Move over history, crime and literature. Escape room themes featuring faith and the Bible are taking over in the United Kingdom. Churches and social groups are turning to this popular leisure activity and using it to challenge people to think about spirituality, life and even their connections with science.
Read MoreFather Vladimiras Seliavko risked everything when he decided to condemn the Russian war against Ukraine. As a result, his parishioners turned into his enemies, his relatives abandoned him and he was branded a traitor. On the other hand, he said it was impossible to be a priest who blesses war criminals.
Read MoreEswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, is one of Africa’s most religious nations. In fact, about 90 percent identify as Christian. However, faith in the kingdom is far from uniform. A king and queen hold absolute power, but it is used to help integrate cultures and foster inter-religious understanding.
Read MoreWhile other community members chase modernity, migrating to cities for greener pastures due to recurring economic hardship, members of the Mennonite church, like Charles Ncube, a father of four, believe in faith-based farming, through which he is able to fend for his family and help needy neighbors.
Read MoreThe World Cup is Planet Earth’s most-watched sporting and cultural event. No one should be surprised that it receives waves of news coverage and that religious beliefs and customs affect some of the drama and tensions. Thus, this week’s “Crossroads” podcast focused on religion news at the 2026 tournament — what was covered and what was not.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Singapore’s national soccer team made it to the second round of qualifiers, but fell short of making it to the FIFA World Cup again this year. Nonetheless, the spirit of the game still very runs strong through the help of church congregations. Many parishes and congregations organize games and leagues open to their members, friends and the wider public.
Read MoreA 70-year-old Christian artist is facing another day apart from his family and without necessary medical care after almost two years in a Chinese prison, his friends and advocates said. Gao Zhen, part of the famous artistic duo called the Gao brothers, was detained in mid-2024 for “slandering heroes and martyrs,” according to the International Federation for Human Rights.
Read MoreAcross India, another brutal summer stretches into its third month, killing workers and others caught in the heat. In a country where only 30% of people can afford air conditioning, faith communities — including Hindus, Christians and Sikhs — are stepping up to provide life-saving shade and water.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A new international Community-Based Truth Commission will examine the failure to deliver justice for Yazidis after the genocide of 2014. Scheduled for hearings in Berlin this year, it will hear survivor testimony and propose pathways to accountability, including universal jurisdiction and possible international tribunal mechanisms.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A new academic study argues that India has built an “infrastructure of inattention” around dowry killings — referring to legal and cultural processes that once made such deaths the focus of mass public protest but now allow such murders to pass with little public attention.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A culture that laughs off the parting of the Red Sea will nod along when a man declares himself a woman. A culture that calls the Jesus’ resurrection absurd will assure you civilization can thrive after dismantling family, faith and biology. Walking on water is preposterous. Walking away from every inherited moral guardrail is sophisticated.
Read MoreAkinyi Kaula postponed the “American Dream,” dropped out of her nursing degree studies and flew back to her homeland of Kenya — only to end up in a polygamous marriage. Now, her story is igniting online debate in Africa. The debate over polygamy, Christianity and Western values continues as many men ponder whether to wed multiple wives.
Read More(REVIEW) At a time when religious differences are frequently portrayed as sources of division, a new book — featuring a collection of pieces from various authors — provides a thoughtful and hopeful alternative grounded in education, justice and, more importantly, mutual respect.
Read MoreFifty years ago, America celebrated its Bicentennial. The 200th anniversary of the nation’s founding occurred on a Sunday. For many, celebrations mixed faith, family and fireworks.
Read MoreThe Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, proved to be just the first bloodletting in a renewed cycle of violence and recrimination. Israel responded with its destructive campaign in Gaza. Far from the theater of war, American Jews reckoned with renewed fears of antisemitism and fractures within their own communities and families.
Read More(REVIEW) To understand post-Christian Western culture, watch “Hazbin Hotel.” As America continues to secularize and divide along religious and political lines, our culture is rewriting how we think about human nature and redemption. With its second season, the series encapsulates our evolving post-Christian imagination — and the ways we’re worse off for it.
Read MoreTourists used to just stop in Lima on their way to Cuzco and Machu Picchu. These days, it has become a destination with trendy restaurants and restored historic buildings that tell the story of “The City Of Kings.” Founded in 1535 by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro, Lima was once the most important city in South America.
Read MoreLos turistas solían detenerse en Lima únicamente de camino a Cuzco y Machu Picchu. Hoy en día, se ha convertido en un destino con restaurantes de moda y edificios históricos restaurados que cuentan la historia de la “Ciudad de los Reyes”. Fundada en 1535 por el conquistador español Francisco Pizarro, Lima fue en su día la ciudad más importante de Sudamérica.
Read MoreAs colonists and Native nations navigated war, alliances, disease, displacement and competing claims to land, Christian missions became intertwined with politics and survival. Some Indigenous people rejected Christianity, others adapted it to their own traditions, revealing a complex history shaped by both faith and colonial expansion in early America.
Read MoreWeekend Plug-in columnist Bobby Ross Jr. is passionate about Major League Baseball. In recent years, his love for the game has inspired him to delve into the trend of MLB teams hosting faith days.
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