Hindu extremists groups are disrupting Muslim prayers in an Indian city and threatening Hindus and Sikhs who help their Muslim neighbors find worship space.
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What stories will be religion reporters be chasing in 2022? This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights a few leading candidates. Plus, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
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(ANALYSIS) There are three flagpoles outside Boston City Hall. One flies the United States flag. Another flies the Massachusetts state flag. What can – and can’t – fly from the third is an issue being taken up by the Supreme Court.
(OPINION) One year after ReligionUnplugged senior contributor Hamil R. Harris reported from the Capitol rally turned into a siege, he reflects on what’s needed for America to heal deep political and racial divisions.
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(OPINION) According to the script of “FBI: Most Wanted,” Jan. 6, 2021, was most certainly an insurrection. And even though this particular group of fanatics represented a small minority of Americans, they were depicted as the very image of the insurrection itself. But there is another side to this story.
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Pew Research said that while it is more difficult to measure long-term trends regarding the share of U.S. adults who say religion is an important part of their lives, “the available data indicates that Americans are growing less religious by this measure, too.”
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As the Kazakh government declares a state of emergency and bans mass meetings in some areas, legal changes increase obstacles for holding religious meetings away from state-registered places of worship. Human rights defenders have documented the country’s already severe restrictions on the rights of peaceful assembly.
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(OPINION) Since a military takeover in February 2021 and a severe COVID-19 outbreak, Myanmar has faced an unprecedented crisis, with 14 out of 15 regions within the critical threshold for acute malnutrition. A recent UN report suggests that 14.4 million people will need aid in some form.
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(REVIEW) Popes are famous for many different things. In the case of John Paul I, he’s best known for being pope for just 33 days. Thanks to an Italian journalist, her access to never-before-seen Vatican documents and 2017 book (now available in English), the former pope could very well be on his way to being made a saint.
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(OPINION) As South Africa’s first Black Anglican archbishop and Nobel prize winning human rights advocate, the Rev. Desmond Tutu tapped into India’s freedom struggle and learned organizing strategies from Mahatma Gandhi. Today, Indian church leaders are leaning from Tutu’s example to heal divisions of caste, class and religion.
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(OPINION) For journalists who braved the chaos, the Jan. 6 riot on Capitol Hill offered a buffet of the bizarre — a throng of Proud Boys, QAnon prophets, former U.S. military personnel and radicalized Donald Trump supporters that crashed through security lines and, thus, into history.
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The prospects for peace in the Middle East nudged forward at the end of 2021 when Palestinian Authority security forces foiled two attempts to set fire to Joseph’s Tomb, a site revered by Jews, Christians, Samaritans and Muslims that has long seen sectarian violence.
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The pandemic amplified existing ministerial stress. An October poll by the Barna Group found that 38% of U.S. ministers had considered leaving full-time ministry within the past year — a 9% increase from a poll in January. Sabbaticals, extended time away to focus on spiritual growth, may be the key to avoiding burnout.
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This week’s Weekend Plug-in celebrates the most popular — and most unsung — journalism produced by ReligionUnplugged.com in 2021.
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The late Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu who changed the world through his message of truth and racial reconciliation will be buried in Cape Town on Jan. 1, 2022.
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(REVIEW) “American Underdog” is arguably the best shot movie and worst written movie by Christian filmmakers the Erwin Brothers, prompting one to ask if faith-based films will ever overcome their bad writing problem.
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The Indian government blocked foreign donations to Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity over the Christmas holiday, cutting off a major source of funding for the Roman Catholic organization that provides housing, food and medical care for thousands of poor, disabled and ill Indians.
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Allegations of sexual misconduct began surfacing against televangelist Perry Stone last year. But a few months later, Stone was back in the pulpit. Now, new accusations have been made public, and — according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press — the FBI has been questioning people in connection with Stone’s behavior.
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While the world continues to pay tribute to the late Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu — who fought against apartheid and brought racial reconciliation to South Africa — his spiritual son, business mogul and anti-apartheid activist Saki Macozoma fondly reflected with ReligionUnplugged.com on the special moments they shared.
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(ANALYSIS) As 2021 comes to a close, everyone is looking toward 2022. The news cycle over the last two years has been dominated by COVID-19, and that doesn’t seem to be subsiding given the rash of recent omicron infections. The Catholic world, meanwhile, had in 2021 one of its busiest years. Expect 2022 to be just as busy.
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