South America
The Houthis are both an armed political movement and a governing authority in parts of Yemen, as well as an organization designated as terrorist by the United States. Understanding these different dimensions is essential to assessing the movement and its impact on the Middle East. This weekend’s attack on Saudi Arabia sheds a spotlight on the militant group terrorizing the region.
(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV has spent his papacy carrying the enormous responsibilities of leading the Catholic Church, addressing a world troubled by conflict and division and offering spiritual guidance to millions of faithful. The 71-year-old pontiff now faces a personal challenge: Surgery to remove a small nodule discovered in his lung.
The actor’s new memoir, “The Steps,” revisits his journey from struggling actor to Oscar-winning star, framing his life alongside the enduring themes of “Rocky.” As the film nears its 50th anniversary, Stallone reflects on his Christian faith, insecurity, perseverance and the story’s deeper symbolism.
(ANALYSIS) Perhaps the most famous religious fraud of the 20th century was the Jim and Tammy Bakker/PTL scandal. The PTL (“Praise The Lord”) scandal, though it happened more than 50 years ago, has become emblematic of faith-based fraud, and no discussion of the subject is complete without an examination of what happened in the Bible Belt city of Charlotte.
Legislation introduced in the Senate could allow students pursuing theological training for a religious vocation to receive federal tuition assistance. Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) filed the Religious Education Fairness Act.
I am convinced that with Shepard’s skills at investigative reporting, and my religion-beat sources in Charlotte-area groups, we could have broken the story several years earlier, perhaps saving the bank accounts and pensions of many PTL donors. But Shepard never gave up and did untold hours of work on his own, starting with a crucial lead in my notes, the caller’s farewell statement: “Just remember this name — Jessica Hahn.”
In the wake of Christa Pike’s botched lethal injection in Tennessee, Weekend Plug-in columnist Bobby Ross Jr. reflects on the role of spiritual advisers at executions. The practice has a history that precedes the founding of the United States.
Parents struggling with abusive and rebellious children are finding hope through “Rising Stars Generations,” a South African Christian camp founded by Prince Motlou. Grounded in Bible-based teaching and military-style discipline, the camp aims to restore respect, strengthen families and steer troubled youth away from crime, drugs and violence.
(ANALYSIS) Two scholars decided to make a pilgrimage along the Kumano Kodō trail — an ancient route in Japan connecting Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples — guided by an artificial intelligence assistant. The two — Wayne E. Arnold and John A. Shultz — trained an AI companion to suit their travel needs. They were also curious to see how AI would shape their pilgrimage experience.
(ANALYSIS) Whenever you think about the very largest churches in the United States, what denominations come to mind? I think that most of you, if you’ve been following along with this newsletter for any amount of time, would think of non-denominationalism. Maybe a Southern Baptist church. And the data says that this is largely the case.
(ANALYSIS) The war between Auburn and Alabama has verged on a crusade, with fans so devoted some seem possessed. In the most infamous moment on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” “Al from Dadeville” offered this explanation, quoting former Alabama football player Tommy Lewis, for his poisonous attack that killed Auburn's Toomer's Corner oak trees: “I just have too much ‘Bama in me.”
(ANALYSIS) A team of researchers from Sivas Cumhuriyet University in Turkey is investigating a long-standing claim: That a boat-shaped geological formation in the country’s east contains the remains of Noah’s Ark. In the Book of Genesis, God decides to destroy the world with a flood. Following God’s instructions, Noah builds an ark to save himself, his family and animals of every kind.
The highest peak in Zimbabwe, standing at 2,592 meters above sea level, has been the source of local intrigue for decades: People have gone missing, strange natural phenomena have created inexplicable mystical experiences, and now, some are even claiming the mountain is home to UFOs. Whatever the case, it has attracted curious travelers from around the world.
The election is expected to serve, in large part, as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition’s refusal to take responsibility for the failures of Oct. 7. But the fallout will also appear on the ballot itself, which will include several candidates whose lives were upended on that fateful day and the three tumultuous years that followed.
More pastors are preaching longer sermons, and most churchgoers are OK with it. In fact, a small but growing number would prefer even more each week. A Lifeway Research study of Protestant pastors and churchgoers finds little disagreement between the pulpit and the pews over sermon length, even as pastors stretch out their weekly messages.
