Christianity

(ANALYSIS) The span from 1991 to 1998, in my estimation, is the most consequential period of American religious history in the past five decades. For the 20 years prior, the share of young Americans who were Christians was about 85%, while the nonreligious portion never moved above 10%.

(ANALYSIS) The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Oklahoma can open St. Isidore: an online Roman Catholic charter school named after the patron saint of the internet. If affirmed, the school would be the nation’s first faith-based charter — a sea change in education law, expanding the boundaries of government aid to faith-based schools.

Under normal conditions, a pope releasing a highly personal memoir about his life would create quite a few headlines. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case with “Life: My Story Through History,” the new autobiography from Pope Francis, co-written with Carlo Musso, founder of the Italian publishing company Libreria Pienogiorno. That’s strange, since this is being hailed as the first memoir from a sitting pope.

(OPINION) It’s gratifying to see new government policies which align with God’s creational order, yet this is not the end of our witness on this issue. Our churches should both be eager to declare what is good and true and beautiful about biblical masculinity and femininity and read to help those who struggle with gender dysphoria find hope in the Gospel and the resurrection of the body at the end of the age.

Extolling the importance of religious liberty, Trump announced the formation of a task force to “eradicate anti-Christian bias” in the country as well as the launch of the White House Faith Office during the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday morning. The task force will come by executive order on Feb. 6, he said, and will be led by newly confirmed Attorney General Pam Bondi.

(ANALYSIS) Carey Nieuwhof recently released a video discussing five disruptive trends in the church, which included some sobering statistics. In this article, I’ll highlight one of these trends and offer thoughts on potential solutions from the front lines of reaching the next generation. The first trend Nieuwhof highlights is that Gen Z is simultaneously experiencing revival and retreat. I generally agree with his assessment.

(ANALYSIS) Chaplains work with hospitals, hospices, military units, legislatures, schools, sports teams, corporations, prisons and police and fire departments. Many, but not all, are ordained ministers. For most Americans, the chaplains they know best serve in the nation's 6,000 or more hospitals. Pastors visit the sick and dying from their own congregations. For hospital chaplains, this is the heart of their work — every day.

To achieve this, many churches have embraced technological advancements, including mobile mission vans, online services, loudspeakers, radio, and television, to share the gospel directly with the community. Others have organized crusades and preached on the streets as part of the growing outreach program.

(ANALYSIS) The backlash against President Trump’s funding freeze was swift and strong. But the outcry was not just from progressives. A number of Christian groups, some of them relatively conservative, also objected. World Relief, the benevolence arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, said the freeze would hamper their refugee resettlement efforts.

(REVIEW) In “Immigration and Apocalypse: How the Book of Revelation Shaped American Immigration,” Yii Jan Lin narrates how some Americans have used the apocalyptic vision from the Book of Revelation to idealize the United States as a new holy land, while simultaneously marginalizing immigrants. The U.S. is portrayed as the New Jerusalem, with immigrants viewed as outsiders exhibiting unethical behaviors.

Judging by the television audience, Americans certainly care about the Super Bowl. Few, however, think God shares their concern. Last year’s Super Bowl drew more than 123.7 million U.S. viewers, the largest TV viewership in history. Yet, most U.S. adults don’t believe God cares who wins the big game or determines the the winner, according to a new study.

(ESSAY) Over the next year, Peter Brandes’ health deteriorated but he kept working — designing and making prints for three art books — one of poetry, one of the ancient hymns of Romanus, another of the story of Isaac and Ishmael. And, he made many drawings. Finally, on Jan. 4 he died, with Maja Lisa by his side. His legacy is a body of work — both sacred and secular — unique in the 20th and early 21st centuries. A gift to the world.

Not yet, and not quite, even as President Trump’s agenda instead puts the news spotlight on transgender issues. Though the Supreme Court’s historic 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision to legalize gay and lesbian marriage nationwide was by a narrow 5 to 4, the law appears very unlikely to change. And yet dissent continues and U.S. public opinion is shifting a bit.

