Israel’s Ultra-Orthodox Divide Tests The Meaning Of Citizenship

(ANALYSIS) As Israel enters its third year of war on multiple fronts, the question of whether ultra-Orthodox men should be exempt from mandatory military service has become a much larger argument about citizenship itself: Who bears responsibility for defending the Jewish state?

Read More
Halos And Horns: Dolly Parton’s Spiritual Journey

(ANALYSIS) Celebrating the country music legend is an honor “mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” stressed Bryan Seaver, the son of Parton's sister Cassie Parton, in the family’s announcement of her death.

Read More
Vance’s Faith Memoir Evidences America’s ‘Invigorated Public Christianity’

Little over a decade ago, J.D. Vance was an atheist Yale Law School graduate obsessed with pursuing achievement in private life. Today he is a United States vice president who professes faith in Christ and rejects upward mobility as a means of fulfillment. Things have changed. Vance explains the change in his book “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith,” released this summer.

Read More
In Bangladesh, An Indigenous Buddhist Revival Takes Root Again

Buddhism is experiencing a revival in northern Bangladesh as thousands of Indigenous Oraon people have embraced the faith since the mid-1990s. Supporters see it as a return to an ancient religious heritage, though the movement faces challenges, including a shortage of monks and criticism from some religious leaders.

Read More
Inside The Growing Jewish Movement Shaking Up Tradition

The majority of practicing jews in the United States identify as either Orthodox, Conservative or Reform Judaism. But a new group of spiritual outsiders might be shaking things up.

Read More
Raiders Rookie Quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s Faith Bigger Than Football

Even at the height of his extraordinary 2025 season at Indiana — when he won the Heisman Trophy and transformed himself from an overlooked prospect into the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft — Mendoza repeatedly pointed somewhere beyond the gridiron: God. He enters the NFL this season as a top-rated rookie quarterback not afraid to talk about his faith.

Read More
Nepal Floods Disrupt Pilgrimage To Sacred Mount Kailash

(ANALYSIS) Hundreds of pilgrims traveling to Mount Kailash were among those affected by devastating floods that struck the Nepal–Tibet border on Aug. 26. The floods destroyed the border crossing most commonly used to reach what is arguably the most revered holy mountain in the world, which sits in the Tibet autonomous region of China.

Read More
N.T. Wright’s ‘Vision of Ephesians’ Offers Insightful Lens For The Pauline Letter

(REVIEW) N.T. Wright, a leading Bible scholar and senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, has written “The Vision of Ephesians: The Task of the Church and the Glory of God.” If this volume inspires you to read more of his work, be warned: You will have 79 or so additional books to go.

Read More
NJ School District Faces Federal Lawsuit over Christian Student Clubs

What happens in this New Jersey town can have ramifications for the whole country: The Fellowship of Christian Athletes has filed a federal lawsuit against a district, alleging the district unlawfully barred outside volunteers from attending religious student clubs.

Read More
Pastors Wary Of AI To Interpret Scripture, But Still Use Technology

Protestant pastors register the greatest distrust in artificial intelligence interpreting “contested” Scriptures, Barna said in its latest State of the Church release in partnership with Gloo, but few pastors would abandon the technology altogether. Only 5 percent of pastors reject AI as a tool to interpret difficult passages, researchers said, and only 10 percent want AI to proclaim which interpretation is correct.

Read More
‘Bad Counselors’ An Unfunny Christian Satire About Frat Boys Who Learn Nothing About Faith

(REVIEW) When a wild night ends in handcuffs and a campus police escort, two best friends (named Grayson and Tyler are slapped with 120 hours of community service due in two weeks — or they’re expelled. Their genius plan? Pose as counselors at a local Christian youth camp.

Read More
Students Advocate For Clarity: Hindu Swastika Different From Nazi Symbol

(ESSAY) It is one of Hinduism's oldest and most sacred symbols, representing peace, prosperity, good fortune and well-being. But Hitler hijacked it, turning it into a universal symbol of hate. My Hindu classmates and I advocated for our history classes to accurately teach the difference.

Read More
Crossroads Podcast: Dolly Parton’s Songs Reveal Her Faith, Heart and Soul

This week’s podcast argues that Dolly Parton’s songs, philanthropy and Appalachian roots reveal far more about her faith, character and worldview than her polished public image. By examining songs like “Coat of Many Colors,” “I Am Ready” and “Horns and Halos,” it challenges conventional obituaries to listen more closely.

Read More
❤️ We Will Always Love Her: How Dolly Parton Lived Out Her Personal Faith 🔌

Since the news broke Tuesday that Dolly Parton “is in the arms of Jesus,” Weekend Plug-in columnist Bobby Ross Jr. has joined countless millions of fans in reflecting on her life, her legacy — and yes, her faith.

Read More
Why We Don’t Really Know What America Believes

(ANALYSIS) Let me start by stating a fact that seems incomprehensible to even type out, but it undergirds almost every single graph that I produce: We don’t actually know the religious composition of the United States with any real precision. I know that sounds bizarre. The truth is that we are relying on a whole bunch of “best guesses” based on sound methodology and replication.

Read More
Before Greek Myths Reached Movie Theaters, They Were Weapons Of Political Satire

(ANALYSIS) Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has brought Homer’s epic tale back to the big screen. The film is the latest retelling of a story that is almost 3,000 years old. But why do these ancient Greek stories continue to captivate new generations? Nolan aside, Stephen Fry’s retelling of Greek myths in 2017 and Disney’s “Hercules” film, for example, are part of a much longer tradition of repackaging the ancient world for contemporary audiences.

Read More
Finding God On The Mat: Yoga Meets Christianity In Colorado

Christian yoga classes in Colorado, are giving women a unique space for exercise, fellowship and spiritual reflection. Led by Charity Morine, the sessions combine movement, prayer, worship music and Scripture, helping participants release stress, confront personal struggles and deepen their relationship with God.

Read More
Inside Christopher Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’: A Pagan Epic Through Christian Eyes

(ANALYSIS) After watching Christopher Nolan's take on “The Odyssey,” Father Dwight Longenecker remembered a comment Steven Spielberg made in a commentary while discussing how viewers react to symbolism. The director was responding to comments that crosses in the “Saving Private Ryan” cemetery scenes suggested the hero was a Christ figure who suffered to save a lost soul.

Read More