The Netflix documentary series “Death of the Pastor’s Wife” has garnered over 40 million views in just over a month. But is a Netflix show the best way to tell this story? Why does clergy abuse happen so frequently? On this week’s podcast, Christian investigative reporter Julie Roys explains.
For more than five decades, Bakker embodied both the possibilities and the perils of American televangelism. He was a pioneering Christian broadcaster who understood that TV could turn a ministry into a mass-media enterprise. He was also a convicted felon whose career became an enduring cautionary tale about money, celebrity and religious power.
Former Christian Life Center worship leader Caleb Flynn was sentenced Monday to life in prison without parole for murdering his wife, still insisting, “I did not kill my wife.” Flynn, 40, acknowledged adultery, lies and broken marriage vows at a Miami County, Ohio, court hearing. But he continued to deny killing Ashley Flynn, 37, a teacher and volleyball coach.
More than 9,000 Anglican churches and chapels across the United Kingdom participate in the A Rocha U.K. Eco-Church movement, which encourages congregations to care for the environment around their buildings. This has become a bigger part of church outreach, especially in the six years since the pandemic.
(ANALYSIS) Timothy Keller, founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church, may represent a strategic successor to Billy Graham’s evangelical influence. His posthumous book, co-written with his son Michael, examines seven cultural myths involving identity, power, freedom, morality, science, happiness and progress, arguing that Christianity offers more satisfying answers.
(ANALYSIS) The Bible was such an integral part of my upbringing that it’s hard to describe. We did Bible quizzing drills and scripture verse memorization. By the time I got my driver’s license, I had a pretty good grasp on the meta-narrative laid out in the 66 books that make up the Old and New Testaments. I had Bibles from all kinds of translations, too.
Findings are based on several data sets, including surveys distributed in seven languages to experts in 100 countries, in-depth interviews with country-specific experts, and onsite visits to select countries to verify data and collect additional information, as well as established resources including the World Christian Database, the World Watch List and World Development Bank indicators.
Notre Dame and Villanova will tip off the 2026-27 college basketball season nearly 4,500 miles from their home campuses, with the two schools’ men’s and women’s teams meeting in Rome on Nov. 1 in an international doubleheader billed as the “Eternal City Tip-Off.” The event will also feature an audience with Pope Leo, a Villanova grad and big sports fan.
(REVIEW) What makes “Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother” so impressive is that it combines so many things that are hard to find in faith-focused movies. Hollywood films have long struggled to make movies about faith that resonate with the experiences of actually religious people. Religious people have historically struggled to make faith movies that aren’t preachy.
The U.S. recently completed its military withdrawal from Iraq after a 12-year mission against ISIS. Iraq is more stable but remains shaped by powerful Shia parties, Iranian influence, armed militias, Sunni political recovery, Kurdish autonomy and lingering ISIS activity — raising questions about the country’s future.
(TRAVEL) We Bangaloreans are just a stone’s throw away from a place of worship. And if one threw a stone, chances are it would probably land on one of the beautiful, iconic places of worship in Bangalore. Or perhaps the stone might get stuck in one of the many traffic jams.
An anti-Islam rally promoted as a “Christian Crusader March” drew hundreds of demonstrators and counterdemonstrators to this majority Arab American city of Dearborn, Michigan. A few participants carried assault rifles as police in riot gear patrolled. The Sunday after the recent protest, minister Wayne Beason felt compelled to speak up for his Muslim neighbors.
On the 25th anniversary of 9/11 last month, Weekend Plug-in columnist Bobby Ross Jr. found myself in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michgan. He came to work on a story related to America’s ongoing war over words over Muslims and their place in U.S. society. While coincidental, the timing struck Ross as ironic.
Puppies in the pews? Churches worldwide are gearing up to celebrate St. Francis, patron saint of animals, by inviting pets, including goats, cats, tortoises and more into their buildings to receive a special blessing — chaotic comedy often ensues.
(ANALYSIS) In those texts, the conquest and colonization of the Western Hemisphere were inseparable from religious conversion. His actions echoed in subsequent generations, evident in other Europeans’ efforts to spread Christianity in the Americas.