglican, Islam, Hinduism, other options, and a free-text field.

Once Upon A Time, There Were ‘Church Choirs’

(ANALYSIS) These days, most up-to-date churches have "praise bands," with a few skilled vocalists, guitarists, drummers and keyboardists with stacks of synthesizers. And most church members have smartphone calendars with zero room left for a choir.

Analysis, Christianity, North AmericaTerry MattinglyAugust 13, 2026Terry Mattingly, analysis, Christianity, news, church choirsComment

Why The Pentagon’s Count Of Religious Groups Plunged From 216 to Just 31

(ANALYSIS) The Pentagon needs to define America’s religious categories due to chaplains’ responsibility to handle the spiritual needs of soldiers as effectively as possible. The problem is that Americans’ religious choices are pretty much uncountable.

‘Ring By Spring’: A View Into Christian College Dating Culture

(ESSAY) At Christian colleges across the nation, a “ring by spring” is a polarizing cultural phenomenon that comes with quirky rituals. There’s the “freshman frenzy,” the “senior scramble” — and on my campus, one infamous ice breaker known as “Awk Walk.” Underneath these traditions is an inescapable anxiety: Will you meet your spouse or graduate single?

‘Time Of Transition’: How A Church Turned Tragedy Into A Lasting Witness

(ANALYSIS) After a pastor died rescuing his children from a river, his congregation responded with remarkable compassion — supporting his family, maintaining his salary and caring for their practical needs. Their witness transformed grief into ministry, drawing others to the church and demonstrating how faithful love can become a powerful testimony.

For Christians, Humanity’s Place In Creation Demands Faithful Stewardship

(ANALYSIS) From polluted rivers to disappearing forests, the modern world bears the scars of human greed. Christians cannot simply point fingers at secular culture or blame industrialization while ignoring our own failures. If we believe the world is God's creation, then neglecting it goes beyond environmental policies.

Crossroads Podcast: Democrats Run Mainline Protestants In Midterms

The political time machine has now landed in similar journalism terrain. During this week’s “Crossroads” podcast, we discussed several important news reports, including this Religion News Service feature: “‘They’re not real pastors’: As clergy run as Democrats, Republicans question their faith.”

WNBA Star Sophie Cunningham’s Faith Bigger Than The Culture War

(ANALYSIS) For Christians working in sports, the challenge becomes even greater. Faith calls believers to engage culture without allowing society to define them. Identity comes not from applause, criticism or trending hashtags, but from Christ.

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