🏈 ‘Like A Religion’: Why Super Bowl Sunday Means So Much To The Football Faithful 🔌

For the most fervent of the football faithful, the Super Bowl — which last year drew a record 123.7 million U.S. viewers — brings rituals and traditions with a quasi-religious feel. But at least one Christian scholar has concerns.

Trends Suggest Gen Z Experiencing Both Religious Revival And Retreat

(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.

Palestinians Have Resisted Resettlement And Trump’s Gaza Plan Won’t Change That

(ANALYSIS) President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the U.S. should “take over” Gaza, displace its current population and turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East” is unsettling — in both a literal and, to Palestinians, a very personal sense.

On Religion: Chaplains Helping People Journey From ‘Why’ To ‘When’?

(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.

Once Again, it’s Time To Ponder God’s Role In The Super Bowl

(ANALYSIS) Looking at the calendar, I see that the Kansas City Chiefs and Taylor Swift have one more game this year. Thus, let me ask two questions that — when placed back to back — create a paradox that points to some ironic tensions in this culture of ours.

Rwandan-Backed M23 Rebels Seize Goma And Advance Further Into Eastern Congo

(ANALYSIS) On Jan. 31, United Nations agencies called for an end to the violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo as fighting between government forces and the Rwandan-backed M23 armed group intensified. The call comes after M23 rebels have already seized Goma, the provincial capital.

Analysis, Africa, ReligionEwelina U. OchabFebruary 5, 2025Ewelina Ochab, Forbes, Rwanda, M23 Rebels, Goma, Congo, DRC, religion, AfricaComment

Should Christian Ministries Take Government Funds?

(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.

Is Same-Sex Marriage A Settled Issue In The US?

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.

There’s A Backlash Against Same-Sex Marriage Among Growing Group Of Christians

(ANALYSIS) In a 14-year time period, support for same-sex marriage went from 31% to 68%. That’s just a stunning shift in such a short period of time. And because of the velocity of the change, we cannot attribute that to generational replacement.

Crossroads Podcast: What Was The Big Idea Of This Year’s March for Life?

The bottom line: Next year, more journalists need to attend some of the worship services linked to the March for Life. They will hear plenty of voices, young and old, stressing that the sanctity of human life is too complex to be discussed in political terms, alone.

🤣 A Preacher And A Stand-Up Comedian Walk Into A Christian Youth Conference … 🔌

Hoss Ridgeway mixes preaching and stand-up comedy. The Indiana minister says he knows when it’s appropriate to be funny — and when the situation calls for a serious approach.

5 Reasons Millennial Pastors Are Not Moving To Larger Churches

(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.

Analysis, ChristianityThom RainerJanuary 30, 2025Thom Rainer, pastors, analysis, Millennials, church, Christianity, recharge Comment

On Religion: March For Life Opens Up Complex Questions In Changing Times

(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?

Kremlin Promotes ‘Traditional’ Values, But Leaves Battles To Others

(ANALYSIS) As 2025 begins, Russia ends its official “Year of the Family.” But the state has been promoting what it calls “traditional” or “pro-family” values for more than a decade — and looks likely to continue.

Hongbao: A History Of The Red Envelopes Given Out At Lunar New Year

(ANALYSIS) Red envelopes, known as hongbao in Mandarin, are a cherished cultural tradition in China and many other parts of Asia. In China, the vibrant red color symbolizes good fortune and joy. Hongbao can be given during many various festive and joyful occasions, and they are a prominent feature of Lunar New Year.

Analysis, Asia, Buddhism, Culture, NewsMing GaoJanuary 29, 2025Ming Gao, Asia, Lunar New Year, Buddhism, news, analysis, hongbao, China, recharge, Chinese New Year, red envelopes, snake, Year of the SnakeComment

SMU Breaks From United Methodist Church, But Can It Retain Its ‘Methodist’ Identity?

(ANALYSIS) A Texas Supreme Court hearing marked the climax of a significant six-year legal battle. SMU has declared its independence from the United Methodist Church, ending a 114-year connection while planning to retain its “Methodist” name. Regardless of the decision, one question remains: In what respects is SMU a “Methodist” or a “Christian” university beyond acknowledging its heritage?

80 Years After Liberation Of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Global Atrocities Continue

(ANALYSIS) Monday marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. Over 1 million people were murdered there, most of them Jews, but also Poles, Roma, Soviet prisoners of war and people of other nationalities.

The Religion And Politics Of Students Who Were Homeschooled

(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.

‘The Familiar Stranger’ Reintroduces A Familiar Debate About The Holy Spirit

(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.”

Analysis, Christianity, Evangelicals, North America, BooksJoseph HolmesJanuary 27, 2025Joseph Holmes, books, book review, Christianity, re-enchantment, review, analysisComment

This Year Must Mark The End Of Gender Apartheid In Afghanistan

(ANALYSIS) The last three years have seen the Taliban placing restrictions on all aspects of women’s lives in Afghanistan. From education to employment. From movement to participation in everyday activities. When the international community thought that it could not get any worse for women in Afghanistan, the Taliban kept coming up with new ways how to impose more restrictions on women.

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