(REVIEW) There’s enough of the classic action formula and faith-based reverence in “Monkey Man” that fans of those things will find a lot to enjoy on their visit to the unique world that Dev Patel, making his directorial debut, has created. But the weaknesses are frustrating enough (and pervasive) that it’s likely they will also be glad when the visit is finally over.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in focuses on the religious significance of Monday’s total solar eclipse. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) We must learn the painful lessons from the last eight years, during which time many of us became better known as supporters of Trump, if not apologists for Trump, than as followers of Jesus. In doing so, we deeply damaged our witness and drove many Americans, especially young Americans, away from Jesus.
Read MoreSomething to ponder: One of the earliest known uses of the noun madness is in an early version of Wycliffe’s Bible in 1384. In the wider world, madness meant insanity, lunacy, irrationalism, folly, delusion. In scripture, individuals — as well as nations and faith traditions — with only a shallow sense of the past and genuine tradition are given to delusion, which happens to be how Iain McGilchrist describes our current state of affairs.
Read MoreIowa basketball star Caitlin Clark is a lot of things to many people. To fans, she’s known for breaking NCAA records. To her teammates, she’s the one they are looking at to spearhead a national title run after getting Iowa to the Final Four. And to those in the sports marketing business, she’s a budding star who will be playing in the WNBA next season. She’s also Catholic.
Read MoreThe issue of young women wearing hijabs in schools has become a controversial and heated topic in the Indian state of Rajasthan following a similar battle in the southern state of Karnataka. Hijab bans in Hindu-majority India are nothing new. However, such edicts have intensified recently under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, who adhere to Hindu nationalism and have focused on limiting the rights of religious minorities.
Read More(OPINION) At first glance, the attacks that took place in 2004 may appear to be a spontaneous reaction of locals to the unfortunate drowning of Albanian boys and the alleged involvement of Serbian individuals in the incident. However, the ruins of Serbian homes, churches and monasteries tell a different story.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On Jan. 26, 2024, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel, among others, to “in accordance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, in relation to Palestinians in Gaza, take all measures within its power to prevent the commission of all acts within the scope of Article II of this Convention.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Because of concerns to preserve the country's cramped view of "secularism," French authorities are denying Muslim soccer players accommodation for their religiously required Ramadan fasting. This reveals very different understandings of what is meant by the term "secular" and thereby the very meaning of the now much debated "secular state.”
Read MoreAs the evening sun casts down its warm glow over the city of New Delhi, the steps of Jama Masjid become a hive of activity during the month of Ramadan. A diverse crowd gathers within its sacred walls, numbering in the thousands. They come bearing dishes from their homes and nearby markets, preparing for the evening meal also known as Iftar to break their fasts.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Sen. Joe Lieberman died on March 27 at age 82, ending a career defined as much by his life as an Orthodox Jew as by his attempts to remain a centrist as Democrats kept moving to the cultural left. While voting with his party on issues such as abortion, gun control and gay rights, he was a strong supporter of religious liberty — including for conservatives who frequently clashed with his party.
Read MoreThe University of Connecticut’s basketball team won the men’s NCAA title last year. A year later, the Huskies are again hungry for a championship. The team reached the Final Four with three practicing Muslims who have had to deal with more than just scoring points over the last few weeks. The trio join a growing group of practicing Muslims who are balancing basketball and fasting this spring.
Read MoreMany Americans particularly sense that discrimination against Muslims and Jews has risen since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The vast majority of U.S. Muslims and Jews agree: 7 in 10 Muslims and 9 in 10 Jews surveyed said they have felt an increase in discrimination against their respective groups since the war began last October.
Read MoreDante has inspired countless artists through the centuries. Such has been the influence of Dante’s poem on Vietnamese American artist Tammy Nguyen, that she has devised an ambitious three-part exhibition, “A Comedy for Mortals,” inventively interpreting the text through the lens of Cold War-era geopolitics in Southeast Asia.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It has been more than 500 years since Vatican decrees gave European colonizers permission to carve up the “New World” – and just one since Pope Francis disavowed them. The repudiation can hardly undo centuries of oppressing Indigenous people and stealing their lands. Yet the statement is monumental in ways that signal cultural and political shifts within the Catholic Church.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I read a story a few weeks ago in the Free Press that had an intriguing title, “Latinos are flocking to evangelical Christianity.” The piece was an excerpt from a book called “Latinoland: A Portrait of America’s Largest and Least Understood Minority.” The book is based on over 200 interviews with Hispanics from all facets of American society in order to develop a clearer picture of what Hispanic culture looks like in the United States.
Read MoreA six-week abortion ban with exceptions will be implemented in Florida, but voters will also have the option of enshrining abortion rights in the state constitution in November. The changes flow from two Florida Supreme Court rulings April 1. The first, which upheld a 15-week ban, also means that Florida will be able to implement a six-week ban that Gov. Ron DeSantis has already signed into law.
Read MoreMansour Khajehpour’s faith journey began in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad in a Presbyterian church. He was 13 years old when the Iranian revolution took place. As a young, eager Muslim, he wanted to do his part to aid the revolution.
Read MoreFormer educators at Midland Christian School in Texas open up about the federal lawsuit they filed and their desire for an apology after they were arrested and accused — wrongly and maliciously, they contend — of trying to conceal a student’s alleged sexual assault from police in 2022.
Read More(REVIEW) It’s a shame that “Solo Planet” has such a ho-hum subtitle: “How Singles Help the Church Recover Our Calling.” It should be: “An Intrepid Reporter Surveys Christian Singles on Six Continents during a Whirlwind 17-month Tour.” Which is what Anna Broadway did. Having already written one book on singles, this 40-something single evangelical woman noticed that most literature on the topic came from an English-speaking, American perspective.
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