James Tabor opens his book, “Lost Mary: Rediscovering the Mother of Jesus,” with a paradoxical statement: “Jesus’s mother, Mary, is the best-known, least-known woman in history.” He argues that she’s been lost through “the thick fog of later tradition and theology” and “systematically erased over the past two millennia.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) A Roman basilica’s removal of a cherub resembling Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reveals how quickly sacred art can become political symbolism. The controversy highlighted tensions between church and state, revealing how religious spaces amplify power when contemporary political figures become a part of devotional imagery.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo warned that, “The stakes are high. The power of simulation is such that AI can even deceive us by fabricating parallel ‘realities,’ usurping our faces and voices. We are immersed in a world of multidimensionality where it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish reality from fiction.”
Read More(REVIEW) Faith-based films about sex trafficking are becoming more common, reflecting cultural anxieties and a push toward grittier storytelling. “Still Hope” exemplifies this trend, offering a sincere portrayal of recovery, but ultimately faltering through one-dimensional characters, didactic messaging and a tendency to prioritize education over authentic stories.
Read MoreThe Rev. Erickson Mugo knows what it means to be a Christian living with a disability. “We have been called upon by the Lord to always proclaim peace and blessings in our homes and society,” he said. “When we encourage one another … we invest ourselves in doing good. May the Lord enable us to invest ourselves in our homes, villages and societies.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) As the complexities in Venezuela continue to evolve, President Donald Trump held his first face-to-face meeting with democratic opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Universal consensus says her party won the 2024 presidential vote by two-thirds or better, whereupon dictator Nicolás Maduro, now imprisoned in New York City, stole the office.
Read MoreBehind the medals and records, some Olympians say faith and spirituality play a meaningful role in how they train and compete. Faith can offer athletes a framework for resilience, especially in a world defined by so much pressure and scrutiny. This year’s Winter Games in Milan/Cortina will conclude on Feb. 22.
Read MoreSouth Africa faces a sexual abuse crisis, with assaults occurring in homes, streets, and increasingly, churches. Pastors have exploited trust, targeting victims of all ages and backgrounds. Investigative journalist Vicky Abraham details the challenges survivors face, the cycle of abuse and the urgent need for accountability.
Read MoreA California artist walks the streets of Los Angeles, drawing portraits of and talking with unhoused people, producing moving art, and life-changing conversations about self-worth, dignity and resilience. Before his first semester at Biola University, Leith, a practicing Christian, prayed, asking whether he should do art or missions. The response was clear.
Read MoreLarry Lyon, a Southern Baptist educator who oversees the business side of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, will become the next Truett McConnell University president, the school said Monday. The appointment comes a little more than four months after Truett McConnell University (TMU) trustees fired longtime president Emir Caner.
Read MoreAs Super Bowl Sunday approaches, the focus is fixed on the New England Patriot and Seattle Seahawks. Beyond the game, the Super Bowl is a cultural touchpoint. Watched by millions, it remains the most-viewed event on American TV. While commercials and the halftime show are all big draws, faith once again plays a part in the biggest football game of the year.
Read More(OPINION) When winter streets freeze and night skies are black and snow swerves down against the glow of porch lights, my thoughts inevitably turn to one of the more powerful works of fiction I know, James Joyce’s story “The Dead,” which appeared in his 1914 collection “Dubliners.”
Read MoreBorn enslaved, rejected by U.S. seminaries and ordained in Rome, Augustus Tolton became the first publicly recognized Black Catholic priest in America. His life exposes the Church’s history of racial exclusion while offering a powerful example of perseverance, faith, and legacy — one now recognized in his path toward sainthood.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I’m a bit enamored recently with the life of Ernest Hemingway. He was obviously a tremendous writer, maybe one of the finest in our country’s history. But he also lived a life that could charitably be described as “chaotic.”
Read MoreFormer CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested early Friday morning for his role in the Jan. 18 disruption at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minn.
Read MorePope Leo XIV cautioned against “overly affectionate” AI chatbots, warning they can manipulate emotions and blur lines between humans and machines. The discussion, covered by CNN and explored in the “Crossroads” podcast this week, raises broader questions about AI as quasi-divine. A “Harry Potter” quote underscores the perils of trust and unseen entities.
Read More(OPINION) What we are witnessing is not politics or social protest. Not public policy or propaganda. It is virtue made visible. Peace practiced rather than pronounced. Compassion offered without condition or agenda. Perhaps we need to wait and see what fruit this pilgrimage bears. Perhaps God is at work here, walking slowly among us.
Read MoreDelegates from 17 congregations of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America heard five hours of argument in a church outside of Pittsburgh on Jan. 24. They determined Samuel Ketcham, a self-described “race realist” who says white supremacy is a historical fact, is guilty of “serious sin … and to the profession of the Reformed Presbyterian Church.”
Read MoreOn Jan. 22, pastor Carlos Nzolameso received a call from a member of his congregation who was searching for a roommate. Evaristo Kalonji had not shown up to work. Several congregants also reached out to Nzolameso, concerned that Kalonji, an asylum seeker from Angola, was missing. Nzolameso, who leads Maine’s Rehoboth Christian Church, said Kalonji, is like a son.
Read MoreAllen was a journalist who was a Catholic and an active Catholic who was a real journalist, and he fought to balance that equation in his daily reporting. His death on Jan. 22, after a long battle with cancer, left a strategic hole in Catholic life.
Read More
