🎸 Top 10 Faith-Infused Country Songs: The ACM’s All-Time Best Honorees 🔌

Sure, drinking and cheating songs characterize a whole lot of the country music genre, known for its roots in working-class, blue-collar American life. But faith, too, infuses many Nashville hits, as illustrated by the 60th annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

Crossroads Podcast: A New Pope Unleashes ‘Groundhog Day’ Inside Newsrooms

That’s exactly how I feel these days when reading most mainstream news coverage of Catholic life in the age of Donald Trump. I know that it’s going to be cold, it’s going to be black and white and it’s going to stay that way until a blue, “progressive” politician seizes the White House. And I say that as a former blue-dog, pro-life Democrat who is now a #NeverTrump third-party voter.

On Religion: As Pope Leo XIV Takes Charge, German Church Tests Doctrinal Limits

(ANALYSIS) The days after a pope's death are hectic, and it's a hard time for Vatican officials to examine complex, controversial documents. Nevertheless, the bishops of Germany announced — two days after Pope Francis died on April 21 — guidelines for handling blessings for same-sex couples and other "irregular" relationships. Welcome to the Chair of St. Peter, Pope Leo XIV.

New Pope Faces Limits On Changing The Church Following Francis’ Reforms

(ANALYSIS) To what degree will the new pope stand or not stand in continuity with Francis? As a scholar who has studied the writings and actions of the popes since the time of the Second Vatican Council, a series of meetings held to modernize the church from 1962 to 1965, I am aware that every pope comes with his own vision and his own agenda for leading the church.

Future Leo XIV Offered Warnings On Screens Culture

(ANALYSIS) The global media storm surrounding the election of Pope Leo XIV will soon fade to some degree (until he wears a Chicago White Sox jersey or something like that). This post centers on the fact that the priest and bishop who is now pope has, in the past, offered some strong, insightful appeals for church leaders to face the realities of the digital age.

Greta Gerwig’s Aslan And The Coming Faith-Based ‘Gender Culture War’

Whether or not this gender swap happens in the film, this should not be a surprise. Hollywood is moving toward a full-scale change in how it treats faith. Instead of elevating secularism over faith, Hollywood is adopting it as good when driven by women, but bad whenspearheaded by men. This change is putting it on a collision course with a growing alternative media, setting the stage for a new gender-coded culture war.

The United States More Religious Than Europe, But By How Much?

(ANALYSIS) One of the most important questions that one has to ask in doing data work is pretty simple: “Compared to what?” Sure, religiosity in the U.S. has dropped over the last half-century, but how does our religious behavior compare to Europe?

From Martyrdom To Marketing: Is There A Canonization Crisis?

(ANALYSIS) Sainthood was earned, if not in blood, then in extreme humility and absolute submission to Christ. It was not fast. It was not fashionable. And it certainly was not a reward for being beloved by the world. That idea now lies on the operating table, gasping for breath. And the latest scalpel to slice deeper is the Vatican’s push to canonize Antoni Gaudí. Let’s not insult our own intelligence here.

Thinking About Realities Facing Pope Leo XIV

(ANALYSIS) There’s a good chance that you may have heard that the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics have a new shepherd. You may have heard this news because, to skilled religion writers (and wise editors who hire them) a papal election is the Godbeat Olympics. At the same time, the rest of the world views these transitions as political elections in which candidates wear spectacular vestments and talk too much about God.

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Press Freedom And The Media

(ANALYSIS) Press freedom continues to be under threat globally, with journalists being killed or injured, others being censored, and media outlets being closed down, among others. According to the United Nations, since January 2025, at least 20 people who work in the media have been killed.

Crossroads Podcast: Is Wearing A Cross Now A Political Act?

The big issue here is what that cross necklace means when it is worn by blonde women who are members of the Donald Trump team. Is this a matter of religious faith or political identity?

New Pope Brings Joy And Perspective On Faith Over Politics

(ANALYSIS) We have a new pope! May the Holy Spirit guide you, Papa! These are my thoughts, on the fly, as a relatively new Catholic, having entered the church two years ago.

Amid India-Pakistan Tensions, What International Law Says About War

(EXPLAINER) As tensions rise between India and Pakistan, questions about what constitutes a lawful war are once again in focus. International law makes a clear distinction between jus ad bellum (the right to go to war) and jus in bello (the rules governing conduct in war). These are framed by the United Nations Charter, customary international law and treaties such as the Geneva Conventions, all of which define what states and their leaders can — and cannot — do during conflict.

On Religion: Pollsters Need To Ask New Questions About Catholic Life And Faith

(ANALYSIS) As Catholics prepare for a new pope, Pew has released new insights into lines of tension and division among American Catholics. Five years after the "transubstantiation" study, a new survey includes more evidence that "U.S. Catholics" disagree with many core Catholic doctrines and, thus, want a "more inclusive" church.

India Strikes Pakistan, Escalating Tensions Over Kashmir Terror Attack

India launched a military strike deep into Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir early on May 7, saying it targeted sites used by terror groups responsible for the April 22 attacks on civilians in the Kashmir region. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the attack a “blatant act of war,” promising that it “will not go unpunished” and claiming that a “resolute response is already underway.”

Why Birthrates (And Not Beliefs) Are Shaping Global Faith

(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.

How These Supreme Court Cases Could Reshape The Law Regarding Religion

(ANALYSIS) The big U.S. Supreme Court decisions due in the coming two months include three cases on the religion clauses in the Constitution’s Bill of Rights. At issue: Can a state deny a tax benefit to religious charities it thinks are not “religious” enough, can parents withdraw public elementary children from classes on gender identity and whether the state can fund a religious charter school.

Cardinals Are Catholic, Not Jewish: Why Do They Wear Yarmulkes?

(ANALYSIS) If you’ve been tracking the gossip around the upcoming conclave — or if you’ve seen Conclave — I bet there’s one question dominating your mind: What is up with those hats?

Thinking About ‘Conclave’ And ‘News’ About The Conclave

(ANALYSIS) Be honest: How many of you have watched or rewatched the movie “Conclave” during the past month or two — roughly starting with the health crisis that eventually ended the Pope Francis papacy?

Lynching In Mangaluru: The Story Of An Indian City Haunted By Hate

(ANALYSIS) Ashraf, a Muslim and daily wage labourer from Wayanad, Kerala, had arrived in this coastal Karnataka city just weeks earlier. On the evening of April 27, he was found dead near a temple in Kudupu — barely six miles (10 kilometers) from Mangaluru city’s centre. Reportedly killed on the sidelines of a cricket match, his death was a brutal act that felt grimly familiar.

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