Anglican Debate In 2020 Crisis: Can Clergy Consecrate Bread And Wine Over The Internet?

(OPINION) The coronavirus pandemic has required many churches to continue virtual worship. It’s sparked debates in the Anglican church about the validity of a “virtual Eucharist.”

Countering Islamophobia with community: A Lebanese woman's spiritual retreat in France

(TRAVEL) Taizé is a small, rural village in France popular for the presence of an ecumenical Christian monastic fraternity. A Muslim woman from Lebanon shares her experience after spending a month in the interfaith community.

New thriller 'The Order' makes fiction from Catholicism's doctrinal friction

(REVIEW) Traditionalists versus progressives is the major plot of a new novel called The Order by writer Daniel Silva, who puts these sinister inner workings that highlight this modern-day Vatican political power struggle — albeit a fictional account in this case — into greater focus.

Books, Europe, Politics, ReligionClemente LisiAugust 17, 2020Clemente Lisi, papacy, books, Roman Catholicism, Vatican, popes, The Order, Daniel Silva, coronavirus pandemicComment

Interest In Prayer Continues To Grow As COVID-19 Realities Set In

(OPINION) In times of crisis, people often turn to religion for comfort and understanding. Studies have shown that prayer and interest in prayer have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Make your travel plans now: These religious pilgrimages are reopening

Here are four sacred journeys, some open but with country travel restrictions, that will brighten your “quarantine life.”

How the Hagia Sophia decision impacts Turkey, minorities and now, Syria

(ANALYSIS) The Turkish government’s conversion of the Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque has drawn sharp criticism, celebration, and now pledges to rebuild the church in Syria. The decision is part of a long-term agenda of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Islamist parties to restore national pride in its Ottoman past, drawing both sharp criticism for implications for religious minorities and mixed praise in the region.

Race to be the next pope: New book details the possible candidates

(REVIEW) The Next Pope: The Leading Cardinal Candidates by the National Catholic Register's longtime Rome correspondent Edward Pentin delves into the lives of the cardinals most likely to follow Francis.

Catholic churches vandalized: Where's the national press coverage?

(OPINION) As Americans go from the racial reckoning that has engulfed America for the past two months to the start of the general election season, vandalism involving the burning of a church or the decapitation of a Jesus statue can become highly symbolic and significant.

Pope John Paul II Is A Saint – Now Some Claim That It's Time To Add 'The Great' To His Title

(OPINION) Only two popes throughout history have had “great” added to their title. Many believe that Pope John Paul II should be the third to receive this honor.

Erdogan And His Quest For Hagia Sophia

(OPINION) Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan’s decision to convert the ancient Christian church Hagia Sophia into a mosque is indicative of his dislike of Christians. However, the building still remains a safe space for Christians worldwide.

Pope Francis preaches about 'unbiased' journalism: Is the American press listening?

(OPINION) Pope Francis, who has consistently drawn the ire of Catholic media on the doctrinal right, gave his view of what the religious press should look like in the United States.

Celebrating America: Why we honor Columbus and ignore Vespucci

(OPINION) As Italians gained in power, Columbus Day officially became a U.S. federal holiday starting in 1968. Amerigo Vespucci, however, is barely mentioned in American classrooms.

What Women Want: A Christian Criticism Of 'The Billy Graham Rule'

(OPINION) A sexuality which severs our spiritual selves from our bodies leaves women with nowhere to go – quite literally. But is that not just the other side of the same coin as Harvey Weinstein, where men assume that a friendly woman wants something?

'Dominion' reluctantly highlights far-reaching Christian roots of Western civilization

(REVIEW) Author Tom Holland does not write about the life of Jesus and never deals with the Resurrection narratives, but they were vital to the rise of Christianity, and Holland’s refusal to understand this most central aspect of Christianity is where “Dominion” misses the point from the very beginning. The book only engages with Jesus as an uncanny character unique in world literature who happened to start a religion that was systematized by the Paul of Tarsus.

Missionaries Around The World Are Responding To COVID-19

With the swelling challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic further depriving the impoverished, Danielle Schneider, Brad Brunsch and Rachel Simmons face a year of ministry like no other.

The West is not paying attention to shrinking freedoms of Serbian academia

(OPINION) A recent government appointment of board members for Serbia’s Institute for Philosophy and Social Theory, which includes studies of religious ideas, is showing the increasingly small space for critical thinking in Balkan institutions.

Accepting your mental illness does not mean a loss of faith

(OPINION) A Nigerian Christian recounts her experiences struggling with mental illness and letting go of the idea that if she had enough faith, God would heal her.

How female power throughout history influenced the papacy

A new book looks at a variety of female personalities who exerted influence over the centuries. The Vatican may be a male-dominated system, but Lynda Telford’s account has enough history and sleaze in it to make for a gripping Netflix series. What this book does very well is shift the spotlight away from men and places it on the women and their oft-ignored influence on the papacy and Christianity as a whole throughout Europe.

COVID-19 is creating new burdens for religious minorities

(OPINION) The chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic has allowed governments across the world the liberty to heighten existing religious persecution. Many religious minorities are discriminated against in healthcare provision and some are even being blamed for the spread of the virus.

A pandemic book list for readers interested in religion

(OPINION) Go with heavy material. Certain translations of holy books offer valuable insights into our world and this era. Thomas Paine’s skewering of biblical religion is a worthy read, along with classics like “Lord of the Flies.”

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