(OPINION) Black church leaders have been and will be on the scene during peaceful protests. When it's time to heal and clean up, religious leaders of all races and beliefs will take part. But will they be able to speak together?
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John Miller’s film with David Bernabo, titled “Moundsville,” is a biography of a small town along the Ohio River — from its beginnings with a 2,200-year-old Native American burial mound, its economic boom and bust times as dozens of factories arrived and disappeared, to the current age of Walmart, shale gas and new generations hoping to figure out a future for the small town. The documentary is currently streaming on PBS.
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This week, St. Louis residents started a petition to remove a statue of the former French King St. Louis IX, deeming him anti-Semitic and Islamophobic. In response, local Catholics have formed a group to defend the canonized saint from vandalism or removal, while others are asking Pope Francis to “decanonize” the saint.
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(OPINION) Atlanta rabbis who have been marching and speaking at protests consider such efforts an integral part of their work as spiritual leaders, and they acknowledge the role played by Rabbi Jacob Rothschild of The Temple and how his forceful sermons on civil rights helped lay the foundation for the path they walk today.
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Progressive Catholics like Martin Gugino see it as their role to help the United States achieve racial equality. Traditional Catholics, however, see Black Lives Matter as part of a sinister force that wants to spread Marxist ideology. While Catholics agree that racism is an issue in American society, the proposed remedies for those ills differ wildly.
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(OPINION) Was this the equivalent of hearing Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville’s impressions of America in the 19th century, except we are hearing from a Nigerian man about his impressions in 21st-century America? And does it offer any lessons for retaining rule of law and good governance even as we rethink policing and racial inequality in America?
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(REVIEW) The new Netflix documentary “American Gospel: Christ Alone” navigates the theological mechanics of the Prosperity Gospel movement with surprising nuance and accuracy while avoiding the temptation to aggregate all of American Christianity, or even all of American Evangelicalism, under a single, pejorative header.
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Protesters occupying Seattle’s “autonomous zone,” a portion of the city’s Capitol Hill district spread over several city blocks, have managed to keep police and politicians out for almost two weeks. But they haven’t kept out God. A group of interfaith clergy has set up a tent to offer spiritual counsel to protesters and gawkers alike.
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(OPINION) In a closely watched case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gay and transgender employees are now included under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars job discrimination based upon “sex.” Yet three divided Protestant denominations have showdowns ahead, all postponed to next year due to the pandemic.
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“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is moving far beyond black churches, civic groups and social organizations that have celebrated it as their own “Black National Anthem” for 100 years. As the nation grapples with the police killings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and many other African Americans, protesters have taken it up in California, Texas and Washington, D.C, where it was performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial earlier this month.
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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.
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Jeromyah Jones’ father was a painter, but his parents taught him more about the Bible than anything else, with the belief that a foundation in Scripture would allow him to be successful in any career he decided to pursue. This spiritual background helped Jones find his calling: to focus on the intersection of the Bible and black history, from the beginning of slavery in Africa to racial injustice in modern America.
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An Alabama pastor stirred controversy after liking social media posts that some community members viewed as culturally insensitive. Though he has since issued an apology, the local school board and housing authority have cut ties with the church, prompting further debate on whether actions on social media should warrant such a response.
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The landmark Supreme Court ruling protecting gay and transgender people from employment discrimination has raised concern among religious organizations, who say that the religious exemptions are too weak.
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A group of black ministers from Churches of Christ across the country penned a letter calling for justice in the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Dreasjon Reed, Breonna Taylor and Floyd. The letter has been signed by a diverse group of more than 300 Christians.
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(OPINION) Prayer is paramount and education is critical. But is it essential that they lead us to act. We cannot hide in our prayer closets or behind our books. Perhaps what is most important for the current moment, is for us as Christians to do all we can to support structural changes that will reduce the frequency of incidents such as the death of George Floyd.
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(REVIEW) Season 2 of “Ramy” follows a young American Muslim man in his earnest struggle with sexual impurity and relationships. He wants to practice Islam dutifully, but the consequences of his actions serve as a haunting reminder of how he’s failed — or maybe an encouraging reminder that it’s never too late to start over.
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In this Friday’s Weekend Plug-in, a tie-in between the integration of Little Rock Central High School in 1957 and a Houston teen who stood up for a friend called the N-word. The teen is the great-grandson of the Arkansas mayor who asked President Dwight D. Eisenhower to send federal troops to allow the school’s desegregation.
Read MorePeaceful Muslim protesters in New York City prayed together and decried anti-black racism in the Muslim community, calling it an issue that requires the attention of all faithful Muslims and saying it must be addressed before racism outside the community can be dismantled.
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John Perkins, an author and activist, sat down with a reporter to discuss the role of faith in healing racial divisions. In the wake of George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests, Perkins says the present moment is an opportunity to progress toward unity and reconciliation through abundant love and forgiveness.
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