(REVIEW) Popes are famous for many different things. In the case of John Paul I, he’s best known for being pope for just 33 days. Thanks to an Italian journalist, her access to never-before-seen Vatican documents and 2017 book (now available in English), the former pope could very well be on his way to being made a saint.
Read More(OPINION) As South Africa’s first Black Anglican archbishop and Nobel prize winning human rights advocate, the Rev. Desmond Tutu tapped into India’s freedom struggle and learned organizing strategies from Mahatma Gandhi. Today, Indian church leaders are leaning from Tutu’s example to heal divisions of caste, class and religion.
Read More(OPINION) For journalists who braved the chaos, the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill offered a buffet of the bizarre — a throng of Proud Boys, QAnon prophets, former U.S. military personnel and radicalized Donald Trump supporters that crashed through security lines and, thus, into history.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in celebrates the most popular — and most unsung — journalism produced by ReligionUnplugged.com in 2021.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As 2021 comes to a close, everyone is looking toward 2022. The news cycle over the last two years has been dominated by COVID-19, and that doesn’t seem to be subsiding given the rash of recent omicron infections. The Catholic world, meanwhile, had in 2021 one of its busiest years. Expect 2022 to be just as busy.
Read More(OPINION) Religious leaders have long involved themselves in the immigration debate, taking a variety of of pro and con positions. So does religiosity make people more welcoming, or more suspicious, of the stranger? A recent Religion News Service story tries to answer the question as it has unfolded in Europe.
Read MoreIn a special year-end edition of Weekend Plug-in, the nation’s top religion writers share their top stories of 2021.
Read More(OPINION) On Dec. 17, the U.N. Human Rights Council, during its 33rd special session on Ethiopia, adopted a resolution establishing an international commission of experts on Ethiopia to conduct an investigation into allegations of human rights violations and abuses by all parties to the conflict.
Read More(OPINION) With the second holiday season of the pandemic upon us, many people will have the opportunity to rejoin family and friends for celebrations. The pandemic has kept many of us apart longer than expected, and it may have been months since we’ve visited with our loved ones. In addition to enjoying food, folks and fun, there may be some not-so-pleasant surprises.
(ANALYSIS) Each season, the celebration of Christmas has religious leaders and conservatives publicly complaining about the commercialization of the holiday and the growing lack of Christian sentiment. Many people seem to believe that there was once a way to celebrate the birth of Christ in a more spiritual way.
This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights how people of faith are relying on God after last week’s devastating tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky. Plus, catch up — as always — on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) On Dec. 9 — as the U.N. was marking the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime — the Uyghur Tribunal published its findings that China has committed genocide, crimes against humanity and torture against Uyghur, Kazakh and other ethnic minorities.
Read More(OPINION) Nigeria’s de-listing was seen by numerous informed observers as an outrageous betrayal of an already brutalized Christian community. The decision ignored years of well documented murders and mutilations, death squads, torched villages and farmlands and devastated homeless refugees.
Read More(OPINION) We are currently in “the most wonderful time of the year,” as the popular Christmas song by Andy Williams goes. For many Christians, however, the four weeks leading up to Christmas Day are marked by Advent, a time of prayer in preparation for the birth of Jesus. In Eastern churches, this season is called Nativity Lent.
Read More(OPINION) This year, with Hanukkah slotted earlier in the cultural calendar, it seemed like the powers that be in American commerce went out of their way — for better and for worse — to crank out extra gifts and advertisements targeting Jewish consumers.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in looks at public opinion on religious exemptions from COVID-19 vaccinations. Plus, catch up — as always — on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) As religion writers and historians know, the 1611 King James Version of the Bible begat the 1952 Revised Standard Version, which begat the 1989 New Revised Standard Version which now begets the new "Updated Edition" of the NRSV, the “NRSVue” — a surefire news topic — available in e-book format by Christmas and print around May.
Read More(OPINION) When Michael Metzger was nine, his father read a bit of poetry to him. He showed scant interest. But he can still recall the opening lines of both because of their enchanting phrasing and rhythm. Today, Metzger has a love for poetry. Here’s why.
(ANALYSIS) The Supreme Court will hear a potentially landmark case for religious schools on Dec. 8, Carson v. Makin. Up for discussion is whether Maine’s law, which excludes religious schools from the diversity of schooling options that families have access to in a public student aid program, infringes on First Amendment constitutional protections.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It’s now clear that the Biden administration wants to oust Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. This is extraordinary and would exacerbate many of the region’s challenges, including religious extremism. While Ahmed has made mistakes, they are incomparable to the persecution, repression and suffering caused by past regimes.
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