In an era of secularism, where discussions often center around the decline of religious belief, going on a pilgrimage may seem outdated. However, the reality is quite the opposite. The appeal of religious tourism attracts people of all ages. As many make plans for the coming summer, this type of tourism has become big business in a post-pandemic world.

When the 18th century church planter and evangelist George Liele was imprisoned in Jamaica, he spread the Gospel in prison, reminiscent of the apostle Paul. Liele is among historical African American Christians author Trillia Newbell invites families to center dinner table devotions around in her book, “Celebrating Around the Table: Learning the Stories of Black Christians Through Readings, Fellowship, Food and Faith.”

Winning souls for Christ in Nicaragua was tough, but in a country where faith is almost an assumption, church membership and attendance doesn’t seem to be a priority, said minister César Gadea. Now, the church they planted is planting new churches. Some surveys refer to the South American nation as one of the most religious in the world.

(ANALYSIS) They are the second largest generation in America’s history. At 74 million persons, they are only surpassed in size by the Boomer generation. Born between 1980 and 1997, they are shaping our businesses, our government, and our culture. And they are shaping our churches.

The loss of a rule that prevented officials from entering churches to arrest immigrants accused of being in the U.S. illegally has hurt the Church’s witness, the National Hispanic Baptist Network said on Jan. 29 in calling for the rule’s reinstatement.

(ANALYSIS) The questions at the 2025 March for Life were familiar ones for D.C. Beltway insiders: Would major politicians show up, and what would they say?

(OPINION) Churches, temples and other religious organizations often employ experienced, highly skilled people — talented employees who could otherwise find work in the private sector but are called to service by their faith and belief in their community’s mission and values. These employees will often compromise on salary to do meaningful work, but they do expect adequate benefits and health care. For church leaders — often under pressure to keep a close eye on expenses — finding and paying for health care can be the most stressful part of the job. 

As flames continue to sweep across Los Angeles, the impact on local faith communities has been profound. Yet, it has also highlighted the spirit of generosity and solidarity among Angelenos. Many congregants, displaced by the fires, have found refuge in the homes of fellow members, while others have offered their properties at cost to help those who’ve lost everything.

Trump signed an executive order Jan. 23 pardoning 23 pro-lifers convicted of federal crimes for blocking entrances to abortion clinics before the overturning of Roe v. Wade, some of whom were serving prison sentences. “They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people,” Trump said at the signing ceremony. “This is a great honor to sign this.”

(ANALYSIS) Homeschooled kids constitute a population group that I’ve always wanted to try to understand better, but it’s a super hard methodological problem. There’s no central database that tracks them.

(REVIEW) Pastor Tyler Staton’s new book makes a compelling case for placing the Holy Spirit at the center of Christian life. Unfortunately, much of what it says also validates the fears of those skeptical about Spirit-filled theology. In times of perceived decline, people search for answers on how to reverse it. Many in the church and the Western world view Christianity and Western civilization as being in cultural retreat. One of the proposed solutions is "re-enchantment.”

(OPINION) This past summer, still in her 50s, Vickie fell ill with what turned out to be advanced ovarian cancer. Surgery didn’t help. Chemo didn’t help. The cancer just kept coming. That’s when truly remarkable things started happening.

Episcopalians own the cathedral of D.C. culture  Thus, journalists embedded in Beltway life applauded Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde.

In November, Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced that starting this month, churches in the country would be expected to pay taxes. The announcement caused apprehension among religious leaders, prompting the country’s tax agency, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, to clarify that the new tax would apply only to churches’ trading income, not tithes and offerings.

(OPINION) I have one bit of advice for all those people fuming over Elon Musk’s hand gestures: Stop. I know it’s tough to resist the temptation to go into full outrage mode over the apparent Nazi gesture Musk made during an Inauguration Day speech at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena. A lot of energy has gone into parsing Musk’s gesture, and attacking those who don’t see it your way.

Shrinking church attendance. Closing congregations. Minister shortages. Post-COVID upheaval. All those factors contributed to the strong interest in the dialogue organized by Heritage21, which partners with churches to — as the ministry puts it — “renew, repurpose and replant God’s kingdom in these challenging times.”