John Miller’s film with David Bernabo, titled “Moundsville,” is a biography of a small town along the Ohio River — from its beginnings with a 2,200-year-old Native American burial mound, its economic boom and bust times as dozens of factories arrived and disappeared, to the current age of Walmart, shale gas and new generations hoping to figure out a future for the small town. The documentary is currently streaming on PBS.
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This week, St. Louis residents started a petition to remove a statue of the former French King St. Louis IX, deeming him anti-Semitic and Islamophobic. In response, local Catholics have formed a group to defend the canonized saint from vandalism or removal, while others are asking Pope Francis to “decanonize” the saint.
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(OPINION) Atlanta rabbis who have been marching and speaking at protests consider such efforts an integral part of their work as spiritual leaders, and they acknowledge the role played by Rabbi Jacob Rothschild of The Temple and how his forceful sermons on civil rights helped lay the foundation for the path they walk today.
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Progressive Catholics like Martin Gugino see it as their role to help the United States achieve racial equality. Traditional Catholics, however, see Black Lives Matter as part of a sinister force that wants to spread Marxist ideology. While Catholics agree that racism is an issue in American society, the proposed remedies for those ills differ wildly.
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(OPINION) Was this the equivalent of hearing Frenchman Alexis de Tocqueville’s impressions of America in the 19th century, except we are hearing from a Nigerian man about his impressions in 21st-century America? And does it offer any lessons for retaining rule of law and good governance even as we rethink policing and racial inequality in America?
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(REVIEW) The new Netflix documentary “American Gospel: Christ Alone” navigates the theological mechanics of the Prosperity Gospel movement with surprising nuance and accuracy while avoiding the temptation to aggregate all of American Christianity, or even all of American Evangelicalism, under a single, pejorative header.
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Protesters occupying Seattle’s “autonomous zone,” a portion of the city’s Capitol Hill district spread over several city blocks, have managed to keep police and politicians out for almost two weeks. But they haven’t kept out God. A group of interfaith clergy has set up a tent to offer spiritual counsel to protesters and gawkers alike.
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(OPINION) In a closely watched case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that gay and transgender employees are now included under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bars job discrimination based upon “sex.” Yet three divided Protestant denominations have showdowns ahead, all postponed to next year due to the pandemic.
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“Lift Every Voice and Sing” is moving far beyond black churches, civic groups and social organizations that have celebrated it as their own “Black National Anthem” for 100 years. As the nation grapples with the police killings of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and many other African Americans, protesters have taken it up in California, Texas and Washington, D.C, where it was performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial earlier this month.
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In the latest “Weekend Plug-in,” columnist Bobby Ross Jr. interviews an all-star panel of religion journalists about the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark ruling on LGBT employment rights.
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(OPINION) Religion can help people find meaning and wholeness, which can lead to happiness even after a traumatic experience or just a rough patch in life. This is valuable in an ever more shallow world that puts a premium on materialism, and is driven by greed and wastefulness.
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With the swelling challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic further depriving the impoverished, Danielle Schneider, Brad Brunsch and Rachel Simmons face a year of ministry like no other.
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President Pierre Nkurunziza, who died June 8 at 55 years old, was a study in contrasts. He was known for public demonstrations of his Christian faith, yet his political opponents were often silenced or disappeared mysteriously. However, it was his biggest — and last — contradiction that will remain etched in the minds of Burundians. As the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Nkurunziza and his officials ignored the virus, but reports now say he may have died from it.
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Jeromyah Jones’ father was a painter, but his parents taught him more about the Bible than anything else, with the belief that a foundation in Scripture would allow him to be successful in any career he decided to pursue. This spiritual background helped Jones find his calling: to focus on the intersection of the Bible and black history, from the beginning of slavery in Africa to racial injustice in modern America.
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(TRAVEL) Based on chemical analysis of resin found on the limestone altars of a Tel Arad shrine, researchers in Israel recently published a study that suggests the ancient Israelites used cannabis mixed with animal dung to spark a level of ecstasy during worship.
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An Alabama pastor stirred controversy after liking social media posts that some community members viewed as culturally insensitive. Though he has since issued an apology, the local school board and housing authority have cut ties with the church, prompting further debate on whether actions on social media should warrant such a response.
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The landmark Supreme Court ruling protecting gay and transgender people from employment discrimination has raised concern among religious organizations, who say that the religious exemptions are too weak.
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(OPINION) Thousands of Christians in Nigeria have been affected by a litany of mass atrocities perpetrated by Boko Haram and Fulani herders. The Nigerian government should respond with comprehensive investigations and prosecutions, but it is clear that will not happen until we, as an international community, recognize the nature and severity of these crimes.
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A group of black ministers from Churches of Christ across the country penned a letter calling for justice in the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Dreasjon Reed, Breonna Taylor and Floyd. The letter has been signed by a diverse group of more than 300 Christians.
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Renewed fighting between Sudan’s army and militants killed an Anglican priest last week, despite a negotiated peace agreement and the pause of a church-mediated peace process when the Rome-based organization began grappling with coronavirus in Italy. Since 2013, Sudan’s civil war has displaced thousands of civilians. Now they must grapple with displacement during a pandemic and food insecurity.
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