Even before the pandemic, a church in central Ohio struggled to increase its flock, much less match the area’s rapid growth. The past few years only exacerbated the numerical concerns as the congregation — like many churches — grappled with COVID-19 restrictions, George Floyd’s murder and the nation’s political polarization.
Read More(OPINION) Daniel Pipes penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed last month urging Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to end Islam’s long-standing ban against non-Muslims entering the faith’s two holiest locations, Mecca, where the Prophet Muhammad issued the Quran and founded the religion 14 centuries ago, and Medina, where he led the first Muslim state.
Read MoreEvery month, Orthodox Rabbi Michael Broyde receives at least one question from an Orthodox Jewish woman seeking his advice on whether she can, according to Orthodox Jewish law, proceed with an abortion — a question that does not yet have a rabbinic consensus.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the Christian themes seen in the funeral for Queen Elizabeth II. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read MoreA recent report by Barna Group has Christians revisiting the meaning of the traditional tithe. “Revisiting the Tithe & Offering,” produced in partnership with Generis and Gloo, is the latest release in “The State of Generosity” series and is the culmination of collected data after surveying 2,016 U.S. adults last November.
Read MoreThe worlds of football and politics have intersected many times in the past. Many have gone a step further by entering politics. Some of these football greats — not shy about publicly professing their Christian faith — have also used their religious beliefs to inform their politics and run for office.
Read More(REVIEW) Defining photographer David LaChapelle is known for his celebrity portraits and his use of surreal stages highlighted with bright colors. His work is also deeply religious, often modernizing popular Renaissance art and imagining Jesus in the present day. His exhibit “make Believe” at Fotografiska in New York is a spiritual environment to take in his work and belief.
Read More(OPINION) C.S. Lewis, in his lecture De Descriptione Temporum, noted that “somewhere between us and Jane Austen’s Persuasion in 1816 runs the chasm between Old Western Man and New Western Man — the Great Divide.” It represents a “vast change” between Jane Austen’s time and ours. That’s when he says the Western world entered a post-Christian age.
Read MoreThree members of a Church of Christ in Belgrade, Serbia, are recovering from stab wounds inflicted by a fellow church member just before Sunday worship. Meanwhile, the congregation has endured unwanted media attention and accusations of manipulation, alcoholism and operating without a license.
Read More(OPINION) The queen’s final, intimate Windsor Castle service began where her husband’s had ended 18 months earlier — with the “Kontakion of the Departed,” a tie to Prince Philip’s Orthodox roots in Greece — as if one rite was flowing into another.
Read MoreChinese Cardinal Joseph Zen, an outspoken Catholic cleric arrested on national security charges earlier this year, and four others will stand trial starting this week in a Hong Kong courtroom. The 90-year-old activist and religious freedom fighter was arrested last May in connection with his role as administrator of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A Republican politician with presidential aspirations visits a Christian college. What happens next, in terms of the way the event is covered by the mainstream press, is predictable — during this era of niche news, with stories written to appeal to the beliefs of specific political flocks. The politician in question is Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and the school is Hillsdale College in Michigan.
Read MoreItalians will vote in national elections on Sunday. If polls are correct, then history could be made once the votes are counted. Giorgia Meloni, who heads the Brothers of Italy party, could become the country’s first female prime minister since the nation became a republic in 1946. Here’s everything you need to know about her faith and politics.
Read MoreGlenn Beck, the conservative LDS Church media star, helped raise $35 million for his two charities, Mercury One and the Nazarene Fund, to pay for evacuations of Afghans amid the U.S. withdrawal of troops. The organizations are claiming they evacuated 12,000 people but have provided few details about how the money has been spent.
Read MoreReligion data scientist Ryan Burge answers why unfortunately, there’s just not a single answer to a question like: how many nones are there? Or how many Christians?
Read MoreA new novel “Corinne” is an erotic romance that follows the life of a woman who was cast out of her fundamentalist religious group and, later, is brought back in contact with them. The book was published under a pseudonym, which has raised questions about who the author of the book may be. Suggestions include Stephanie Meyer of the “Twilight” series and others.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in opens with the 50th anniversary of “The Waltons,” a family drama that incorporated religious stories when the TV networks tended to avoid them. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) With Lighten Group and RZIM shut down, important questions remain unanswered. First, how much money went from RZIM to Lighten Group? How was that money spent? How much remains? Meanwhile, American Bible Society has been plagued with turmoil for years. The organization has had five presidents in the past 10 years.
Read More(OPINION) While the queen delivered thousands of public addresses, her Christmas talks — surrounded by family pictures and holiday decorations — were the occasions when she most openly discussed her faith and the challenges facing the nation and even her own family.
Read MoreAlliance Defending Freedom, a Christian legal defense group, sent a letter on behalf of 2,000 “pastors, ministers of faith, and leaders of religious nonprofit organizations” asking the U.S. Senate to oppose the Respect for Marriage Act, H.R. 8404, which it said puts churches and ministries in danger of injustice.
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