Since his death in 1994, the gay Yale historian’s significance has continued to rise, both in academic and wider cultural circles. So it is not surprising that a documentary entitled “Not A Tame Lion” has been produced about his life and impact by filmmakers Craig Bettendorf and Kai Morgan.
Read More(OPINION) Here’s why we fast on the holiest day of the Jewish calendar — but we don’t always pray, repent or ask for forgiveness.
Read More(EXPLAINER) A day after Azerbaijan launched a military assault against ethnic Armenians in the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, they halted their offensive on Wednesday following a ceasefire. Despite the temporary end to the hostilities, Christians in the region remain at risk following three decades of war.
Read MoreThe Faith Museum will explore how religion has shaped lives and communities across Britain throughout history. Religion Unplugged contributor Dr. Jenny Taylor meets the wealthy financier who is turning a semi-derelict English mining town into an international showcase of art and faith. Part of the outcome of all this investment is the opening of the museum on Oct. 6.
Read More(OPINION) On Aug. 28, I conducted a poll on X (formerly known as Twitter), asking, “As a voter, what is the single most important factor or quality you’re looking for in a presidential candidate?” The four choices were integrity/character, good policies, backbone or unifier.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Another week and yet another headline about Pope Francis feuding with a doctrinally conservative American prelate. It’s become an all-too-common story and one that the legacy media often can’t resist.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Nearly 30% of Americans say they have no religious affiliation. Today the so-called “nones” represent about 30% of Democrats and 12% of Republicans — and they are making their voices heard. Organizations lobby on behalf of atheists, agnostics, secular humanists and other nonreligious people.
Read More(EXPLAINER) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused “agents of the government of India” of carrying out the assassination of a Sikh leader in British Columbia. Trudeau’s comments, which took place before the House of Commons on Monday, pointed the finger for the shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar at India’s government “in no uncertain terms” based on intelligence reports.
Read MoreThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ furtive investment strategy ultimately resulted in it being fined by the SEC earlier this year. The move likely stemmed from a deeply rooted belief that by keeping a low profile and minimizing how much it shared about its inner workings, the church could avoid criticism from hostile outside forces looking to attack it.
Read MoreA massive earthquake struck Morocco the night of Sept. 8, killing some 2,800 people and destroying many old buildings and mud brick homes. Over the next few days, “DONATE” buttons were added to websites of numerous ministries seeking donations to aid victims.
Read More(REVIEW) “A Haunting In Venice” is fun for people who like whodunnits and Kenneth Branagh’s interpretation of Hercule Poirot — but it can’t pay off the themes of faith versus reason that it sets up. The film once again features Branagh’s return as both director and star in his third outing of movies based on Agatha Christie’s novels. The movies have had lukewarm reception from both critics and audiences, but have made enough money and been enjoyable enough for Branagh to make another one.
Read More(OPINION) A friend asked what I thought about the recent “dust up,” as she called it, at Pine Mountain Settlement School in Harlan County, Kentucky, deep in the Appalachian mountains. There, The Waymakers Collective turned a chapel into a “healing space,” decorating it “with pillows, mats, a table of aromatic oils and an ‘om’ symbol, which symbolizes the universe in the Hindu religion.”
Read MoreIn the serene landscapes of Punjab’s Barnala district in the northern part of India, the melodious Muslim call to prayer resounds throughout the day. While communal tensions and clashes occasionally make headlines, a different narrative unfolds in the villages of Kutba Bamaniya and beyond. Amid this backdrop, a pre-partition mosque stands tall as a symbol of history, resilience and a shared commitment to coexistence.
Read MoreChurches of Christ in Accra, Ghana, are growing at such a rate that their members will account for 10% of the city’s population … in 1,273 years. That number may come as a shock to Western Christians who routinely hear reports of hundreds, even thousands of baptisms from evangelists in Africa — especially Ghana, considered to be an epicenter of Churches of Christ on the continent.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The data indicates that the relationship between regular religious attendance and education is a positive one. The more educated, the more likely to attend church/synagogue/mosque. That’s true in every wave of the Cooperative Election Study. And, the effect is not a small one. In many years, someone with a graduate degree is 50% more likely to be a weekly attender than someone without a high school diploma.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The upshot, according to Pew demographer Conrad Hackett, is that by available measures, China is — on the surface — “the least religious country in the world.” That’s not surprising when media and public meetings are restricted and the government forbids religious education while subjecting children to intensive atheistic propaganda at school.
Read More(OPINION) Consider a sobering new study — “The Great Dechurching. Who’s Leaving, Why Are They Going, and What Will It Take to Bring Them Back” — by researchers Jim Davis, Michel Graham and Ryan Burge. Their numbers indicate that evangelicalism has backslid to where it was 50 years ago.
Read More(OPINION) Starting on Friday evening — and again the evening of Sept. 24 — Jews around the world will be filing into synagogues to mark their “Days of Awe” — the High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. For many who observe these holidays in the United States, the Days of Awe will be the only time that they visit a synagogue this year. Only 1 in 5 American Jews attend services once a month or more.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On Sept. 13, 1993, the world watched as Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat shook hands on the White House lawn. It was a stunning moment. The famous handshake between adversaries marked the beginning of what became known as the Oslo Accords, a framework for talks between Israeli and Palestinian representatives, mediated by U.S. diplomats.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Last month, United Nations experts published a statement of concern about the situation in the northeast state of Manipur in India. As they indicated, they are concerned about the alleged acts of sexual violence, extrajudicial killings, home destruction, forced displacement, torture and ill treatment perpetrated in Manipur.
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