Australia’s Hanukkah Terror Attack: Could It Have Been Prevented?

(ANALYSIS) With 15 civilians and one gunman dead so far, and another 40 people injured, Australia is reeling from its worst act of terrorism on home soil. Two gunmen opened fire on a Jewish community gathering to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah at Archer Park on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach.

Pastors Accuse Greg Locke Of Spiritual Abuse And Financial Mismanagement

Two married pastors at Greg Locke’s central Tennessee church have resigned, claiming the founding pastor created a spiritually abusive and manipulative culture.

Vatican Returns Indigenous Items, But Draws Criticism For Labeling Them ‘Gifts’

Activists advocating for the repatriation of artifacts “stolen by Pope Pius XI and his missionaries” from First Nations communities are unhappy by Pope Leo XIV labeling of these items as a “gift” despite his agreement to return them. The Holy See said the pope “gifted to the CCCB the 62 artifacts belonging to the ethnological collections of the Vatican Museums” as “an act of ecclesial sharing.”

How A Catholic Approach To Infertility Became A MAHA Talking Point

(ANALYSIS) Along the 2024 presidential campaign trail, Donald Trump pledged to make in vitro fertilization, or IVF, free — part of his party’s wider push for a new American “baby boom.” In October, when the administration revealed its IVF proposal, many health care experts pointed out that it falls short of mandating insurance companies to cover the procedure.

Meet Graciela Ibáñez: A Veteran Journalist Covering The Intersection Of Faith And Culture

“Religion Unplugged covers religions around the globe, giving you a broader view of faith,” she said. “In my reporting, I look for religion in art, culture and politics. Religion is more present in our lives than we sometimes think, and it can change our decisions.”

Hanukkah Shooting Leaves 15 Dead At Australia’s Popular Bondi Beach

A Hanukkah celebration at Sydney’s Bondi Beach turned deadly on Sunday with updated reports of at least 15 dead, including a Chabad rabbi, a Holocaust survivor and a 12-year-old girl. One suspect was killed at the scene and the other was arrested, in a targeted attack on Jews that authorities are investigating as terrorism.

Why Are Growing Faith Groups News?

(ANALYSIS) Ask yourself this question: Based on the mainstream news coverage you have seen in the past decade of two, which is the bigger news story — growing churches or dying churches?

Analysis, Christianity, Religion, North America, PoliticsTerry MattinglyDecember 14, 2025Terry Mattingly, Christianity, analysis, religion, politics and faithComment

‘No’ To Church: What Religious Change Looks Like In Latin America

(ANALYSIS) In a region known for its tumultuous change, one idea remained remarkably consistent for centuries: Latin America is Catholic. The region’s 500-year transformation into a Catholic stronghold seemed capped in 2013, when Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected as the first Latin American pope. Once a missionary outpost, Latin America is now the heart of the Catholic Church.

The Bible Says ‘Don’t Work, Don’t Eat’: Does That Hold Up in the Data?

(ANALYSIS) (ANALYSIS) So, there’s this verse you sometimes hear in an evangelical worship service. It’s from 2 Thessalonians 3:10: “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

Analysis, ChristianityRyan BurgeDecember 13, 2025Ryan Burge, Christianity, analysis Comment

Crossroads Podcast: A Christian ‘Revival’ Taking Place Among Some Flocks

The question is not whether Trump is relevant in many of these stories. This is, after all, an age in which faith, culture and religious doctrines are frequently linked to debates about hot-button political issues. The question is whether Trump is placed front and center in every story, warping discussions of issues that were important long before he entered American politics.

A Dream For Christian Higher Education In Europe

When nuns listed a vacant Catholic girls’ school for sale in this sleepy French village in 2017, American Jerry Jones saw an opportunity to expand Christian influence and higher education in Europe. But his British wife, Zoobi Jones, gave a quick, succinct reply to his suggestion that the couple use their savings to buy La Maison de Perrine — “The House of Perrine” in English.

🍿 Question Of ‘Eternity’: Which Heaven Is Right For Me? 🔌

In the afterlife, your wife of 65 years must choose between you and her first husband — a war hero who’s waited 67 years to see her again. That’s the intriguing plot of “Eternity,” a new romantic comedy starring Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen and Callum Turner.

‘Holy Herb’: Kenya’s Rastafarians Fight To Decriminalize Cannabis

Despite cannabis's central role in Rastafarian worship, adherents face persistent criminalization and face a minimum 10-year prison term for simple possession. Police raids on tabernacles remain routine across Kenya, with officers confiscating plants, destroying drums and sometimes forcibly cutting dreadlocks. Now, adherents are trying to legalize it.

What 38 Million Obituaries Reveal About American Values

(ANALYSIS) Obituaries preserve what families most want remembered about the people they cherish most. Across time, they also reveal the values each era chose to honor. In a study published in the journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,” we analyzed 38 million obituaries of Americans published from 1998 to 2024.

On Religion: C.S. Lewis, AI And The Temptation Of Easy Wisdom

(ANALYSIS) Late in the movie “Shadowlands,” the C.S. Lewis character describes the role that books can play in real life. The famous Oxford don and author, played by Anthony Hopkins, notes, “We read books to know that we are not alone.” But Lewis never wrote those memorable words.

Pope Uses Turkey-Lebanon Trip To Advance Interfaith Dialogue

(ANALYSIS) On his recent visit to Turkey and Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV met with political and religious leaders, celebrated Mass and visited historical sites. The trip also marked the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, which resolved core doctrinal differences, with the aim of advancing Christian unity at the time.

NTSB Says Mystery Still Surrounds Crash Of Missionary’s Plane

The cause of the Nov. 10 plane crash that killed a Christian evangelist and his daughter in Coral Springs, Florida, remains a mystery following the release of a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.

Christianity, News, North AmericaTony MatorDecember 11, 2025tony mator, Tony Mator, news, NTSB, Christianity, Christian missionary, Secondary featureComment

In UK Churches Off The Beaten Path, You Can Find Famous Sacred Art

Churches and cathedrals around the U.K. hold works of art by some of the most important and exciting artists of the past 100 years. But unless you know where to look, many can be hard to find. High-profile examples include significant commissions by Elisabeth Frink, John Piper and Graham Sutherland at Coventry Cathedral.

Tough Love: Pour Your Time Into (Real) Community Life

(ANALYSIS) Needless to say, these old-school, pro-First Amendment liberals are not the kind of public intellectuals that cultural and religious conservatives have, in the past, valued for their insights into public life. However, they have created a multi-media space in which all kinds of voices — including strong, vocal Christians (Paul Kingsnorth, leaps to mind) — have been able to reach millions of new readers and listeners.

Analysis, Christianity, ReligionTerry MattinglyDecember 10, 2025Terry Mattingly, analysis, community, religion, ChristianityComment

Crafty Residents ‘Yarn Bomb’ Postal Boxes For Holiday Cheer

Red post boxes are one of the most well-known and iconic British symbols — but at Christmastime, they take on a very different ambiance, often virtually overnight. Posting Christmas cards becomes even more fun as you never know quite what might appear on top of the post box in many part of the U.K.

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