South America
(OPINION) Two years since the terror attacks launched by Hamas on Israel, there appears to be a persistent moral ambiguity on how the world has responded to Israel’s plight. Should they be faulted at all for their call to get Israeli hostages back and to demand the disarmament of Hamas to finally end the war in Gaza?
(ANALYSIS) Nearly 200 Tibetan Buddhist nuns from religious institutions across India and Nepal — a record number — gathered recently at the Dolma Ling Nunnery in northern India to take various levels of the “geshema” examination. These exams are in preparation for one day receiving the geshema degree, comparable with a doctorate in Tibetan Buddhist philosophy.
Dead Sea Scroll fragments and hundreds of other artifacts will be on display starting Nov. 22 at the Museum of the Bible’s “Dead Sea Scrolls: The Exhibition,” brought in partnership with the Israel Antiquities Authority.
(ANALYSIS) Young men have stopped leaving church in droves and are probably just as religious as young women at this point.
It’s time to play “spot the headline,” a game that I have — for decades — watched mainstream journalists play as they cover the papacy.
(ANALYSIS) The announcement that Bishop Sarah Mullally will become the next Archbishop of Canterbury marks an extraordinary milestone in the Church of England’s long and complex history — but also sets the stage for a challenging chapter ahead. Her appointment is as symbolic as it is strategic. It comes at a moment when the church is navigating both internal turmoil and a shifting role in British public life.
Interest in communicating with the dead has continued to thread itself through contemporary American life. For a medium in Pennsylvania, communicating with loved ones helps bring her clients comfort. While the tradition of consulting seers and oracles is as old as the ancient Greeks, spiritualism in America really started to take off in the middle of the 19th century.
Robert Morris, the founder of Gateway Church in Dallas, on Thursday pleaded guilty to sexually abusing Cindy Clemishire in the 1980s, beginning when she was just 12.
(REVIEW) The online series does a solid job of translating the biblical story and characters into a sit-com workplace comedy format. But, like the Israelites looking for the promised land, it has a long way to go before it gets there. The first season of “The Promised Land” is available on YouTube now with new episodes releasing each week.
The Anglican Church of Uganda has unveiled a digital land information management system to curb rampant land grabbing that threatens its vast properties. Land grabbing remains one of the church’s most pressing challenges in Uganda. Illegal squatters and unscrupulous land dealers have deprived the institution of the property church leaders had planned to develop for religious schools and worship space.
(ANALYSIS) The deadly attack at a synagogue in northern England on Yom Kippur — the holiest and most solemn day of the Jewish calendar — has cast a long shadow over the safety and security of Jewish communities in Britain and beyond. The 10/7 attacks and their aftermath have exacerbated an already volatile environment.
(ANALYSIS) The question is whether Vatican leaders can build unity between bishops who back Pride Masses and those who approve Latin Masses.
(ANALYSIS) Many factors can shape how someone views abortion – gender, age and education, to name a few. Around the world, however, religious belief is the most powerful predictor that someone will disapprove, as I document in my 2025 book, “Fetal Positions.” Faith traditions’ teachings about abortion vary — and there is diversity of opinions within faiths, too.
(ANALYSIS) In our politically divided society, there are sharply differing reactions to the political rally combined with memorial tribute to Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10. But there is almost universal tribute to his young widow's moving testimony that she forgave his killer. There is also almost universal comment on the starkly contrasting words of President Trump immediately following.
Mike Bickle, former leader of International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC), has “disqualified himself permanently from holding any such high and honorable office anywhere in the Body of Christ in his lifetime,” according to a Pastoral Recommendation Team report. Bickle “failed to live in a manner commensurate with the Gospel message.”
(OPINION) I went to sleep this past Saturday night with a heavy heart. Just before saying goodnight to my family, I had picked up my phone and saw an Instagram post stating that Russell M. Nelson, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had passed away just hours before. He had recently turned 101, so his passing was not wholly unexpected, but I felt a wash of grief hit me nonetheless.
