Many Christians in America first think of Jesus as white, thanks to a widely reproduced Christ portrait from the 1940s. In the calls to tear down offensive statues, activists have called to “cancel white Jesus.” But the tradition of painting Jesus inaccurately isn’t just limited to America. Many images throughout art history have interpreted Jesus in a way that reflects their own culture.
Read More(OPINION) The July 8 Supreme Court decision allows religious institutions to choose teachers who align with their spiritual commitments. This is especially important for minority faiths like Judaism and Islam.
Read More(REVIEW) Jimmy Dykes’ new book isn’t just one long series of motivational speeches. Instead, he focuses on how people can strengthen their relationships with one another — the perfect recipe for any team’s success — along with serving God.
Read MoreWhile the Black Lives Matter movement has caused controversy in religious circles because of its support for non-traditional families and Marxist philosophy, researchers who study the movement say it is spiritual even with an antipathy for organized religion. Many activists want to explore their ancestors’ African spirituality, and Black churches and mainline Protestants are also influencing the movement.
Read MoreThe Little Sisters of the Poor claimed victory at the U.S. Supreme Court July 8 after the Court upheld 7-2 the Trump administration’s contraceptive exemption. This allows healthcare providers to opt-out of providing birth control with religious or moral objections.
Read MoreAt least 82 positive COVID-19 cases link back to Christian youth camp Kamp Kanakuk’s site in Lampe, Missouri. The camp has now shut down for the season.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For all the fallout caused by the virus (and how various states have handled it) and the divisions in this country around issues like race, the presidential election could — once again — be decided by a handful of majority Catholic counties in four states by voters who care about abortion and religious liberty.
Read More(OPINION) Take a look back at “The Bible Code,” the 1997 book that claimed that the Hebrew Bible’s text contained secretly coded, uncanny predictions of phenomena across the subsequent thousands of years that could only be revealed through modern computers. Did it ever prove anything?
Read More(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.
Read More(OPINION) The Hagia Sophia was once a Christian Orthodox church in the Byzantine era. Now, Turkish leaders want to convert Hagia Sophia – a museum for decades – back into a mosque.
Read MoreWheaton College last week fired its chaplain Tim Blackmon for “inappropriate comments and actions of a racial and sexual nature towards specific staff members” in violation of the school’s policies.
Read More(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.
Read More(OPINION) Many Americans rely on politicians instead of priests or other religious leaders to guide their views of gun control in the United States. The data tells a compelling story — Americans of all religious faiths are less supportive of gun control now than at any point in the last two decades.
Read MoreWhile cultural norms shift more egalitarian, Black Protestants are more likely than white mainline Protestants and evangelicals to align with conservative theological views on gender roles. But that may look different than it sounds.
Read More(OPINION) We are living in a moment of deep suffering for African Americans: the modern Zipporahs of the U.S. Too many Americans, like Miriam, think and speak with bias or hatred. Too many Americans, like Aaron, go along with it, whether through laughter, shrugging or silence. The Bible does not let us deny this problem; it presents a solution.
Read MoreNew Jersey painter Nora Murphy created a series of portraits by blending vintage mugshots with Catholic saints who were considered criminals in their time.
Read MoreEaster, Ramadan, and Eid al-Fitr—amid COVID-19 lockdowns, religious celebrations have looked different this year. Thankfully, they don’t have to taste different. Most of us are still practicing our faith with social distancing, but staying home is the perfect way to venture into new recipes and maybe even taste a new religious tradition.
Read MoreOn June 29, the Supreme Court struck down a Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics, reasserting a commitment to abortion rights over fierce opposition from dissenting conservative justices in the first big abortion case of the Trump era.
Read MoreAbby Johson, the prominent pro-life activist behind the evangelical film Unplanned, has come under backlash from religious pro-lifers after posting what they call a racist video. Some religious activists are pivoting to secular organizations that they think are more intentional about combating racism.
Read More(OPINION) Conversations surrounding structural racism and how to address it have risen to national attention, particularly in the disparate impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and in recent incidents of violence against Black people. This interview explores one pastor’s vision for the role of community-based, Black congregations and faith-based nonprofits in advancing solutions relevant to structural racism.
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