(ANALYSIS) This week, city officials in Charlotte began removing stones around one of four monuments in the U.S. to the most prominent Jew of the Confederacy. In today’s political climate, it remains to be seen whether protesters will draw attention to Judah Benjamin or whether he will rest in relative obscurity among U.S. historical figures. As of now, the few monuments to his legacy still stand.
Read MoreThe former National Security Advisor’s inside look at the Trump administration claims a widespread indifference from the president to China’s suppression of religious freedom, even as other diplomats pressed for the U.S. to act.
Read More(OPINION) As the national debate surrounding law-enforcement practices and the Black Lives Matter movement continues, journalists need to go beyond covering the obvious.
Read More(OPINION) When the Supreme Court ruled June 15 that sex discrimination in employment includes sexual-orientation and gender-identity discrimination, faith-based organizations were right to wonder how to navigate the new legal landscape.
Read More(OPINION) Black church leaders have been and will be on the scene during peaceful protests. When it's time to heal and clean up, religious leaders of all races and beliefs will take part. But will they be able to speak together?
Read MoreJohn 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.
Read MoreThis 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.
Read More(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.
Read MoreProgressive 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.
Read More(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?
Read More(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.
Read MoreProtesters 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.
Read More(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.
Read More“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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read More(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.
Read MoreWith 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.
Read MorePresident 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.
Read MoreJeromyah 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.
Read More(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.
Read More
