(ANALYSIS) Mother’s Day in the U.S. now drives about $34 billion in spending, but its founder, Anna Jarvis, envisioned it as a day honoring mothers’ social and moral influence. From ancient traditions to modern activism, mothers have long been seen as protectors and advocates for peace — a legacy often overshadowed today.
Read MoreReligious minorities in India are in dire straits, facing persecution, lynching and other violence, according to a U.S. watchdog group. “Every day violence and calls for violence have become routine,” said Stephen J. Rapp, Former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice. “Throughout this grim history, it is seldom that the perpetrators have been held to account.”
Read MorePolls and news coverage explaining the voting habits of “evangelicals” are haunted by the same kinds of questions. Define an “evangelical” voter. Please.
Read MoreFar from isolated, this case reflects a growing wave of church thefts across France targeting religious art. Last year, the French Interior Ministry recorded about 538 thefts of religious items — an 11% increase from the year before. People usually steal things like chalices, statues, paintings, relics and other religious items from churches and other places of worship.
Read MoreIn Zimbabwe, 200 in every 100,000 women die in childbirth — a rate far higher than in many Western countries, and far exceeding international standards. While the focus is always on reducing maternal deaths, some pastors are supporting newly widowed husbands, too.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The United States is on the verge of being burned again for not seeing the importance of religious belief driving human behavior in global conflicts. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is not defending Iran as a state but its version of Islam as a global religion.
Read MoreTo fully understand Atlanta, you have to look beyond its highways and glass towers, back to the broader history of Georgia and its unusual role during colonial America. In that earlier era, a quiet but consequential force — religious diversity — helped shape a mindset that would eventually contribute to the movement for independence in 1776.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For those who have been long-time subscribers to this newsletter, you will know that the predominant approach to measuring religion is called “the three B’s.”
Read MoreThe U.S. Supreme Court has stayed a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals nationwide ban on mail-order abortion pills, the main mode of pregnancy termination in the U.S.
Read More(OPINION) In one of those strange turns of life, Christine Powell found herself navigating a world that she had once only observed as a young professional right out of college.
Read More(OPINION) As I wrote two weeks ago, this will be my last column for the Lexington Herald-Leader. Leaving its pages feels like saying a final goodbye to a treasured friend. My columns will continue to appear monthly on an excellent (and free) website, Religion Unplugged.
Read MoreA massive amount of research confirms what your grandma has always told you: Go to church. It’s good for you. And if a church isn’t your scene, a temple, mosque, synagogue or gurdwara would also do. In fact, religious involvement is strongly associated with better mental, physical and social health outcomes, according to a new study.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Ask most people what they know about religion in the Pacific Northwest, and you’ll get a shrug. “Isn’t that the none zone?”
Read MoreAs New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani marks four months in office, a new survey of New York City’s Jewish voters shows he’s done little to ease concerns among a community that overwhelmingly did not support his election and remains uneasy about his handling of antisemitism and Israel.
Read MoreIn a new book, a religious studies scholar discusses how the concepts of conversion, testimony and purity can be used to study the vaccine hesitancy movement. Author Kira Ganga Kieffer explains how the vaccine hesitancy movement became bound up with religious liberty activists in trying to preserve their rights.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Using limited existing data, a new large survey examines how nonreligious Americans view religion, exploring whether they feel hostility toward it and what factors shape attitudes.
Read MorePope Leo XIV’s first international apostolic journey was clouded by heated disputes with President Donald Trump, criticisms of appearing to appease the Islamist persecution of Christians and ongoing conflicts over homosexuality and polygamy among those who are members of the Catholic Church.
Read MoreEvery now and then, a current event comes along that waves a red flag at the mainstream media — warning editors and reporters that there is no way around the religious content in this story. What kind of red flag?
Read More(ANALYSIS) In India, Muslims and other religious minorities remain under attack. A new report identified credible evidence of widespread and systematic human rights violations in Assam and Uttar Pradesh states — violations which may amount to international offenses, including crimes against humanity.
Read MoreAfter several churches and other places of worship were demolished, a public outcry forced Uganda to pause a project that aimed to clean up cities and enforce zoning regulations. But now, government officials say, the project is back on, and more unsanctioned structures might be on the chopping block.
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