Posts in Christianity
Church Vandalism Continues To Be A Big Story Very Few Are Covering

(ANALYSIS) Churches have been targeted in the United States and around the world in what has easily been one of the most underreported (in some cases not reported at all) stories of the last decade. The problem? When it comes to press coverage, not all religious sanctuaries are created equal.

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Nigerian Televangelist T.B. Joshua Courts Controversy In Death As He Did In Life

Temitope Balogun Joshua (better known as T.B. Joshua) was a Nigerian charismatic pastor and televangelist whose ministry was dogged by one controversy after another until his death on June 5, 2021. Now it seems controversy has followed the man to grave. A BBC expose has former church members accusing the pastor of all sorts of wrongdoing.

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‘Sustainable’ Houses of Worship Are Missing Their Best Chance to Save the Planet

(OPINION) The teachings of most religions and denominations encourage, if not command, followers to care for God’s creation. Since the first Earth Day in 1970, many houses of worship have taken the message of environmental sustainability to heart. They tend to start with improving the day-to-day behaviors of their congregations.

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10 Orthodox Christian Events You Can’t Miss in 2024

Now is a good time as any to look ahead to what this year will bring. For Orthodox Christians, it means marking down the top Orthodox events of 2024. In fact, the next 12 months promise to be eventful ones — from academic conferences to film festivals to summer retreats and international gatherings.

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Do Evangelicals Care About Climate Change?

(ANALYSIS) The story of Michael Foster got me thinking about how two concepts (environmentalism and religion) may be deeply intertwined with each other. In the current discourse about religion, climate change has not really taken center stage. It seems the debate is focused on social issues: same-sex marriage, the rights of transgender Americans and abortion.

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Chaplains Help Spread The Gospel At Africa Cup Of Nations

Over the next few weeks, a team of pastors will organize events in Ivory Coast — with plans to involve players, coaches and fans — throughout the Africa Cup of Nations, which ends on Feb. 11 with the final. The host nation — along with Senegal, Nigeria, Morocco and Egypt — are among the favorites to win Africa’s premier soccer tournament for national teams.

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On Religion: Can Christian Colleges ‘Keep The Faith’ In 21st Century America?

(ANALYSIS) In an age in which Christian colleges and universities face intense legal pressures on moral issues — especially policies linked to sex and marriage — it is now especially important to note whether schools require faculty, staff and students to sign "doctrinal covenants" defining commitments on behavior and beliefs.

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Is It Time To Rename The Southern Baptist Convention?

(OPINION) With all that’s going on in The Southern Baptist Convention, one matter is being ignored. But given the current squabbles and embarrassments, this would seem a good time for the denomination to rebrand itself with a new name. For starters, the “Southern” monicker is no longer accurate. Then there’s unfortunate history to overcome in which the name is enmeshed with slavery.

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Lil Nas X Marks Comeback In Controversial Fashion With ‘J Christ’

(REVIEW) Famous musician Lil Nas X is making his “comeback” to music — to do it, he’s paying homage to Jesus, “who had the greatest comeback of all time.” The single, “J Christ,” and its music video are saturated with over-the-top, “scandalous” religious images that have generated more than their fair share of controversy.

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‘Internet Priests’ Help Explain Catholic Same-Sex Blessings

(ANALYSIS) The Vatican’s decision to allow priests to bless couples in what they called “irregular relationships” continues to get lots of media attention, especially since it involves same-sex couples. Here’s how some Catholic priests who are active on social media and YouTube are explaining what it all means.

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‘The Book of Clarence’ A Satisfying Remix of Familiar Biblical Movie Formulas

“The Book of Clarence” is an entertaining and God-glorifying hero’s journey story of redemption that – if not for some of its PG-13 material and off-beat style – would be right at home in any faith-based movie environment, but far better quality-wise than most.

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Bibles And Magnificence On Display At New York’s Morgan Library

For centuries, the Bible has been central to the spread of Christianity. In the West, Bibles have been a symbol of faith and very often also art. It’s the reason why J. Pierpont Morgan collected these sacred texts in the form of illuminated manuscripts, drawings and early printed books.

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On Religion: Same-Sex Blessings Highlight Doctrinal Fault Lines Within Catholicism

(ANALYSIS) Fiducia Supplicans ("Supplicating Trust") document triggered debates around the world, but negative reactions have been especially strong in Africa, with strong protests from bishops' conferences in Malawi, Zambia, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Angola and other nations.

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Attempting To Define The Faith-Based Movie Genre

(ANALYSIS) As long as they’ve been around, so-called “faith-based films” have been mired in controversy. Whether it’s accusations of bad writing and acting, heavy-handed messages or the demonizing of non-Christians, such movies always seem to be a lightning rod of passionate disagreement.

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Catholic Group Provides Clean Water For Communities In Nigeria

Water scarcity is a big problem in many communities around the world due to a combination of factors. Some of them have exacerbated the problem, including population growth, urbanization, increase in demand of water and climate change. A Catholic group in Nigeria is working to change that.

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La Befana: A History Of Italy’s Annual Epiphany Tradition

In Italy, a country that exudes centuries-old traditions rooted in Christianity, there exists a holiday that captures the imagination of both young and old alike every Jan. 6. The holiday — known as La Befana — is a unique blend of religion and folklore that marks the end of the Christmas season.

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Vatican Says Same-Sex Blessings Not ‘Heretical’ Following Pushback

Three weeks after announcing that priests could bless individuals in same-sex relationships, the Vatican published a clarification on Thursday following backlash — and even some confusion — from Catholic prelates around the world.

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