(OPINION) Russia’s war on Ukraine and its attempt to destroy the very identity of Ukrainians is an unmitigated disaster. If there is any silver lining in this present nightmare it is the army of angels of mercy that has stepped forward to comfort and care for millions of Ukrainian refugees.
Read More(OPINION) So far, Hindutva’s overseas influence is limited. It is usually manifest in seeking political influence in diaspora countries and support, financial and otherwise, for Hindutva activities in India itself. However, there are increasing threats to academics and others critical of the Sangh Parivar agenda. Finally, in the last two years, there have been incidents of violence. The situation is likely to worsen.
Read More(OPINION) Caught in the middle, leaders of the historic Ukrainian Orthodox Church say the “Holy Rus” is a historical reality but insist that this makes Russia’s invasion even worse — the sin of brothers killing brothers.
Read More(OPINION) Danger signs began decades ago. Giving to religious groups — defined in terms of potential donations based on after-tax incomes — peaked in 1960 and then began to decline, even as church membership numbers and budgets kept rising.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights religion and gay rights clashes happening around the world. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) The stakes are high since White evangelicals play a strategic role in GOP primaries and national elections. In 2016, the Pew Research Center found that 78% of White evangelicals planned to vote for Trump — but 30% said they backed Trump, himself. Trump’s evangelical numbers remained strong in 2020, after he filled several SCOTUS slots.
Read More(OPINION) If you live in a major city of America, then you have probably been well aware of the Black Hebrew Israelites for a few decades. But for many other Americans, their numbers, their influence, and their beliefs are coming as quite a revelation — and a shocking one at that.
Read More(OPINION) All of us have been through a lot the past few years: a pandemic, insane political upheavals, inflation, general economic uncertainty. The problems we face are real, no question about that. But it’s also easy for us to overblow them, to obsess over the negatives and fail to recognize the positives.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the latest news in the Southern Baptist Convention’s ongoing sexual abuse crisis. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) The linchpin of N.T. Wright’s scholarship is his unusual theory about what Jesus was actually doing here 2,000 years ago. His radical view is that Jesus wasn’t primarily concerned about taking his followers to heaven. Instead, Jesus meant to bring heaven to Earth, to fulfill the Hebrew scriptures and Jewish traditions by uniting the two domains — heaven and Earth — into one kingdom.
Read More(OPINION) Though TV gets the glamour, radio has arguably been more important in building the U.S. evangelical subculture and shaping its substance since World War II. The Guy has yet to see a comprehensive, knowledgeable look at this industry — so there’s a feature well worth developing by an enterprising reporter.
Read More(OPINION) What exactly was antisemitic about the tweets and statements by Kanye West (now known as Ye) and Kyrie Irving over the past few weeks? Despite being antisemitic in tone, did any of these statements contain some degree of truth?
Read More(OPINION) Despite what some conservatives think, former President Donald Trump maintains a huge sway over a large segment of the U.S. electorate. What that means for religion in the United States, once the Trump years come to an end, remains to be seen.
Read More(OPINION) Nobody is ever just one thing. Nobody is just a Trump supporter and that’s all. Nobody is just a wackadoodle leftie and that’s all. That Trumpian or that granola cruncher is also a parent, a sibling, a son or daughter, an employee, a co-worker, a little league coach, a ballroom dancer, a store manager, a deacon, a teacher, a caregiver to an elderly parent — and/or 20 other things.
Read More(OPINION) What do world religions believe on polygamy, pro and con? With religion, age-old issues such as polygamy versus monogamy never disappear, and a recent Jerusalem Post article discussed Jewish practices, which we’ll examine.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the religious debate over the Respect for Marriage Act. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) For centuries, Irish Catholics have heard priests deliver sermons about sin, hell, repentance, grace and heaven. Times have changed, and an 80-year-old priest in County Kerry didn’t get the memo. The problem was that Sheehy’s Oct. 30 sermon stressed ancient Catholic doctrines on behaviors many modern Catholics refuse to call “sins.”
Read More(OPINION) Obviously, Trump’s behavior is several orders of magnitude below Hitler’s horrors; hopefully, Cheney will never have to display courage to the point of martyrdom as Bonhoeffer did; and certainly no one should be plotting to assassinate Trump as Bonhoeffer’s circle did with Hitler. But there are some instructive similarities.
Read More(OPINION) The controversy at the World Cup in Qatar is largely tied to the Muslim country’s Islamic beliefs. It’s about human rights, welcoming LGBTQ fans, drinking alcohol and modest dress. It’s as much a cultural and societal issue as it is a sporting one.
Read More(OPINION) Bono, the frontman of the band U2, has published a new memoir “Surrender.” His music has been shaped by thinkers like William Blake, a poet who opposed the Enlightenment in favor of imaginative thinking. Bono also has parallels with Christian apologist and thinker C.S. Lewis.
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