(ANALYSIS) As Catholics prepare for a new pope, Pew has released new insights into lines of tension and division among American Catholics. Five years after the "transubstantiation" study, a new survey includes more evidence that "U.S. Catholics" disagree with many core Catholic doctrines and, thus, want a "more inclusive" church.
Read MoreBelief in the supernatural — including life after death and the idea that animals and nature can possess spirits — is common across diverse cultures and religions, with younger and older generations sharing similar views, a new survey reveals. The findings paint a nuanced picture of global spirituality, suggesting that beliefs in the unseen are deeply rooted in human cultures and persist even as traditional faith fades.
Read MoreThe end of the Vietnam War, recognized on April 30, marked the end of a chapter for John Cope. But it also started another. An 18-month tour with the Air Force in the country ended in 1971. During his time there, though, Cope had grown fond of the South Vietnamese people.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This may be unsettling to those who’ve invested in the idea of a steadily secularizing globe, but the numbers don’t lie. In the long run, the groups that reproduce tend to shape the narrative. If religion continues to dominate global culture through the 21st century, it won’t be because it won a war of ideas. It’ll be because believers have more babies.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The big U.S. Supreme Court decisions due in the coming two months include three cases on the religion clauses in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. At issue: Can a state deny a tax benefit to religious charities it thinks are not “religious” enough, can parents withdraw public elementary children from classes on gender identity and whether the state can fund a religious charter school.
Read MoreIn the wake of his daughter’s death “I learned to live with unknowingness.” Those were the words of Ken Druck, a clinical psychiatrist who has his doctorate in that discipline. Druck said he’s had as much training in grief and loss as the average graduate school student.
Read MoreThe president posted an AI-generated image of himself as pope — igniting accusations from many Catholics worldwide of poor taste. The post comes just days before a conclave to elect a new pontiff will be held at the Vatican.
Read MoreNow held on the first Thursday of May each year, the National Day of Prayer unites millions across the nation in prayer. President Trump signed the customary proclamation designating the first Thursday of May as the Day of Prayer. He also signed an executive order establishing the Religious Liberty Commission, which will focus on various aspects of religious liberty in America.
Read More(OPINION) The criticism of my preaching I’ve heard most across the decades is this: I don’t preach enough against wickedness. I’m too easy on reprobates. I don’t threaten rebels with hellfire. I’m soft on sin.
(ANALYSIS) One of the most interesting lines of survey research in the last couple of years has been led by Tyler VanderWeele at Harvard. It’s focused on a fairly simple but incredibly consequential aspect of life — human flourishing.
Read MoreHarvard University’s president has apologized for the campus climate over the last year and a half, in a letter accompanying a long-awaited report from a university task force on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias.
Read MoreWhether taxpayers should be forced to fund religious charter schools came before the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday in the first case of its kind. The court is considering whether to overturn a June 2024 Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that a St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School of Oklahoma City would be unconstitutional.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Parents and caregivers — especially those from urban areas or with less economic stability — felt that the church could do more to support early childhood development and address their community's needs. This is where Black and Latino community churches and faith leaders need to step in to support families.
Read MoreAs the U.S. church continues to navigate a changing cultural and technological landscape, Pushpay’s new report makes it clear: Digital tools are no longer optional — they’re essential. Whether through AI, streaming, mobile apps, or giving platforms, technology is reshaping how ministry happens, making it more accessible, inclusive and responsive to the needs of congregations.
Read MoreCongregations affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention experienced growth in total worship attendance and small group or Sunday School participation. In 2024, an average of more than 4.3 million people worshiped weekly in a Southern Baptist congregation, and more than 2.5 million participated in a small group Bible study each week. Both of those were up more than 5% compared to 2023.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion and Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program, along with Gallup and the Center for Open Science, released on Wednesday the first findings of their ongoing worldwide survey examining what makes for human flourishing.
Read MoreMegachurch founder Bishop T.D. Jakes announced on Sunday that he will step down as pastor of his 30,000-member Dallas-based church, The Potter’s House. His daughter and son-in-law will assume the helm. For almost 50 years, Jakes, who will turn 68 in June, has served the local and global community as a pastor, global faith leader and author.
Read MoreAs Tennessee’s chief lawyer, it’s Jonathan Skrmetti’s job to defend the state against legal challenges to its statutes. And in U.S. v. Skrmetti, one of the Supreme Court’s most consequential cases this term, Skrmetti and his office are defending Tennessee Senate Bill 1, which prohibits the use of drugs or surgeries to alter a minor’s sex characteristics.
Read MoreA natural athlete who took to the sport quickly, Kayden Beasley’s growth originally placed him in a substitute role for this season. His stature has grown to where he was recently named to the team’s roster — trimmed by one spot — for the World Para Ice Hockey Championship in Buffalo at the end of May. A Christian, he left earlier this month for training camp in Madison, Wisc.
Read MoreThe Rev. Dr. Fran Tilton Shelton’s ministry as a Presbyterian (PCUSA) pastor has always been focused on pastoral care and grieving — so much so that her late husband Bob humorously called her “Funeral Fran.” Now a parish associate at the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, Shelton is also a spiritual director and the co-founder of Faith & Grief Ministries.
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