Editor’s Picks
Potawatomi Christian author Kaitlin Curtice on finding herself and God in new book
By Emily McFarlan Miller — May 5, 2020
(RNS) — Curtice wasn’t expecting to release her book amid a pandemic, but she believes the book can speak into this moment in history.
An Old World Torah scroll unites a North Carolina synagogue in a time of pandemic
By Yonat Shimron — May 5, 2020
(RNS) — Since the coronavirus pandemic began, the scroll has taken on a starring role on Zoom.
New report finds nonreligious people face stigma and discrimination
By Alejandra Molina — May 4, 2020
(RNS) — A new study finds that nonreligious people face discrimination and stigma, conceal their nonreligious identities and largely see themselves as atheists and humanists.
Mayor de Blasio and ‘the Jewish community’
By Mark Silk — April 30, 2020
(RNS) — The mayor's angry tweet raises the question of whether there actually is a Jewish community.
What Cotton Mather would tell the ‘Jesus is my vaccine’ crowd
By Peter Manseau — April 30, 2020
(RNS) — When smallpox hit Massachusetts, the Puritan clergyman began to rethink his theology of catastrophe, even when doing so meant breaking ranks with his country’s religious elite.
Digital pilgrimages allow the faithful to travel the world from their couches
By Emily McFarlan Miller — April 29, 2020
(RNS) — From hashtagged photos posted on Instagram to immersive apps, digital pilgrimages are making spiritual journeys possible for the faithful, even as they stay home.
Cedarville’s plan to save Anthony Moore abandoned its students — and Moore
By Russell L. Meek — April 28, 2020
(RNS) — Welcoming an admitted sexual offender into the sort of environment that facilitated his previous crime did not show love for him or the student body.
For first time, survey finds majority of pastors says global warming is real, man-made
By Adelle M. Banks — April 21, 2020
(RNS) — In previous studies, researchers found pastors were more skeptical of human-caused climate change.
Why this Baptist pastor signed up his church for a Paycheck Protection Program loan
By Ryan Burge — April 21, 2020
(RNS) — The Paycheck Protection Program could be a godsend for a small Baptist church, despite concerns about separation of church and state.
The loneliness pandemic: How the quarantined are grappling with solitude and faith
By Claire Giangravé — April 20, 2020
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — In the new life these orders have created, solitude has become the sole, unexpected companion for those who live alone or who have contracted the virus and are suddenly living in isolation.
Mexican American religious life will be preserved in UCLA archive collection
By Alejandra Molina — April 14, 2020
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — By acknowledging these nuances of religion, ‘you end up with a much more complex understanding of people,’ said Chon Noriega, director of the Chicano Studies Research Center.
Bending the COVID-19 inequality curve
By Thomas Reese — April 14, 2020
(RNS) — The government needs to focus on helping people who were already on the margins before the pandemic and now have been pushed over the edge.
A new Catholic legal doctrine
By Mark Silk — April 13, 2020
(RNS) — A conservative Harvard law professor and Catholic convert proposes ditching originalism in favor of ‘common good constitutionalism.’
Megachurches may be particularly threatened by COVID-19 closures
By Mark Mulder and Gerardo Martí — April 10, 2020
(RNS) — The demise of Robert Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral, and his seemingly indestructible model for church growth, may be a portent for megachurch pastors in this crisis.
Church software companies rush to accommodate major surge in usage
By Aysha Khan — April 10, 2020
(RNS) — The pandemic has left digital consultants answering an unending stream of questions from faith leaders, and tech companies that provide church management software fielding a staggering upswing of usage and interest.
