Florida Coach Bobby Bowden Remembered as the Billy Graham of college football

(ANALYSIS) Fans are remembering the legendary Florida State University coach this week after his death Sunday at age 91. Bobby Bowden, who coached senior ReligionUnplugged contributor Hamil Harris and is the second most winningest college football coach in U.S. history, is remembered for fusing the principles of Jesus into his football career, forming a special bond with his players that lasted a lifetime.

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United Methodist divorce nears, while denomination's left wing moves further left

(OPINION) According to one progressive Methodist, when the United Methodists finally split, conservatives will build a church defined "by who they will exclude today and who they will exclude tomorrow." The question is whether progressives will act on their convictions.

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Will Candice McQueen really be the first female president of a Church of Christ university?

Candice McQueen made history last week as the first woman chosen to lead a university associated with Churches of Christ. Or did she? Some scholars want to make a case for the late Meta Chestnutt Sager, a pioneer Oklahoma educator who led a Christian college in Indian territory before its closing.

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Belarus regime crackdown on Orthodox Church is altering prayers, purging clergy

Often called Europe’s last dictator, President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has continued to jail human rights defenders and his regime is targeting those protesting against election falsification and regime violence, including priests that the government has expelled from the Belarusian Orthodox Church. The regime also tried to ban singing of the hymn “Mighty God” and prayers for political prisoners, organizing instead a pro-regime "prayer day".

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5 Ways Faith Plays a Role in Netflix-Trending Show ‘Manifest'

NBC’s “Manifest” has been a top trending show on Netflix for weeks. Its faith themes — including a primary focus on a New Testament Bible verse — have enriched the show and focused on themes of redemption.

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Five iOS Apps That Help Christian Families With Spiritual Formation

The number of quality apps for Christian worship, practice and intellectual formation are proliferating. Here are some of the apps our team members have found to enjoy with our own families.

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The West Misunderstood Ethiopia's Conflict. Here's How We Should Move Forward

(OPINION) Ethiopia’s image has been unfairly disfigured in media coverage of the Tigray conflict. Here’s how the Western media misunderstands and how Ethiopia and its allies can move forward amid a ceasefire to long-lasting peace and reconciliation.

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What's really going on in US Mainline Protestantism? What the media should watch

(OPINION) A recent poll showed that American Mainline Protestantism is rising, but virtually all other data shows it is rapidly decreasing. Here’s what the media should pay attention to.

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The Young And Secular Are Least Vaccinated, Not Evangelicals

(ANALYSIS) According to surveys by Data for Progress, more young Americans with no religious affiliation (called “nones”) resisted vaccines this summer than evangelicals, but the media has focused on vaccine hesitancy within evangelicals. Here’s what the data shows.

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Zacharias Institute Leaders Announce Plans to Resign


The leaders of the Zacharias Institute said they plan to resign, a decision they reached after a season of “lamenting, listening and learning” after sexual misconduct accusations against late evangelist and institute founder Ravi Zacharias came to light.

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New BBC Documentary on Hillsong Church Paints A Grim Picture

(REVIEW) A new documentary by the BBC on Hillsong Church reveals new insight into the global evangelical church network’s celebrity culture, sex scandals, and questionable financial dealings.

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Q&A: In New Book Millennial Nuns Share Social Media Tips

A new book of autobiographical stories from young, Catholic nuns aims to inspire readers how to live a faith-filled life in the era of social media. In an interview with ReligionUnplugged, Sister Tracey describes how she came to be a nun at age 19 and her passion for spreading the gospel online.

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Should the Southern Baptist Convention Change Its Name?

(OPINION) In the words of Bruce Riley Ashford, the provost of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, the word Southern will, “forever be associated with pro-slavery views.” This has led to discussion of changing the name, but to what?

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Just when worship gatherings seemed safe again, delta variant raises renewed concerns

What might concerns over COVID-19’s delta variant mean for houses of worship? This week’s Weekend Plug-in explores that question while rounding up the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.

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Marketing Dilemma: Why Some Churches Aren’t Cool With The Brand 'Big Ass Fans'

A spokesman for the company, Alex Risen, noted that other churches, high school gyms, grade school gyms and companies owned by people who don’t like profanity also find the brand and logo off-putting at times. A Polynesian cultural center in Hawaii, for example, covered the word “ass” on the fans.

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Biden's American Families Plan Prioritizes Elites, May Not Support Faith-Based Child Care

(OPINION) The American Families Plan is biased towards child care and pre-K education outside the home, which isn’t the preference of many families, especially low-income, minority and religious families. In short, the plan prioritizes the desires of two-parent, higher educated and financially well-off families with two full-time working adults who are the most likely to prefer institutional child care that is not faith-based.

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