(ANALYSIS) Where are there lots of evangelical Christians in the United States, and where is it hard to find one? That’s actually a really difficult question to answer from a methodological perspective. Very few surveys offer enough granularity to provide rigorous state-level estimates, let alone data at the county level. But because of the rapid acceleration of Artificial Intelligence, I can actually provide you all with a really good answer now.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Religious movements and figures played a central role in early American history. For example, as I have frequently written, Thanksgiving is linked to Protestant religious dissenters we call Pilgrims and Puritans. American myth tells us that those hearty souls braved an ocean crossing and a contest with the “wilderness,” in the words of the Plymouth colony’s governor, William Bradford.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Before Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, he asked several of his friends to continue his life’s work building what he called “beloved community.” One of the people he invited was the Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk, poet and mindfulness teacher Thich Nhat Hanh. Their shared vision shows how democracy could flourish when citizens practice compassion and peaceful action.
Read MoreA recent New York Times feature noted that quarterback Fernando Mendoza, before helping change University of Indiana football history, excelled at Belen Jesuit, an all-boys Catholic school in Miami, and then Miami Columbus High, another all-boys Catholic school. Oh, and his mother was a star athlete at Lourdes Academy, an all-girls Catholic school.
Read MoreRobert D. Wolgemuth, a respected Christian author, publisher and literary agent whose quiet leadership helped shape evangelical publishing for more than five decades, died on Jan. 10. He was 77. His family said Wolgemuth succumbed after “a brief but intense battle” with pneumonia complications. He was widely regarded as a servant-leader whose influence extended far beyond book contracts.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It’s the most important feature of American religion and politics that I wish more people understood: The God Gap.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Philip Yancey, a bestselling evangelical author known for emphasizing grace and compassion, retired after confessing to an eight-year adulterous relationship. His fall has sparked renewed debate within evangelical Christianity about sin, forgiveness, accountability and the dangers of weaponizing grace, especially amid broader concerns over moral failures.
Read MoreLifeway Research estimates 3,800 new Protestant churches were started in the U.S., while 4,000 churches were closed. This is based on analysis of congregational information provided by 35 denominations or faith groups, representing 58% of all Protestant churches.
Read MoreRight now, across the waters of the world, massive cargo ships are floating from Hong Kong to Houston, from Marseille to Newark, from San Diego to Seoul. The ships carry everything from bananas to coal to toothbrushes. Some estimates claim that 90% of all goods purchased in the U.S. spent some time on the sea. Nearly 200 years ago, the Seamen's Church Institute set out to serve these mariners. They are still doing so today.
Read MoreSeven years after assuming the presidency of the Moody Bible Institute in a time of crisis, Mark Jobe has announced he’ll step down at the end of the institution’s fiscal and academic year.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Lots. And no expert is better equipped to portray the turbulence than Washington University political scientist Ryan Burge.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Divinity schools hardly mention the huge issue of reuse and redevelopment of faith properties in their curricula, nor do urban planning programs, at least not yet. Perhaps a curriculum that engages experts and examines relevant case studies is in order if we are to form strategies for emptying faith properties — our semester-long adventure can serve as a prototype.
Read More(OPINION) Christian Reconstructionism was a small but influential movement within conservative Protestantism that argued society should be governed by biblical law. Originating with R. J. Rushdoony, its ideas spread through churches, homeschooling, and dominionist networks, shaping debates over religion, politics and culture in the United States.
Read MoreNigeria, Rwanda, China, Mozambique and Mexico were the most dangerous countries for Christians from 2023-2025 in five distinct categories of persecution, Global Christian Relief said in its second annual Red List.
Read More(ANALYSIS) There’s this well-worn phrase you hear in Christian circles: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.” It’s often used by pastors to remind people that simply showing up on Sunday isn’t enough to be a faithful Christian. The point is that authentic faith is more than just checking a box once a week.
Read MoreRaising up the next generation of church leaders is “vitally important,” says Brian Frable, pastor of Kona Baptist Church on the Big Island of Hawaii. It’s important to Kona Baptist Church and the Hawaii Pacific Baptist Convention “as we advance God’s Kingdom work in the Pacific, Asia, and throughout the world,” he said.
Read More(REVIEW) “The Gridiron Gospel” is a wonderful addition to the study of religion and sport. It focuses on schools like Notre Dame, BYU and Liberty University. Historian Hunter M. Hampton convincingly shows that college football was not just shaped by faith, but actively helped form how millions of Americans understood Christianity throughout the twentieth century.
Read More(ANALYSIS) One of the things few people discuss about the “Avatar” films is how deeply “faith-based” they are. In fact, their spirituality may be one of the most influential things about the franchise in Hollywood. Since the first film graced theaters in 2009, Hollywood has followed its example in portraying religiosity on film — both for good and ill.
Read MoreNearly six decades after a renowned evangelist’s death, hundreds of Christians lined up at a Nashville, Tennessee, church — where the son of former slaves preached his first sermon in 1897 — to see a new exhibit honoring his legacy.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Nothing can provoke anger quicker than mercy, when it’s directed to the wrong kind of people.
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