Jack Jenkins
Jack Jenkins is a national reporter for RNS based in Washington, covering U.S. Catholics and the intersection of religion and politics.
All Stories by Jack Jenkins
How a rally for the right in Charlottesville emboldened a resurgent Religious Left
By Jack Jenkins — April 17, 2020
(RNS) — From a new book by RNS correspondent Jack Jenkins that chronicles a new era of progressive activism and the hard work of reforging connections and reckoning with past mistakes required to revive a movement.
Relevant magazine founder returns from sabbatical promising healthier organization
By Jack Jenkins — April 16, 2020
(RNS) — ‘It is clear to me and those in nearest proximity to this conflict that Cameron Strang’s return is one of convenience, not contrition,’ said Rebecca Marie Jo, a former Relevant staffer.
Student files class-action lawsuit against Liberty University over pandemic response
By Jack Jenkins — April 14, 2020
(RNS) — ‘Liberty University is, in a very real sense, profiting from the COVID-19 pandemic,’ the complaint reads.
See which states have religious exemptions in their stay-at-home orders
By Jack Jenkins — April 9, 2020
(RNS) — Track how COVID-19 restrictions in each state relate to religious groups and worship services.
With coronavirus infections linked to religious gatherings, debate rages over worship amid pandemic
By Jack Jenkins — April 3, 2020
(RNS) — ‘I just think that puts a lot of vulnerable people at risk,’ said Greg Jones, dean of the Duke Divinity School.
Florida officials: Arrested pastor not exonerated by new order listing religious services as ‘essential’
By Jack Jenkins — April 1, 2020
(RNS) — ‘Nothing has changed,’ said a representative for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Hobby Lobby clarifies coronavirus sick leave policy amid accusations
By Jack Jenkins — March 31, 2020
(RNS) — ‘Employees in certain states were asked to use personal paid time off and vacation benefits in the early stages of a store closure, with the Company temporarily paying 75% of average wages after,’ read a statement from the company.
Florida pastor arrested for refusing to halt worship amid outbreak
By Jack Jenkins — March 30, 2020
(RNS) — ‘I believe there is nothing more important than faith in a time like this,’ the Hillsborough County Sheriff said. ‘But practicing those beliefs has to be done safely.’
As coronavirus keeps parishioners homebound, Christian clergy debate online Communion
By Jack Jenkins — March 27, 2020
(RNS) — With churchgoers holed up in their homes for weeks and even months to come, Christian leaders are starting to ask: Is Communion appropriate for cyberspace?
As coronavirus death toll mounts, faith leaders the world over grapple with funerals
By Jack Jenkins and Claire Giangravé — March 26, 2020
(RNS) — Faith groups are attempting to address the issue of funerals by instituting new policies designed to offer some semblance of comfort for the bereaved while keeping others safe from infection.
In calls with faith leaders, White House focuses on virus as well as election
By Adelle M. Banks and Jack Jenkins — March 24, 2020
(RNS) — ‘It’s a big day, Nov. 3; that’s going to be one of the biggest dates in the history of religion, as far as I’m concerned,’ Trump said.
White House takes low-key approach to churches that ignore coronavirus advice
By Jack Jenkins — March 18, 2020
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A senior Trump administration House official said faith communities ‘may not be able to physically gather for the foreseeable future.’
As COVID-19 leads to canceled religious gatherings, faith leaders embrace the digital
By Jack Jenkins — March 17, 2020
(RNS) — As in-person worship is banned in many places in the wake of COVID-19, many clergy are scrambling to learn how to shift services online via Zoom, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and other digital platforms.
Coronavirus shutdowns disrupt America’s soul, closing houses of worship
By Alejandra Molina, Jack Jenkins, Claire Giangravé, and Bob Smietana — March 13, 2020
(RNS) — The coronavirus crisis has disrupted faith groups from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. — shuttering megachurches and forcing worship online.
Some Trump evangelical advisers offer tempered response to coronavirus
By Jack Jenkins — March 13, 2020
(RNS) — Pastors aligned with Trump seem to have run with the president's once-dismissive attitude toward the spread of COVID-19.
