(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) Iran’s leaders warned the United States and Israel of retaliation as nationwide protests challenged the Islamic Republic’s theocracy. Facing mounting deaths and unrest, Iranian officials framed dissent as foreign-backed chaos, tightened repression and escalated external threats, revealing a regime prioritizing clerical survival over popular consent.
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 More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV used an annual address to Vatican diplomats to warn that global politics had shifted toward militarism and force. Without naming any political leaders, he criticized war, erosion of international law and weakened human rights, positioning the Holy See as a moral counterweight to rising geopolitical tensions in many places around the world.
Read MoreTo Gwen Cummings, the late Marshall Keeble was more than a famous traveling evangelist. He was her “Pop.” Cummings shared her personal memories of Marshall and Laura Keeble, her great-grandparents who were more like grandparents to her.
Read MoreRather than answering blood with blood, many residents in one part of India turned to prayer, ritual and mutual care. This response has become as much a political statement as a spiritual one. In the days after deadly clashes took place, monks were visible in the streets. They organized food for families stranded by an imposed curfew, led quiet gatherings — and urged people to avoid retaliation.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Nothing can provoke anger quicker than mercy, when it’s directed to the wrong kind of people.
Read MoreFormer U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska, 53, said in an X post just before Christmas that said: "I'll cut to the chase: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and am gonna die.”
Read MoreA majority of New York voters believe that Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s harsh criticism of Israel is a legitimate policy disagreement and that elected officials should challenge U.S. support for Israel, even if it upsets some voters, a new poll found. Views differ sharply among Jewish New Yorkers.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The most important piece of data analysis in that post came from the Nationscape survey — a weekly study conducted between 2019 and early 2021. The total sample size was over 477,000 respondents, which means there were nearly five thousand Latter-day Saints in the dataset.
Read MoreMilitants have killed at least 58 individuals in Christian villages in northeastern and northcentral Nigeria since Christmas, and kidnapped others from a Catholic boarding school, according to numerous reports.
Read MoreIt is a fraught time to lead a Christian congregation. Church leaders are navigating concerns about President Donald Trump’s second term, ongoing ICE raids, difficult conversations following Charlie Kirk’s murder — and also trying to dodge spiritual and occupational burnout along the way.
Read MoreJudge Alvin Kenneth Hellerstein, an Orthodox Jew who displays the Torah verse “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof” — “Justice, justice you shall pursue” — on the walls of his chambers, is presiding over the case of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Hellerstein oversaw Monday’s arraignment of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who entered a plea of not guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Read MoreA federal judge blocked a California policy that barred teachers from informing parents about students’ gender confusion, ruling it unconstitutional. The decision affirms parental rights, religious freedom, and teacher conscience protections, halting parental exclusion rules statewide while leaving similar policies intact in many other states.
Read MoreThe climb to Mar Musa al-Habashi monastery is deliberate and demanding — 340 stone steps wind up a stark, treeless mountain ridge in the Qalamun region. But complete the journey, and you’ll find a community of Muslims and Christians committed to interfaith dialogue and healing their nation.
Read MoreA Hindu businessman was attacked by a mob in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district on Dec. 31. He was beaten with sharp weapons, doused in petrol and set on fire. This was the third such attack in a month — part of a larger pattern of violence against religious minorities since the fall of the previous government.
Read More(OPINION) During the holidays I happened across several newspaper essays that said better than I can the very things I’ve been trying to write and preach about forever. I want to kick off 2026 by sharing, not my New Year’s resolutions, because I don’t have any, but instead a couple of these observations by better writers.
Read MorePope Leo XIV urged respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty and human rights on Sunday, saying he had been following events of the last two days with deep concern after the U.S. ousted dictator Nicolas Maduro. The pope called for peace and justice, while Venezuelan bishops expressed solidarity with victims and prayed for national unity.
Read MoreMany Venezuelans, including Christians at home and abroad, expressed cautious hope after U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro. While rejecting violence, they welcome the possibility of justice after years of repression. Church leaders now see the moment as a difficult beginning toward rebuilding peace.
Read More
