Jerry Falwell Jr. is taking an indefinite leave of absence from his role as president and chancellor of Liberty University after he posted and then deleted a photo on Instagram of himself with unzipped pants at a yacht party last weekend.
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Christian leaders in Zimbabwe are cautiously optimistic that a recent government move to pay $3.5 billion compensation to white farmers violently forced off their land in 1999 to resettle black families can revive the southern African country’s struggling economy by boosting its agricultural sector.
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(REVIEW) Beyoncé released the musical and visual album “Black is King: The Gift” on July 31. It serves as an ode to “Blackness” and African spirituality, but in doing so idolizes Blackness in place of God with messages that listeners are also gods.
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“The Chosen,” a show about the life of Jesus, will resume filming its second season this fall with health concerns presenting risks and challenges. The show is the biggest crowd-funded media project of all time, raising more than $11 million to fund their first season. Religion Unplugged spoke with director Dallas Jenkins about his plans for the series.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in summary explores the story behind a controversial selfie that Jerry Falwell Jr. posted on Instagram and then quickly deleted. Also, find links to the week’s best reads in the world of faith news.
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Jim Ryun, an American Olympic runner and former Congressman from Kansas, received the Presidential Medal of Honor the same day his Kenyan rival, who illegally thwarted a race Ryun was favored to win, died. Ryun spoke to Religion Unplugged about how he forgave his rivals and the faith that inspired him to keep running, even when he showed little athletic ability as a kid.
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(OPINION) Islam is caught in an ideological civil war, irreconcilable visions of the faith on each side. Do Muslim centrists have a chance to overpower these views?
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Chan Young-man, a 69-year-old pastor, has been on the frontlines of Hong Kong’s protests since starting a petition to withdraw the proposed extradition bill. Now, since China’s new security law meant to punish dissidents in Hong Kong, he is continuing to help Christians hold onto hope in dark times.
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(OPINION) White evangelicals have used Trump as a figurehead of internal division. What will they do when Trump is no longer in office?
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(OPINION) Cornel West of Harvard University and Robert George of Princeton are on opposite sides of the political spectrum, and remain both friends and intellectual rivals. They advocate for more understanding between liberals and conservatives.
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(OPINION) A journalist on the ground reflects on how the Indian-administered lockdown on Kashmir, a Muslim-majority region, has impacted the people one year after their semi-autonomy was stripped from the Indian Constitution. The lockdown has brought major job losses, disconnected Internet and phones, arbitrary detentions, house arrests of politicians, excessive force and more.
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One year into a lockdown that has stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its autonomy, Kashmiris face the coronavirus pandemic, excessive force, arbitrary detentions, closed schools, restricted communications, religious discrimination and major job losses. Here’s how they’re coping.
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(OPINION) Six years ago, members of the Daesh organization launched an attack against Yazidis in Iraq. They have yet to face legal consequences for these actions, and organizations are still attempting to capture the violence enacted against women and children.
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Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac, San Francisco Giants reliever Sam Coonrod, Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright and other American athletes have stepped into controversy by declining to kneel in protest with their teammates and the Black Lives Matter movement. Their decisions and critics reflect the ideological divisions of the U.S. over religion and race.
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(REVIEW) The documentary “Flannery” interviews a broad range of creatives about the life and work of Flannery O’Connor. O’Connor’s short stories and novels focus heavily on race and religion—inspired by her Catholic faith—and the documentary explores the lasting power of these works.
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(OPINION) "John Lewis practiced the politics not of what we call bipartisan, John Lewis practiced the politics of We the People. The politics of the preamble of the constitution of the United States, ” Lawson said during his 21-minute message at the funeral where he added that while many books have been written about the Civil Rights period, most people get it ”wrong,” when it comes to telling the story of John Lewis.
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The Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was the only house of worship that was destroyed in the 9/11 attacks, and has been working to rebuild since. Construction restarts after several delays, and the church hopes to reopen next year.
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When COVID-19 cases surged in Malaysia’s refugee and migrant communities, the government imposed a stricter lockdown ban on foreigners, even while lifting restrictions on businesses and gatherings. Foreigners aren’t allowed to enter a mosque or perform ritual animal sacrifices, which meant an usually difficult Eid al-Adha celebration this year.
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The charity of American missionary Renee Bach, accused of causing more than 100 child deaths in Uganda, is now dissolved. Bach is accused of performing medical procedures without being a doctor. She settled out of court with two mothers who each lost a son.
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Usually during Eid, sales of livestock for animal sacrifices surge in Indonesia, but this year the sales are about half of last year’s for local cattle sellers, indicating a tough and uncertain economic climate. Prayers were held outdoors at Jakarta’s largest mosque, observing COVID-19 safety measures like temperature checks and socially-distanced prayer rugs.
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