A bitter disagreement erupted this month in Uganda’s Parliament between the office of the speaker and opposition legislators over the violation of freedom of worship by security forces in the country.
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A blast went off at a building located on the campus of St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza City, a place where scores of Palestinians had been sheltering from Israeli air strikes. Some 500 Muslims and Christians had been staying on the church grounds following the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians.
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Pope Francis led a prayer vigil at the Vatican to recall the plight of migrants and refugees, saying everyone is “called to be neighbors.” The service took place during the Synod on Synodality, a gathering of bishops and laypeople, and comes as large numbers of people have been forced to flee the Global South to places like the U.S. and Europe.
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Having weathered the pandemic, during which no tourists were admitted to Israel, the Custodians of the Holy Land now face the grim challenge of administering to their flock during the current war in Gaza. Once again, Christian pilgrims cannot reach or visit holy sites. Formerly crowded with pilgrims, churches remain open for now — but largely empty.
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While tensions over Jewish and Muslim holy sites remain a contentious part of the war, Christians who live and work throughout the the Holy Land are also under attack. Amid all the destruction has been some positive news. Contrary to reports, Gaza City’s Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius, built in the 12th century, was not destroyed in the bombings.
Read MoreIt is customary for married couples from different religious background to convert to a single faith after tying the knot. However, some Muslim and Christian couples, mostly in Nigeria and some parts of the United States, have defied this custom, instead opting to marry without converting to their spouse’s faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Vatican's release of "dubia" documents underlined the importance of the historic global synod, which will address issues in church life including the ordination of women, the status of LGBTQ+ believers, clerical celibacy and changes for divorced Catholics seeking Holy Communion.
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In a move that would signal a seismic shift for the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said he’s open to blessing same-sex unions and to studying the possibility of ordaining women to the priesthood. The comments came in a letter the pope penned in response to five cardinals who had written to him expressing concern about a number of issues that are expected to be discussed at a meeting of bishops starting Wednesday at the Vatican.
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(OPINION) The world has lost a witness to the counter-narrative of love and service that are possible between people of different races with the death of my friend David Jowitt. Professor of English at the University of Jos in Plateau State in Nigeria, he was the last British person in the university system there.
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(REVIEW) The film follows two parallel stories: One of Mother Teresa’s mission from God to serve the poor and needy in India; the other a young Indian-British woman named Kavita with a secret connection to Mother Teresa whose life is turned upside down when she finds out she’s pregnant. Mother Teresa’s story is so powerful that there is still stuff of value for those who do watch it. This film fails, however, because it tries to make her more relevant to modern audiences, but is too burdened by a mountain of cliches and bad theology to truly succeed.
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After the implosion of Mars Hill Church, Mark Driscoll started a new congregation in Arizona, but former attendees say problems still persist.
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(EXPLAINER) The next phase in the high-anticipated Vatican gathering of bishops known as the Synod of Synodality starts on Oct. 4. The first phase of this global gathering is the culmination of two years of preparation. Over the past two years, much has been said about synodality and what it aims to do for Catholicism.
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(ANALYSIS) In a troubled country where violence and rigging win elections and the resultant political leadership promotes lawlessness, corruption and general misrule, a compromised church leadership stands accused of siding with the oppressors, a charge that these “men of God” deny.
Read More(OPINION) Kids do say the darndest things, and with decades of pulpit experience, the Rev. Joe McKeever has learned that these revelatory remarks often happen just after church. In one case, a parent shared a question from a perplexed child who struggled with a complex McKeever sermon. Thus, the 7-year-old asked: “Why does Pastor Joe think we need this information?”
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A Christian group that has called the seaside town of Ocean Grove in New Jersey home for over 150 years is in a battle with state officials over beach access on Sundays. The town has kept its beach closed on Sundays from 9 a.m to noon — a total of 45 hours a year — each summer so that residents can attend church services. But New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection has issued a violation letter stating the town is disobeying the law by cutting off access to the ocean.
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United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain may have the power to cripple assembly lines — but he’s also not afraid to invoke a higher authority throughout the negotiating process. In fact, Fain has increasingly mixed his Christian beliefs with his labor rhetoric over the past few weeks.
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(REVIEW) The movie is a fictionalized adaptation of the memoir of Carolyn Webber by the same name. It follows brilliant, but emotionally guarded, Caro Drake as she arrives in Oxford with the singular goal of attaining her PhD. Through a turbulent friendship with a charming young man, she begins to open herself up to love and God.
Read More(OPINION) There was nothing unusual in the early 1970s about a student hearing one of his professors preach during chapel. But one sermon — “How Would You Like to Die?” — impressed the seminarian who would later become United Methodist Bishop Timothy Whitaker of Florida. Theologian Claude H. Thompson had terminal cancer and, a few months later, his funeral was held in the same chapel at the Candler School of Theology in Atlanta.
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(REVIEW) In the third season of “The Righteous Gemstones,” the fictional Gemstone family members — wealthy leaders of a prominent megachurch — are as outlandish and chaotic as ever. But this season, the challenges they face begin to feel trite and their redemption feels less genuine.
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Since his death in 1994, the gay Yale historian’s significance has continued to rise, both in academic and wider cultural circles. So it is not surprising that a documentary entitled “Not A Tame Lion” has been produced about his life and impact by filmmakers Craig Bettendorf and Kai Morgan.
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