The Anglican denomination continues to reject gay marriage, a decision it affirmed in 2023 while instead voting to pursue blessings. The vote to end the pursuit closed three years of work in the broader Living in Love and Faith initiative regarding identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage, that the church launched nine years ago.
Read More(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.
Read MoreIt all started in the year 1445 when a baker was making a batch of pancakes when the church bell started ringing. Undeterred, the baker ran to the church, holding her pan and flipping the pancake as she went. Now, it is a beloved Fat Tuesday tradition in several communities across the United Kingdom.
Read MoreAn upstate New Yorker developed a deep emotional attachment to ChatGPT, spending $900 trying to “free” it, before realizing it was a delusion. Experts warn AI relationships exploit loneliness, potentially harming mental health and spirituality. Churches and counselors are now addressing unhealthy AI attachments, helping people reconnect with real relationships and God.
Read More(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.
Read MoreFormer Miss California Carrie Prejean Boller was removed from the White House’s Religious Liberty Commission after rejecting Zionism during an antisemitism hearing. A recent Catholic convert, she argued the modern state of Israel holds no biblical significance, reflecting a broader shift among some American Christians away from traditional Zionist support.
Read More(REVIEW) “Dracula” stands apart from recent pagan-leaning vampire films by embracing an explicitly Christian worldview. Framing vampirism as rebellion against God and redemption through repentance, it centers a heroic Catholic priest and divine mercy. Though weakened by its reincarnation premise, the film uniquely treats Christianity as true and redemptive.
Read MoreRomantasy 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.
Read MoreTennessee 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.
Read MoreOn Monday, nearly a dozen abuse survivors and advocates testified before the Georgia House Judiciary Committee in Atlanta. They spoke in support of Trey’s Law, a bill that would prohibit non-disclosure agreements in cases of child sexual abuse.
Read MoreThe Pew study measured diversity by dividing the global population into seven categories — Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, followers of other religions and people with no religious affiliation — and assessing how evenly those groups are distributed within each country.
Read More(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.
Read More(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.
Read More(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.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As Christian clergy across the United States participate in ongoing protests against harsh immigration enforcement actions and further funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, many are still pondering the words of Rob Hirschfeld. On Jan. 18, 2026, Hirschfeld, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, encouraged clergy in his diocese to “prepare for a new era of martyrdom” and put their wills and affairs in order.
Read MoreMost U.S. Protestant churchgoers say they value and regularly engage the Bible, but only 31% read it daily. Lifeway Research found that Bible engagement supports spiritual growth and faith retention, yet many believers fall short of consistent Scripture reading despite recognizing its importance.
Read MoreClarkson’s work goes against the cultural current. In an age where many loud voices urge us to put away thoughts of self-criticism and turn instead toward radical self-acceptance, he argues that to truly value ourselves is to understand where we have failed and where we need to grow. He encourages readers to spend less time bemoaning the people who are making the world worse.
Read MoreHannibal-LaGrange University settled its lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education after new federal guidance reversed a rule it said violated religious freedom. The challenged regulation had blocked Pell Grants for incarcerated students, costing the university $700,000 and threatening Baptist governance structures nationwide.
Read More(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.
Read MoreHe doesn’t look a day over 104. James C. Turro turned 104 years old on Jan. 26 — and now is believed to hold the title of oldest priest in the Archdiocese of Newark — and likely the oldest Catholic cleric in all the United States. Over the decades, he’s become a beloved figure.
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