(REVIEW) Jelly Roll, a musician with an unusual name, featured in the documentary “Save Me” shows a redemption journey still in progress. The gritty country singer rose to fame with his breakout song “Save Me.” The documentary gives fans a look into a troubled person that has chosen to walk a path of grace through music.
Read More(OPINION) Given the insistence of this party that it is based on Christian values, it is worth exploring what those values are, is there a coherent set of ideas that this party stands for, and how these values and ideas relate to something we could meaningfully call Christianity.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The presidential race is just starting to heat up. Among those seeking to dislodge the early favorite — polling shows that to be former President Donald Trump — is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. This is the same man who has become something of a conservative darling in recent years for relentlessly going after “woke” ideology.
Read MoreTourists and pilgrims despairing about finding a genuine souvenir of their visit to the Holy Land that wasn’t mass-manufactured in China, India, Turkey or Egypt might wish to consider visiting the Bethlehem Icon Centre — perhaps the only school in the Middle East that teaches the ancient Christian tradition of iconography.
Read More(OPINION) Joseph Henrich credits the Catholic Church for our WEIRD culture: Western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic. But he’s not Catholic. He’s an agnostic. He’s simply describing how we became WEIRD.
Read MoreThe former president of a prominent Southern Baptist seminary in north Texas spent $1.5 million in home renovations and tens of thousands more in unchecked spending, according to a report from the institution.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in covers the death of Pat Robertson at age 93. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Besides being close in age, Gioia (born 1950) and La Rocca (born 1951) are both half Italian on their fathers’ side, and both are from working class families. Gioia’s ethnic heritage on his mother’s side is Mexican. La Rocca’s ethnic heritage on his mother’s side is Ukrainian. Both poet and composer are roughly of the same generation as Archbishop Cordileone, who was born in 1956.
Read MoreWhile the concept of what forgiveness entails precisely seems to vary by region and people group, a part of the foundation’s research suggests that it can be broadly categorized as “a process in which positive other-oriented affective responses (e.g., compassion or love) supplant the negative affective responses that characterize unforgiveness (e.g., vengeful or avoidant motives, anger and fear) and are associated with stress.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Demonstrations against the Israeli government’s efforts to radically overhaul the country’s judicial system have become a weekly occurrence. Often rainbow pride banners pop with color amid the sea of blue and white national flags, though LGBTQ allies are hardly the only groups protesting the new government.
Read More(REVIEW) Bill Hader’s phenomenal four-season show has concluded its final season on Max. And the show — always one that dealt deeply with ideas of sin and redemption — chose to end in a deeply religious and Christian fashion, which only made its themes and social commentary stronger.
Read More(TRAVEL) It's a city of contrasts, where vestiges from the colonial era are juxtaposed with cutting-edge technological advancements. Amid this dynamic backdrop, Bangalore’s churches stand out as remarkable symbols of the city’s diverse cultural and religious tapestry. Each church tells a distinct story of architectural splendor intertwined with a deep spiritual heritage.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On the Sunday before Memorial Day, which was also the day of Pentecost, Christians inspired by “Jesus Revolution” decided that they ought to do a mass baptism at Pirates Cove, the same place a lot of the baptisms had taken place in the Jesus movement 50 years before.
Read More(EXPLAINER) Thousands of people have spent the past few weeks waiting in line for hours in a small Missouri town to see a nun whose body has barely decomposed since she died in 2019 at age 95. Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster’s body was exhumed in April, according to the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, in Gower, Missouri. What it all means is rooted in Catholic belief that something supernatural has taken place.
Read More(OPINION) Members of religious minorities — especially Ahmadi Muslims, Sufis, Baha’is and converts to Christianity — may be accused of fomenting “sectarian strife,” spreading “misinformation,” “insulting a heavenly religion” or threatening “national security.” In regions controlled by Sunni Islam, rival Shia Muslims may face similar accusations, with that equation being reversed in lands controlled by Shia clerics, such as Iran.
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(ANALYSIS) There is an unstudied wisdom in the defiant, dirty beats of hip-hop, and even religious dimensions – a focus of my research today, which explores the prophetic and even mystical elements in the genre. Its lyrics can be sweet like honey, as the biblical prophet Ezekiel describes the scroll of the Lord. Yet they can also be bitter, like the herbs of Passover – a remembrance of pains and indignities.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The countries in Europe that are more likely to attend religious services than the American average are Poland, Slovakia, Cyprus, Ireland and Italy. The rest have attendance rates that are much lower than the overall American attendance mark.
Read More(OPINION) Haven’t bishops — in Illinois and across the U.S. — learned that despite the best efforts of their high-priced lawyers and public relations professionals, victims are becoming increasingly empowered, civil attorneys are becoming more aggressive and creative, law enforcement is becoming more determined, and those who commit and conceal assaults on children are becoming “outed” more and more?
Read More(OPINION) There’s obvious news potential in a poll about religious attitudes that covers 26 nations and with fresh data (collected between Jan. 20 and Feb. 3). Media chart-makers could have fun with the many numbers in the 40-page “Global Religion 2023: Religious Beliefs Across the World,” issued May 11 by Ipsos, the noted international market research and polling firm.
Read MoreEduard Charov criticized Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on social media, asking, “Would Jesus Christ have gone to kill in Ukraine?” The FSB alerted the Prosecutor's Office. A Sverdlovsk Region court fined him for “discrediting” the Armed Forces and “inciting hatred” towards state authorities.
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