The death of a supreme court judge in Uganda has sparked a hot public debate on the burial rights of the dead and surviving spouses in church marriages. The debate started after the death of Justice Stella Arach-Amoko, who succumbed to cancer at Nakasero Hospital in Kampala on June 17.
Read MoreThis week in our Talking to Tech series, we conducted another interview with ChatGPT-4. This was the second in a three-part interview. The first two involve questions specifically relating to the three monotheistic faiths.
Read MoreSome Muslims, Jews and other religious minorities in Thessaloniki also believe the city has found harmony between Abrahamic faiths in the past and can do so again. And one such olive branch toward religious understanding is taking root at the School of Theology in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which is the first Greek university to implement an academic program on Islamic studies.
Read More(REVIEW) “Sound Of Freedom” tries really hard to raise awareness about the very real evils of sex trafficking, but in the process creators forgot to also make a good movie. While the goal is worthy, this is one of the most mind-numbingly boring movies I’ve seen in ages.
Read More(ANALYSIS) One of the biggest religion-beat stories of the year is currently playing out, and most people are probably unaware of it due to lack of mainstream news updates. Maybe this story is too Catholic? I say this because the three-year process that began in 2021 known as the Synod on Synodality is reaching its most contentious and potentially dramatic stage.
Read More(OPINION) Houses of worship are in decline. One reason is Americans’ waning interest in religious institutions. Another may be the change in consumer behavior away from the “average” and toward the large, the online and the small but specialized. Houses of worship can develop hope by learning from the experiences of the retail, financial-services and health care industries.
Read MoreThe feast day of saints Peter and Paul is a significant celebration in the Christian calendar because it commemorates the lives of two martyrs. The annual feast, observed on June 29, holds deep religious and historical significance for Christians around the world.
Read MoreWe’ve compiled a list of some of the top five tributes written since Tim Keller’s death, highlighting the influence and incredible legacy he left on individuals, New York City and the Christian sphere.
Read More(OPINION) On June 2, the AP editorial team issued an updated “Transgender Coverage Topical Guide” that’s very timely, and not just because June is Pride Month. This latest update is yet another step to embrace changes linked to the sexual revolution. Meanwhile, the Public Religion Research Institute released a poll showing U.S. opinion is getting more conservative on these matters.
Read MoreThe celebration of a Hindu festival, Ram Navami, which marks the birth of Lord Ram, was tarnished by violence in late March across 10 Indian states, including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Delhi and West Bengal. It’s this kind of religious violence and intolerance that belied the surface of diplomatic talks between India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his state visit to Washington.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the one-year anniversary of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreReligious leaders in Uganda have condemned the Allied Democratic Forces rebels June 16 attack and massacre of 42 students in a secondary school in southwestern Uganda.
Read MoreThe disappearance of the 15-year-old Italian, who lived at the Vatican, has sparked a series of investigations and unanswered questions that continue to baffle investigators and the public alike. Indeed, 40 years later, the Orlandi case remains perplexing and accusations that high-ranking members of the church know what happened to her.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Dodgers have held Pride Night for 10 years. This year’s edition became ensnared in controversy. Following criticism from Catholic groups, the team rescinded an invitation to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to be honored at Pride Night. They were later reinvited. Unless you attended the game and got there an hour before it started — that’s when the group was honored — you don’t really know what happened.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in provides five takeaways from the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in New Orleans. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The mainline is just a bloodbath. Five traditions are down by at least 30%. The ELCA is down 41%. The United Church of Christ is less than half the size it was in the late 1980s. The United Methodists are already down 31%, but with over 15% of their churches disaffiliating just this year, I wouldn’t be surprised in membership is down 40% or more by this time next year.
Read MoreIf you live in or near Orange County, California — or can be there June 15, 16, 17 or 20 — you might want to attend one of the premiere performances of “Fiat Lux” (Latin for “Let there be light”) by Sir James MacMillan, a work for soprano, baritone, mixed chorus, organ and orchestra based on a five-part libretto by poet Dana Gioia.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The presidential race is just starting to heat up. Among those seeking to dislodge the early favorite — polling shows that to be former President Donald Trump — is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. This is the same man who has become something of a conservative darling in recent years for relentlessly going after “woke” ideology.
Read MoreTourists and pilgrims despairing about finding a genuine souvenir of their visit to the Holy Land that wasn’t mass-manufactured in China, India, Turkey or Egypt might wish to consider visiting the Bethlehem Icon Centre — perhaps the only school in the Middle East that teaches the ancient Christian tradition of iconography.
Read More(OPINION) Joseph Henrich credits the Catholic Church for our WEIRD culture: Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic. But he’s not Catholic. He’s an agnostic. He’s simply describing how we became WEIRD.
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