Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy retired in 2018, but religious-liberty activists still want to know where he hoped to draw a bright line between religious freedom and the sexual revolution. Kennedy knew that the First Amendment's declaration that government “shall make no law ... prohibiting the free exercise of religion” was creating warfare in modern American law and politics. But he didn't know how to end the strife.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I think the best description of attitudes toward gene editing is ambivalence. About 30% of the public thinks this is a good idea, and the exact same share thinks it’s a bad idea. The plurality response was “not sure” at 40% of the general public. That’s a pretty good indication to me that the average person is not spending a whole lot of time thinking about the implications of gene editing.
Read MoreMore than eight in 10 Americans agree that respect, family, trustworthiness and freedom are important values to them. At least three-quarters say the same when it comes to kindness, health, integrity, happiness and knowledge.
Read More(OPINION) We know that the Holy Spirit convicts the world (unbelievers) of sin (John 16:8). But he also convicts believers of our sins. I have never again felt the weight of conviction as I did that time in 1979. But I am thankful how God cleared my conscience through the work of his Holy Spirit.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Bono has never been backwards in coming forward, especially when it comes to God. He doesn’t mumble about “spiritual energy” or dodge the name of Jesus. He says it straight: “The Son of God.” He talks about Christ carrying his shame, not because it sounds poetic, but because he believes it. His faith isn’t necessarily neat or polished, but it's real.
Read More(ANALYSIS) If we agree that on-screen depictions of Jesus that add things to Scripture aren’t automatically evil, then “The Chosen” actually comes out seeming like something of a miracle. It sticks pretty darn close to Scripture when it comes to Jesus’ own words and actions, mostly developing other characters. And what it does add to Jesus’ words is within the realm of typical Christian orthodoxy.
Read MoreIn other words, the moral battle lines at the heart of America’s “culture wars” continue to shift and evolve. Maybe the editors at the Times should assign a religion-beat professional to the team that is covering these trends?
Read MoreCalling SBC messengers at the 2025 annual meeting in Dallas to recognize God’s grace this past year, SBC President Clint Pressley said he is “glad to be Southern Baptist” and invited listeners to join in the celebration.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A common assumption is that religious leaders get in the pulpit and speak from a deep well of conviction and surety about where they stand on matters of religious belief. But maybe not — at least according to data from the National Survey of Religious Leaders.
Read MoreExploring interfaith dialogue using knitting is the surprising theme of a new touring event taking place around the United Kingdom. It all started when Canadian actor and artist Kirk Dunn developed a passion for knitting. The result is an interfaith look at society, how faith can bring people together for a unique show and the “commonalities and conflicts between the three Abrahamic faiths.”
Read More(REVIEW) “The Ritual” is a movie you’ve seen many times before. But the story is clearly powerful enough that it is worth retelling. Hopefully, filmmakers will start figuring out how to tell these stories in new and different ways. In the meantime, we have movies like “The Ritual” and can always rewatch a classic such as “The Exorcist” again.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Across America, a growing number of people of all ages are communing with the Holy Spirit via their smartphones and laptops. Once the stuff of pews and pulpits, faith now flows through fiber optics. It’s convenient, sure. No parking, no crowds, no early wake-ups. But is it really church? The answer appears to be no — a resounding no.
Read More"The Damned" is a film that focuses on the human element of war, particularly faith and individual stories, during the Civil War. Unlike many modern war films, it connects viewers with characters through their personal beliefs and struggles. Director Roberto Minervini used nonprofessional actors and improvisation to create an authentic experience.
Read MoreChristian faith threatens Russian President Vladimir Putin because it is out of his control. As such, his war on Ukraine has centered on the systematic persecution of Christians, their families and their churches. That is the central message of “A Faith Under Siege: Russia’s Hidden War on Ukraine’s Christians,” a documentary premiering May 10 on CBN, and following on TBN, Newsmax and several screening platforms.
Read MoreBelief in the supernatural — including life after death and the idea that animals and nature can possess spirits — is common across diverse cultures and religions, with younger and older generations sharing similar views, a new survey reveals. The findings paint a nuanced picture of global spirituality, suggesting that beliefs in the unseen are deeply rooted in human cultures and persist even as traditional faith fades.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This may be unsettling to those who’ve invested in the idea of a steadily secularizing globe, but the numbers don’t lie. In the long run, the groups that reproduce tend to shape the narrative. If religion continues to dominate global culture through the 21st century, it won’t be because it won a war of ideas. It’ll be because believers have more babies.
Read More(REVIEW) “Fallen,” the love story of a girl loved by a fallen angel, has been adapted to the screen twice since the original book was released in 2009. Its most recent adaptation to television, an eight-episode season now streaming on AMC+, suggests a more negative view of religion that’s developed over the past decade — and it’s worse off narratively for not embracing the original story’s theology.
Read More(ANALYSIS) One of the most interesting lines of survey research in the last couple of years has been led by Tyler VanderWeele at Harvard. It’s focused on a fairly simple but incredibly consequential aspect of life — human flourishing.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion and Harvard University's Human Flourishing Program, along with Gallup and the Center for Open Science, released on Wednesday the first findings of their ongoing worldwide survey examining what makes for human flourishing.
Read More(REVIEW) The end of winter in New York sometimes feels rife with melancholy. A few spring days taunt with the warmth and new life to come, but the city is still plagued by the dregs of winter. The only appropriate response, if that melancholy has become personal, is to channel that solemn energy into something productive — like going to see the exhibition “The Soul of Nature” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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