(OPINION) Greek Orthodox churches throughout the United States often host an annual event known as “The Greek Festival.” Depending on the venue, this festival will primarily consist of some of the best homemade food you’ll ever eat, as well as dancing and church tours.
The upcoming “FIFA Unites: Women’s Series” marks the convergence of sports, politics, religion and human rights. For the Afghan refugee players, it’s a real chance to reclaim their place in the game. For FIFA, it’s a test of whether its commitment to women’s soccer extends beyond symbolic support — and whether it is willing to confront the contradictions within its own global family.
(ANALYSIS) The author of “Infinite Jest” grasped something that makes secular intellectuals squirm: People must worship something. Take away God and they don't become enlightened — they become slaves to smaller gods. Wallace witnessed this transformation with clarity. His characters bow before drugs, screens, achievement — anything promising relief from the weight of existence.
(ANALYSIS) Russell M. Nelson, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2018 until his death, was a dynamic reformer despite his age. He streamlined church operations, pushed for gender equity and firmly reaffirmed conservative doctrines. His most far-reaching change was rejecting the term “Mormon,” calling it a win for Satan and urging use of the church’s full name.
U.S. evangelicals are as supportive of Israel as they were four years ago, Infinity Concepts and Grey Matter found in their latest poll, although findings portend a possible generational shift.
Herbie Newell, the president and executive director of Lifeline Children’s Services — said the agency some U.S. families are using for their adoption — is cautiously hopeful that something can still be done to unite the 300 waiting children with their new parents.
When people say they “lose themselves in music,” it can describe the spiritual-like experience of entering a trance or altered state evoked by rhythm or melody. In various cultures and faith traditions, music acts as a bridge to spirituality. Interpretive choreography, beating on drums, humming and chanting — all create an atmosphere that draws people into connection with something greater.
Camp Mystic, a Christian girls camp where 27 campers and counselors died in the July 4 flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas, has said it plans to host camps next summer. The owners said they plan to open Camp Mystic Cypress Lake to campers in the summer of 2026. The elevated Cypress Lake section of the campground opened in 2020 and operates independently from the older Guadalupe River camp, which was severely damaged by the floods.
Emir Caner’s tenure as Truett McConnell University (TMU) president ended on Friday. when trustees announced his firing from the Southern Baptist school in Cleveland, Georgia. The dismissal comes five months after it was reported that for years, Caner ignored allegations of grooming and sexual abuse by Bradley Reynolds, the school’s academic vice president. The woman alleging the abuse was TMU graduate and former soccer coach Hayle Swinson.
The mission requires going into rural communities to preach the Gospel. In fact, AMEN introduced what Pastor Oscar Amaechina calls a “humanitarian service directorate,” mainly to help attend to the physical needs of the poor, especially women who are victims of religious violence.
(REVIEW) “Ruth & Boaz,” a modern retelling of the biblical love story, blends faith-based themes with romantic drama and Tyler Perry-style spectacle. Directed by Alanna Brown and produced under a Netflix deal with DeVon Franklin and Tyler Perry Studios, the film explores themes of faith, redemption and healing while leaning heavily on familiar tropes.
Zohran Mamdani's candidacy offers a lens into the future of American urban politics — one that is both multicultural and deeply polarizing. It’s also a referendum on whether a candidate can be unapologetically Muslim, unflinchingly progressive and still viable as a leader in America’s largest city.
Hurricane Helene made landfall near Perry, Fla., late on September 26 and carved a unique, destructive path across the Southeast before dropping a deluge on South Central Appalachia. The extent of 2024’s most destructive storm would not be known until days later as flooding in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee permanently altered the landscape, wiping away entire communities and claiming the lives of at least 250 people.
(ANALYSIS) Weakened militarily and politically after two years of war with Israel, Hamas is facing growing pressure — from both Palestinians and the international community — to accept a U.S.-backed peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump. The group has already agreed to release the remaining Israeli hostages and hand over control of Gaza to a technocratic Palestinian body.