Ahead of the Trend

Barring women as leaders in church may be bad for their health, new study finds

By Bob Smietana — April 19, 2021

(RNS) — Past studies have shown participating in religious services and in the life of a religious community can be good for your health.

Study: Multiracial Methodist churches draw and keep more people than their white counterparts

By Yonat Shimron — April 16, 2021

Like Beth Moore, many women preachers have had to break free to follow God’s call

By Bob Smietana — March 29, 2021

How pleading ‘sexual addiction’ protects evangelical men

By Kelsy Burke, Samuel L. Perry — March 19, 2021

(RNS) — Given Long's exposure to Christian porn addiction recovery rhetoric, it likely contributed to his claim that his out-of-control sex addiction fueled his atrocious violence.

Being ‘godless’ might be good for your health, new study finds

By Bob Smietana — March 4, 2021

(RNS) — Several new studies are challenging the idea that being an atheist leads to poor health.

When it comes to building trust, belonging beats belief, study finds

By Bob Smietana — January 28, 2021

(RNS) — A new study found that those who belong to a religious group or go to services have higher levels of trust than those who have stronger individual belief.

Want your kids to follow in your faith? Take a page from religious conservatives.

By Jesse Smith — January 19, 2021

(RNS) — The children of religious conservatives retain their faith as adults, in part at least because the parents talk to them about God.

What Americans believe about violence against the government

By Ryan Burge — January 14, 2021

(RNS) — The relationship between partisanship and support for violence against government is clear. Church attendance does not appear to fuel the fire — nor tamp it down.

America elected a female vice president. Now will it put women in the pulpit?

By Ryan Burge — December 9, 2020

(RNS) — While women are changing the world of electoral politics, their progress in the world of religion is downright glacial.

Study: Multiracial churches growing, but racial unity may be elusive

By Yonat Shimron — November 12, 2020

(RNS) — Diversity is a one-way street, the new study found. In nearly all cases, Blacks are joining mostly white congregations. Few whites join predominantly Black churches.

The GOP’s Catholic voter problem

By Ryan Burge — November 6, 2020

(RNS) — It’s no coincidence that three Rust Belt states with large populations of Catholics helped put the Democrats back in the White House in January of 2021.

Study finds that queer Christians quit the church twice as much as others

By Kathryn Post — November 6, 2020

(RNS) — A study in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion strongly associated queer identity with a decision to attend church less frequently or stop going altogether.

Report: Megachurches continue to grow and diversify, steer clear of politics

By Bob Smietana — October 29, 2020

(RNS) — A look at megachurches over the past five years finds that most have grown larger and more diverse and become less likely to call themselves evangelical.

How Christian nationalism may determine whether you wear a mask

By Jack Jenkins — October 9, 2020

(RNS) — Republican or Democrat, whether or not you social distance likely has more to do with whether you feel the U.S. is under threat from others not like you.

Are Democrats ‘spiritual’ and Republicans ‘religious’? It’s not that simple.

By Ryan Burge — October 6, 2020

(RNS) — A new survey suggests that the 'God gap' may actually be better defined as a spirituality gap. But there is plenty of room on both sides for peace, inspiration and love.

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