(REVIEW) On the very first page of Karl Ove Knausgård’s new novel, “The Morning Star,” you will find a quotation from Revelation 9:6, giving the reader a key to understanding the separate life stories that make up the book: “During that time these men will seek death, but they will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
Read More(OPINION) In “The Most Reluctant Convert,” the famous Christian writer C.S. Lewis first explains how he became an atheist after the shallow Christianity of his childhood. But later in life, the move back to Christianity was aided by a circle of Oxford friends, including the famous scholar and novelist J.R.R. Tolkien.
Read MorePlans to build two skyscrapers near a historic synagogue in London are sparking controversy and pushback from the U.K.’s Jewish community. The buildings would block the natural light that illuminates the sacred space and contributes to its ambience.
Read MorePrison officials finally allowed Catholic and Orthodox Christian political prisoners pastoral visits after more than a year but prevented one from attending a worship meeting. Meanwhile, a court in Gomel Region punished a Council of Churches Baptist for baptizing his son in a lake in a ceremony attended by about 25 people.
Read MoreThe Rev. Gary Mason spent decades ministering to Protestant loyalists and Catholic nationalists during Northern Ireland’s bloody conflict. He then helped establish Skainos, the largest faith-based redevelopment project in Western Europe, as a model of coexistence that he believes can help heal other nations, including the U.S., Israel and Palestine.
Read MoreA Crimean court jailed 49-year-old Jehovah's Witness Igor Schmidt for six years on extremism-related charges, to be followed by six years of restrictions, although the prosecution presented no victims of any wrongdoing in court. Schmidt is the fourth Crimean Jehovah's Witness handed a long jail term. At least 12 more face criminal cases.
Read More(OPINION) In the 2002 race to become the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, critics noted that Bishop Michael Nariz-Ali was a strong evangelical leader in the global Anglican Communion. But more recently, Nariz-Ali stunned the Anglican world by announcing that he was returning to Roman Catholicism.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A funny thing happened when President Joe Biden visited Pope Francis at the Vatican. The event actually made news, especially with Biden quotes about what allegedly happened in private. It was big news across the media ecosystem because of 20 words the president uttered to reporters in Rome after the face-to-face.
Read MoreDuring the pandemic this summer, 29-year-old Iris Ferreira became the first female rabbi ordained in France in the Reform tradition. A growing number of Jewish women in France are seeking to reform long-standing Jewish traditions, often going against the dominant Orthodox majority.
Read MoreThe number of Roman Catholics across Africa and Asia continues to grow, according to a new report, while it has dropped in Europe. The Vatican report serves as a statistical snapshot of the church’s global population and institutions, comparing 2019 — the last year for which data is available — with the previous year.
Read MoreA restoration project on YouTube has rendered a short piece of film depicting Pope Leo XIII into never-before seen quality. David Martin, who restored the footage from 1896 into color, spoke to ReligionUnplugged.com about the scenes of Pope Leo XIII captured and the identities of the men surrounding him, long forgotten.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Despite it being almost two weeks since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, the fallout and reaction from that private audience continues to reverberate across the American political landscape. Naturally, some are concerned about how the news media we consume have covered it all.
Read More(OPINION) As utterly despicable as it is to sexually abuse a child, it is even more despicable to so do in the name of God. And religion. And the church. What could be a greater profanation of the name of the Lord? And what could do more lasting damage to an innocent child?
Read More(REVIEW) Entering the main gallery is a religious experience of sorts — the sequences of tableaux that punctuate all four sides of the space serve as stations for reflection. Büttner leaves us with a restorative vision of the future, encouraging us to earnestly consider the meaning of faith, hope and love.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Italy’s national airline — known for its near-impeccable safety record and sometimes-appalling customer service — will officially shut down on Oct. 15. The announcement, made this past summer, marks the end of an era for an airline founded in 1946 that became the pontiff’s official airline.
Read MoreCourts and police across Kazakhstan have fined at least 15 people and three organizations so far in 2021 for holding meetings for worship or other religious rituals without state permission. “It is not allowed to pray at any location unless it's approved,” an Aktobe police officer said.
Read MoreAn art piece planned to preserve the Christian heritage of the United Kingdom and profile a million answered prayers is coming to life amid data showing increased interest in spirituality and prayer, especially among young people.
Read More(ANALYSIS) In Montenegro, both the Serbian and Montenegrin Orthodox churches claim the rights to use Orthodox religious sites. But the Montenegrin Orthodox Church is not recognized by any other Orthodox church, and the conflict hits at questions over national identity, church-state relations and even U.S.-Russia relations.
Read MorePope Francis told the media aboard his papal plane that he has never denied Holy Communion to anyone and that he once gave the Eucharist to a Jewish woman in a nursing home. In Catholic Church law, only confirmed Catholics in good standing may receive Communion. But the pope found the encounter to be a positive mishap.
Read More(OPINION) The press gets very, very, very excited when it comes to the election of a new pope. It is, after all, a global news event and a type of power struggle the press thinks that it can cover like it does a political election. That’s something the press understands better than complicated things such as doctrine, tradition and history.
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