ReligionUnplugged.com interviewed Serbian ambassador Darko Tanaskovic to understand the role of diplomacy at the Vatican and the potential for further Catholic-Orthodox cooperation.
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From Oklahoma to New Jersey to Nairobi, faith communities are taking up collections, helping refugees and voicing opposition to the military invasion of Ukraine. Many recognize that part of the motivation is for the Russian Orthodox Church to gain power in the Orthodox world. And Putin, at age 70, is making a desperate move to regain territory Russia once held during the Soviet Union. Both motivations create waves of anger, fear and the will to resist such totalitarian behavior.
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An upcoming Discovery+ documentary series on embattled Hillsong Church was produced to purposely hurt the church, interim head pastor Phil Dooley said in a Feb. 19 message livestreamed on YouTube. Discovery+ released the trailer for “Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed,” on YouTube Feb. 16. The series is set to premiere March 24.
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At a small Ukrainian Orthodox church in Oklahoma, a priest worries about his mother, brother and other loved ones caught in harm’s way. At Sunday’s service, the Rev. Stepan Bilogan and other believers prayed for peace in their homeland.
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(OPINION) The impact of the beginning of the new war crosses local borders, and to try to prevent an even more serious situation, countries begin to impose economic sanctions and take judicial measures against the Russian government.
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For the past century, America’s conservative Christians and politicians were united in the belief that the communist USSR — and later, Russia — was anti-American, anti-God and a threat to the world. But recently, some Christian nonprofits have consistently praised Russia as a global beacon of hope for families and the survival of Christianity.
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Christians across Ukraine woke to the sounds of explosions as their Russian neighbors began a bombardment of the Eastern European nation. Some had made plans to house refugees making their way west, but the Feb. 24 attacks were reported in cities east and west, further complicating their situation.
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Students from Lithuania’s LCC International University, 20% of whom are from Ukraine, rallied to express support for Ukraine against Russian aggression this week. LCC is a novel, faith-based university that brings Russians, Ukrainians and many others together to learn and interact.
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In 2020, Anne Snyder launched a publishing project to explore a redemptive vision forward through the public health, racial and economic crises at hand. The online commons that resulted — Breaking Ground — became a one-of-a-kind space to probe society’s assumptions, interrogate our own hearts and imagine what a better future might require.
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About 50 Christians with ties to Ukraine gathered for an afternoon of prayer at the North Davis Church of Christ in Arlington, Texas. Less than 48 hours after the prayer service, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the breakaway republics and ordered his military to “maintain peace” in the disputed areas.
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Following days of rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis called on Christians around the world to fast and pray for peace this coming Ash Wednesday. Before ending his general audience at the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, the pontiff said believers should fight “the diabolical senselessness of violence” that has engulfed the Russian-Ukraine border.
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(OPINION) Oxford Forum for International Development’s conference aims to facilitate dialogue between various stakeholders in international development, starting conversations through a conference among students, researchers, young professionals, policymakers, practitioners and leaders on what it means to build back better.
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The Bible translation industry takes in about $500 million per year in donations. With all that money, it produces about 15 completed Bible translations each year. But Strategic Resource Group has embarked on an experiment to see if a secular company — a translation service provider — can translate the Bible faster and cheaper.
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Local church leaders had voiced their strong opposition to Israel’s plan to transfer land containing Christian holy sites from church ownership to the state for a national park expansion, denouncing it as a “premeditated attack on the Christians in the Holy Land,” according to a statement by leaders of the Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenian Apostolic Churches.
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In towns devastated by tornado and fire in Kentucky and Colorado, Christian disaster relief organizations struggled to get enough volunteers because of omicron concerns. But members of local churches stepped in. For them, the coronavirus was a secondary concern.
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Students at Gordon College organized a rally “in solidarity with women and the LGBTQA+ community” after a speaker made what were characterized as misogynistic and transphobic remarks during a chapel service.
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Two years into the pandemic, church leaders reflect on the blessings — and drawbacks — of livestreaming. While some leaders worry about Christians forsaking physical gatherings, a majority of those surveyed said they see benefits to maintaining virtual options — especially for the immunocompromised, shut-ins and traveling members.
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Once upon a time — way back in the 1950s and ‘60s — the wealthiest Americans paid a top tax rate of over 90%. Now, the top tax rate is 43%, but many of the richest Americans use a variety of techniques to pay much less. A group called Patriotic Millionaires says the rich should pay their fair share to help reduce rapidly expanding economic disparities.
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Serbian tennis superstar Novak Djokovic says he’s willing to miss more major tournaments after he was forced to sit out the Australian Open because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19. An eccentric Orthodox Christian, Djokovic’s faith plays a role in his decision to skip vaccines even if it costs him titles and jeopardizes his ranking as the world’s top men’s tennis player.
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Since evangelicals galvanized to declare abortion their No. 1 social and political issue, they have used two main strategies to reduce the number of abortions: legislation that restricts access to abortion and ministries — including pregnancy centers — that give women viable alternatives to abortion by providing the resources and support they need.
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