Wood joins a chorus of historians who see the New York Times’s 1619 Project as a failed effort to reframe American history and with “1620” makes the case that the Mayflower Compact inaugurated the American experiment in democracy. “If the 1619 Project were a term paper, any knowledgeable, fair-minded teacher would give it an F,” Wood writes. The project’s lead essay by Nikole Hannah-Jones won a Pulitzer Prize.
Read MoreThe October murder of the teacher Samuel Paty by an 18-year-old radical Islamist in France has reignited debates about the compatibility of Islam with French values like free speech. French imams like Mohamed Bajrafil are trying to fight extremism by preaching a modern Islam, encouraging young Muslims to embrace French values and working with the French government to train more imams in France rather than send them abroad.
Read More(REVIEW) “Hillbilly Elegy,” the newest Netflix movie, is an adaptation of the 2016 memoir about the life of J.D. Vance growing up in Appalachia. The movie portrays the story of family well, and it doesn’t attempt to solve any political or cultural problems beyond that.
Read MoreUp to a third of all produce never leaves the farm. That's why “gleaning” societies pick left behind fruits and vegetables to feed families in need— an estimated 50 million Americans this year, up 13% from 2018. It is one of the most ancient forms of faith-based charity. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all mandate gleaning as a way to live out the divine commandment to care for the poor, the widowed and the orphaned.
Read MoreChurches are hiring fewer pastors as the pandemic constrains their finances, even as hospitals request more chaplains. Churches that do want to fill an empty pulpit struggle to vett candidates virtually.
Read MorePatriarch Irinej contracted COVID-19 after presiding over a funeral of a bishop in Montenegro, where thousands of attendees did not wear masks or socially distance. He was known for his pro-Russian stance in Orthodoxy, his close relationship to the Serbian government and president, and for overseeing completion of one of the world’s largest Orthodox churches, St. Sava Cathedral.
Read MoreA group of art historians are petitioning Russian President Vladimir Putin to use his country’s peace-keeping force in the Nagorno Karabakh region to protect Armenian Christian monuments under threat of destruction, including churches that date back to as early as the 4th century. Parts of the region are transitioning from Armenian to Azerbaijani control this week.
Read MoreEvan Todachine and his wife Crystal lost their 18-month-old son shortly after their baptisms into the Christian faith. Their church is sharing their resources and faith with American Indian communities that are suffering terrible losses from COVID-19. “We have the peace, we have comfort, having gone through a tragedy like this,” Todachine said. “Our people have to know this peace and this hope.”
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in explores Thanksgiving in the age of COVID-19. As always, we also check out the week’s top headlines and best reads in the world of faith.
Read MoreCivil society groups, many faith-based, have stepped in to provide a vital bridge between new arrivals and local communities. Some are skeptical of these faith-based organizations, but their work in communities, understanding of religion and multi-faith partnerships make them ideal to help migrants build support systems.
Read MoreThe Kenyan government has not allowed kids under 10 to return to churches or schools during the coronavirus pandemic. Christian leaders fear online Sunday School, which isn’t reaching many kids, won’t be enough to fill in the gap of religious education for this younger generation.
Read More(OPINION) Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs wants to model a way of being a faithful and zealous Muslim that is consistent with Indonesia’s tradition of tolerance and pluralism. Their work is especially important at a time when Indonesia is experiencing a rise in religious extremism and intolerance.
Read MoreReality Winner was arrested in 2017 for leaking a five-page NSA report about Russian involvement in the 2016 election. Today, Winner hopes for a judge to give her “compassionate release” before she completes her sentence. A vocal group of supporters are active on Twitter daily to promote her name and story, highlighting the times her religious personal items have been taken away in jail.
Read More(OPINION) Famous English Rabbi, Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, died of cancer on Nov. 7. Rabbi Lord Sacks is most prominently known for his modernization of the Orthodox Jewish faith—making it more attractive to young people.
Read More(ANALYSIS) External forces from the Middle East are exploiting ethnic tensions and threatening peace between Muslims and Christians in Ethiopia.
Read More(OPINION) A week after the Vatican released its much-anticipated investigation of former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, there remain many unanswered questions. Whether journalists will delve deeply into these unanswered questions remains to be seen.
Read MoreIn a handwritten letter sent exclusively to Religion Unplugged, Cardinal Joseph Zen reflected on the Vatican’s continued cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party, declaring the Church in China “schismatic,” and placing the blame on Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin.
Read MoreMcDaniel, 84, served as an elder of a 50-member congregation northeast of Dallas. He is known for a career with the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals — and for his devout Christian faith and service.
Read MoreVictor Glover is a NASA astronaut and one of four crew members for the SpaceX Crew Dragon’s first operational flight that launched this weekend. He’ll rely on his Bible and prayer to deal with isolation at the International Space Station.
Read MoreThe possibility of President Trump winning a second term is looking dimmer and dimmer as election results show President-Elect Joe Biden eking out a victory even in traditionally GOP states such as Arizona and Georgia. But these modern-day prophets aren’t taking no for an answer.
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