NEWS STORY
RNS-Wilson-Hartgrove: Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove wants white evangelicals to reckon with the Bible
DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — For Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, the life of an activist and writer is all consuming. At 39, Wilson-Hartgrove, has spent the better part of his life breaking out of the white evangelical cocoon he grew up in. A son of the South — Wilson-Hartgrove grew up in the small town of King, North Carolina, about 95 miles west of Durham — he remains both devoted to the region and one of its staunchest critics. By Yonat Shimron. 2,100 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-666-Followup: Quitting job over 666 was ‘a blessing,’ says Christian worker
(RNS) — Walter Slonopas made headlines worldwide in 2012 when he quit his job at a Clarksville company over the number 666 appearing on his W2 tax form. The number — which is mentioned in the Book of Revelation — had previously shown up on his ID badge twice. In the years since, things have turned out well for Slonopas — he found a new job with better pay, while his former company closed down. By Bob Smietana. 820 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Pope-Slap: Pope Francis is not the first pontiff to cause controversy with a slap
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — On Wednesday (Jan. 1), Pope Francis kick-started the new year with an apology for slapping the hand of a woman who grabbed his arm in St. Peter’s Square the night before. The images of the papal slap made the rounds on the internet and especially social media. Where one stands regarding Pope Francis plays no small part in whether his act is interpreted as “angry” or “righteous.” But he’s not the first pope to take part in a controversial slap. 638 words. By Claire Giangravé (category: i)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Staff-Lookahead: RNS reporters look ahead at 2020
(RNS) — The past year on the religion beat began with a prayer meeting and weeklong retreat by U.S. Catholic bishops, hoping that by fasting and prayer they might find a way forward in response to the ongoing abuse scandal in the church. It ended with a pair of attacks on faith groups: five people stabbed while attending a Hanukkah party and three people killed during a church service in Texas. As we enter the new year, we asked Religion News Service’s reporters to give us a glimpse into the stories they’ll be following in 2020. By Religion News Service. 1,637 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Decade-Forward-Backward: Where will the next decade take religion? Experts predict the future of faith
(RNS) — We asked scholars, faith leaders, activists and other experts to reflect on some of the biggest shifts in religious landscapes they have seen over the last 10 years — as well as the biggest themes in the world of religion that they expect to emerge in the 2020s. By Aysha Khan. 5,011 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Decade-Roundup: The decade’s biggest religion news stories
(RNS) — Islamophobia. #Churchtoo. Escalating religious violence. And the rise of the ‘nones.’ A look back at the stories that drove religion news in the past 10 years. By Paul O’Donnell. 2,343 words (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Decade-Deaths: 10 religious influencers who died in the decade: 2010-2019
(RNS) — Over the last decade prominent people — household names and lesser-known leaders on social and moral issues — died after playing an outsized role in the realm of religion. Here’s a sampling of some of the key figures, from a globe-trotting evangelist to an atheist, who have left their legacies for the next generations. By Adelle M. Banks. 1,200 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-Rose-Fell: They made a mark on the religious scene this decade; some rose, others fell
(RNS) — The decade that ended Tuesday (Dec. 31) saw the rise and fall of many newsmakers who stood out, in part or in full, because of their beliefs or religious traditions. This list of 12 is drawn from stories RNS has covered between 2010-and 2019. By Yonat Shimron. 1,900 words. (category: a)
NEWS STORY
RNS-EdsNote-2019: RNS 2019 in Review: A year full of grief, scandals, fire and the perseverance of faith
(RNS) — In a year full of major religion news — the fire at Notre Dame, abuse scandals among Catholics and Southern Baptists, continued struggles over the role of LGBT believers among religious groups, attacks on houses of worship and the continued loss of faith in organized religion — the deaths of Rev. Jarrid Wilson and Rachel Held Evans were the top stories of the year. By Bob Smietana. 1,527 words. (category: a)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Biden-Oped: Joe Biden on restoring the soul of our nation
(RNS) — ‘Scripture is clear,’ writes the former vice president. ‘It’s not enough to just wish the world were better — it’s our duty to make it so.’ In this oped, the presidential candidate, reflects on how his Catholic faith informs his policies. By Joe Biden. 862 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Claiborne-Oped: The hero of the film ‘Just Mercy’ could be you
(RNS) — “Just Mercy,” the biopic about the work of lawyer Bryan Stevenson, opened on Christmas and stars Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx and Brie Larson. For many, Stevenson is a superhero akin to the Avengers fittingly played onscreen by the actor who played the Black Panther. But the film — and the work Stevenson committed to — isn’t about a man, but a social justice movement that any one of us can join. By Shane Claiborne. 1,333 words. (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Reese-Oped: McCarrick gifts for bosses expose flaws of Vatican practice
(RNS) — In the Catholic Church, most scandals are about sex or money. The most recent scandal concerns both, where a sexual predator gave money to Vatican officials who were responsible for reviewing allegations against him. By Thomas Reese. 1,146 words (category: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Viswanathan-Oped: When retail and reverence collide
(RNS) — Recently, an online store came under fire for a product line labeled “Namaste, Mother —-er.” Hindus are told to lighten up about humor based on the ubiquity of yoga these days, but until we are seen as equals in the U.S., mocking our faith’s images defines us as colonialist caricatures. By Indu Viswanathan and Parth Parihar. 1,366 words. (categories: k)
COMMENTARY
RNS-Rudin-Oped: The top 10 news stories in Judaism of 2019
(RNS) — These are the most important events and trends of the past year in Jewish life, from the horror of violent anti-Semitism, to the hope of a burgeoning birth rate in Israel. By A. James Rudin. 1,058 words (category: k)
