In Photos: Romanian Orthodox Christians celebrate Jesus' baptism with holy water and a race

Crowds of Romanians gathered on the coast of the Black Sea to watch priests bless holy water and throw three crosses into the water, representing God in the trinity of father, son and holy spirit. Then the race in near-freezing water began to retrieve a cross, believed to bring its owner blessings in the new year.

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Religious traditions are a salve for the woes of modern youth

(OPINION) The mental health and lifestyle benefits of faith in adulthood are well-documented. A recent Harvard study suggests that kids are better off in many ways when raised in a religious tradition. As the media and grown-ups fret about the state of today’s youth, journalists should pay attention to what works.

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'Evangelicals for Trump' coalition kicks off at hispanic megachurch

The coalition backing President Donald Trump officially launched on Jan. 3 at El Rey Jesús, a Miami megachurch.  The coalition was announced in the aftermath of a Christianity Today editorial that called for Trump’s removal from office.

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Jews torn between ramped up security and tradition in wake of increased attacks

Amid rising attacks against American Jews, many Modern Orthodox synagogues in New York are grappling with how to ensure security within their houses of worship while remaining compliant with their religious laws.

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Church shooting victim remembered: Hero sacrificed his life to save many

Hundreds of mourners, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, paid tribute to volunteer security team member Richard White, who died Sunday in a shooting at West Freeway Church of Christ near Fort Worth, Texas.

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Why Texas minister talked to me (and only me) about deadly church shooting

(OPINION) Introducing “Weekend Plug-In,” a column by veteran religion writer Bobby Ross Jr. Look every Friday for analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith. This week: how Bobby was the only media allowed in to the Texas church that witnessed a shooting Sunday, top religion stories of the week, a new religion beat reporter hired at the New York Times and more.

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Protests ring in the new year in India as a 'Black Day'

Thousands gathered in the small Muslim neighborhood of Shaheen Bagh on the outskirts of India’s capital to protest against the new citizenship law that excludes Muslim migrants and a proposed citizenship register, calling Jan. 1 a “black day” rather than a holiday.

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The Best of Religion Journalism in 2019

The Media Project staff, board and members worldwide submitted nominations for the best efforts in religion journalism that we admired most in 2019.

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Papal slap ushers in a busy 2020 on the Catholic beat

(OPINION) This time of year brings with it pieces looking back on the biggest stories of the year. It’s also a time to look ahead. The coming year will certainly be a busy one once again for journalists who cover Catholicism, Pope Francis and the church’s hierarchy.

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Minister reflects on shooting that shattered his congregation’s peace

Preacher Britt Farmer lost his best friend in the Sunday shooting at a Church of Christ near Fort Worth. At the same time, the close-knit congregation 10 miles west of Fort Worth had beefed up its security team and trained members for a real-life nightmare such as this.

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ISIS spreads more fear after beheading 11 Nigerian Christians

(OPINION) A series of heightened attacks in recent weeks by terror groups in West Africa – Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Niger Republic and even at Nigeria’s border with Cameroon – gives credence to the theory that this region is targeted as the next formidable stronghold for ISIS.

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Texas church grieves, prays and sings following deadly shooting

The congregation of West Freeway Church of Christ, about 280 people, came together a day after a gunman killed two of their flock and an armed member fatally shot him.

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New York clergy denounce anti-Semitic violence following slew of attacks

Amid a global trend of increasing anti-semitism, attacks have been reported on an almost daily basis throughout Hanukkah in New York City. Faith leaders there met to discuss what to do about it.

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Religion Unplugged's top stories of 2019

Since launching in February, the Religion Unplugged team has been thrilled with our readers’ responses. We’re also proud to have won an Editor & Publisher award in our first year for best culture and entertainment news for websites under 1 million monthly views. Thank you for reading!

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Texas congregants fired back at gunman who killed two worshipers

A gunman opened fire during the Lord’s Supper at a Church of Christ in Texas Dec. 29, killing two worshipers. Armed members immediately returned fire and killed the shooter at the West Freeway Church of Christ in the Fort Worth suburb of White Settlement.

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Ugandan pilgrimage to honor murdered archbishop as a martyr for freedom

Christians from different denominations plan to walk a 500 km route over 14 days to honor the late Church of Uganda archbishop Janani Luwum, murdered in 1977 by the brutal regime of Uganda’s former dictator Idi Amin Dada. Luwum was one of the most influential leaders of Christianity in Africa at the time of his death and a fierce critic of the Ugandan government’s abuses.

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