Houses of worship with predominantly Black congregations suffered the most in terms of attendance and donations. At the same time, they did more to promote COVID-19 testing and vaccinations throughout the pandemic.
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(OPINION) Last year, I wrote about the troubling findings from American Bible Society’s annual “State of the Bible” report. Every study since 2011 has shown that Bible users accounted for around 50% of American adults. However, in 2022, things changed. There was a sudden 10% decrease in Bible users, indicating that “nearly 26 million Americans reduced or stopped their interaction with Scripture in the past year.”
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(ANALYSIS) In the midst of Israel’s fierce war against Hamas in Gaza, the country’s highest court on New Year’s Day drew attention back to a previous conflict within the country. In a narrowly divided decision, the justices struck down a significant part of the contentious judicial reform passed in July 2023 by the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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(ANALYSIS) I swear I don’t try to write about abortion so much, but I always end up there. I just think it’s this issue that is like no other when it comes to social issues. What really spurred this post, was a previous one that I put together called, “Liberals Have Won the Cultural War.”
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Some South African pastors are among a group who have risked their lives by preaching the gospel in places where gang violence and murder seems to be an unending cycle. These brave pastors continue to preach even though their friends, family and church members live under the threat of violence every day.
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(OPINION) A few years ago, a friend shared a Bible verse with me that has become my annual new year’s resolution. But it comes with a caveat.
Read More(REVIEW) Both rightly-named football matches and their American cousins have halftimes. The kind of “football” dominant in the United States is poorly-named because in it only one person on the field, a kicker, uses his feet, and that only at specialized times. In both varieties, though, players at halftime get a short rest and coaches offer rallying words. Books that try to answer why we exist should not have halftimes. Authors should offer a consistent vision.
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This was a very busy year on the Catholic beat. A decade after Pope Francis replaced the then-retiring Benedict XVI, the consistently progressive pontiff has very much been the focal point of plenty of news coverage in 2023. Expect more of the same in 2024.
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Religion Unplugged’s former executive editor Paul Glader reported a three-episode narrative podcast for the Sony Entertainment Media show “Infamous” about GOP operative Paul Erickson who led a colorful life that included advising a presidential candidate, making a Hollywood movie and dating an alleged Russian spy named Maria Butina. Upon hearing the podcast, Butina reached out and agreed to an interview to share her perspective on her now ex-boyfriend.
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In a special year-end edition, Weekend Plug-in counts down the Top 10 most popular ReligionUnplugged.com stories of 2023.
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(EXCLUSIVE) The national spotlight turned on Paul Erickson in recent years when the red-haired, Russian national he was dating, Maria Butina, was accused of being a Russian spy during intense scrutiny on Russian connections to the United States during the Trump presidency. Butina was arrested in 2018 and deported in 2019 after she pleaded guilty for failing to register as a foreign agent.
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(REVIEW) “Popcorn With The Pope: A Guide to the Vatican Film List” is a solid primer for those interested in movies and faith beyond summer blockbusters or standard faith-based fare and don’t know where to start. Even Christian cinephiles will likely find it largely redundant.
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Rubel Shelly’s new book, “Male and Female God Created Them: A Biblical Review of LGBTQ+ Claims,” examines same-sex attraction and relationships through the lens of deep and scholarly biblical research. Shelly, a Bible scholar, is the author of dozens of books that dig deep into the Bible to expose and present its teaching.
Read MoreThe ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, a major calendar change and the deepening rift between Constantinople and Moscow defined 2023 for the Orthodox church around the world. Here’s a look back at the biggest stories of the year.
Read MoreIt is ironic the Czech Republic, a place where religious monuments are enmeshed with public life, that people seem to have little place for faith in their daily routine. In fact, according to the most recent data, almost 50% of the Czech population does not identify with any religious tradition.
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(OPINION) Parents in pews rarely turn to Rolling Stone for advice about pop-culture morality. But the magazine's expose about “The Idol” — a summer HBO series about a romance between a pop starlet and an edgy cult leader — produced waves of viral quotes.
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(ANALYSIS) Despite the holiday season’s calls for joy and peace, religious strife continues in many places. While the United States has a great deal of litigation and controversy over religion’s place in public life, it has largely avoided violence. Yet our society often seems unprepared to talk constructively about this contentious topic, especially in schools.
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(OPINION) I’ve long predicted that eventually scientists will identify a fundamentalist gene inherent in some people, just as some folks have biological predispositions toward intelligence, heart disease or tallness. Researchers will find this gene blocks its carriers from perceiving philosophical grays, much less a full-color spectrum. Such people have, in effect, spiritual color-blindness. They see everything in stark blacks and whites; they can’t help it.
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Zoroastrianism — an ancient monotheistic religion that predates Christianity and Islam — found a home in Uzbekistan in the 6th century when Persians established a base in the region. The religion has roots in Persia, and followers are spread out in modern-day Iran, India and Central Asia.
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(ANALYSIS) One thing I’m going to try and be intentional about in the new year is focusing on religion data outside the United States. Any casual reader of this Substack knows that almost all the posts here are focused on religion and politics in the this part of the world. But I have tried to branch out and try something different.
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