(REVIEW) “Theirs Is the Kingdom” follows the painting of a fresco mural inside the sanctuary of a North Carolina Methodist church. This is a painting not of the rich and powerful, but of people battling homelessness, addiction, and mental illness.
Read MoreIn this week’s Weekend Plug-in, Bobby Ross Jr. reflects on a reporting trip to Alaska. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreAn Anchorage congregation with members from Ukraine, Russia and other Slavic nations is working to feed and support families forced to flee their homes. “We can’t just sit here,” church member Zori Opanasevych says. “We have to do something.”
Read More(OPINION) A recent decision requiring Texas to grant a convicted murderer his Baptist pastor’s audible prayers and comforting touch during his execution was a rare moment in which activists on both sides of America’s culture wars cheered for “religious liberty” — a freedom that until recently didn’t require cynical “scare quotes” that suggest uncertainty.
Read MoreAs Russian forces withdraw from the capital and western Ukraine, Christians in Ukraine report that they’re concerned attacks will intensify in the cities of the east, including Dnipro and Mariupol. In Mariupol, a port city that has been all but obliterated by Russian artillery, 33 Christians were taking refuge in the meeting place of a Church of Christ.
Read MoreAlmost 11 weeks into tax season, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service continues to experience delays in processing last year’s tax returns. Millions of tax returns and filings are still backlogged, including those in the Form 990 series, an annual reporting obligation by tax-exempt entities like ministries and churches.
Read More(REVIEW) “Father Stu” nails the faith-based formula better than maybe any other faith-based film. But it remains to be seen if audiences will come out to see a faith-based film with so much cussing — or where the hero leaves the girl to pursue God.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Jewish state may be on the brink of declaring its fifth election in three years after losing a legislative majority. Member of Knesset Idit Silman of the Yemina Party resigned last week amid building tensions over her view that government facilities should enforce Passover dietary restrictions for everyone and that the Western Wall should not include an ecumenical prayer space for non-Orthodox Jews.
Read MoreHillsong Worship, the music arm of Hillsong Church, has withdrawn from a tour with Christian music group Casting Crowns in the wake of scandals at the Australia-based church.
Read MoreEmory University professor Deborah Lipstadt was confirmed on March 30 by the Senate to be the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism. She is the second woman from Atlanta's Jewish community to get the position.
Read More(OPINION) If Russian invaders continue their current aggression, how much of Ukraine will be turned to rubble, and how many innocent civilians will be dead by Aug. 31? That's opening day for the 11th Global Assembly in the 74-year history of the World Council of Churches planned to begin in August.
Read MoreIn a West African country of 21 million, Burkina Faso, a militia group formed by the government in 2020 to help defend rural communities from terrorism is a controversial — and interfaith — force.
Read More(OPINION) Some could argue that since Siddhartha Gautama was a prince born into wealth before he became the enlightened one, a restaurant chain called Buddha-Bar should be no problem. But the issue here, for some, is that this restaurant is using “Buddha branding,” with no connection to the actual practice of Buddhism. This appropriation, or what some might deem appreciation, can be seen as disrespectful to practicing Buddhists.
Read MoreChurches across the U.S. are gathering buckets of supplies to help refugees in war-torn Eastern Europe, including one ministry that got a $10,000 donation from TV host Kelly Clarkson and another that’s getting help wrapping presents from St. Nicholas.
Read MoreAARP Foundation attorneys will act as co-counsel in a class-action lawsuit alleging the African Methodist Episcopal Church mishandled nearly $90 million in retirement funds, the organization said. The AME stopped making payments to retired ministers covered by its pension plan earlier this year after a 2021 audit found that two-thirds of the denomination’s retirement funds had been lost in risky investments.
Read More(OPINION) Moments after the Academy Awards slap, Will Smith huddled with Denzel Washington, another Best Actor nominee. When Washington offered quiet words of encouragement from offstage, Smith thanked him and added, “Denzel said to me, at the highest moment, be careful — that’s when the devil comes for you.” This was not ordinary Oscars God-talk.
Read MoreTwo sociologists of religion, Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry, wrote an upcoming book titled “The Flag and The Cross,” which explores White Christian nationalism through the lens of history and recent survey data. Gorski and Perry attempt to explain its past while explaining its importance for understanding the future of American religion and politics.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in starts with the historic confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, who will become the first Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) While Pope Francis was presiding over a ceremony at the Vatican to consecrate Ukraine and Russia, a group of high-ranking American bishops met in Chicago. The gathering, entitled “Pope Francis, Vatican II and the Way Forward,” aimed to create a dialogue between theologians and bishops.
Read MoreDuring Lent, many Catholic churches participate in fish fries, a meal containing battered or breaded fried fish. Served every Friday following Ash Wednesday, the meals served during the Christian season of repentance have become a mainstay for many Catholic churches who use them to raise money and build community.
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