News
John Legend credits childhood in Pentecostal church for his choice to pursue music
By Adelle M. Banks — February 8, 2021
(RNS) — ‘I just grew up around a family full of folks who loved to sing and loved to sing about Jesus, and we were together all the time,’ said the recording artist, who appears in a new documentary on the Black church.
Church known as a birthplace of LA’s Chicano civil rights movement earns national recognition
By Alejandra Molina — February 8, 2021
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — The Church of the Epiphany in the 1960s became a center for the flourishing Chicano movement. Five decades later, it has earned a spot on the National Register of Historic Places.
Islamist militants fuel Christian persecution in Kenya, faith leaders say
By Fredrick Nzwili — February 8, 2021
(RNS) — Somalia's al-Shabaab militants are trying to export their tyrannical strain of Shariah law, attacking Christians and churches.
A Catholic scholar weighs Biden’s future with Vatican and US bishops
By Yonat Shimron — February 8, 2021
(RNS) — The Vatican may be breathing a sigh of relief on Joe Biden's election. But the second Catholic president faces significant headwinds from American bishops, writes Massimo Faggioli in a new book.
Pope moves ahead with plans to meet Shiite leader in Iraq
By Nicole Winfield and Samya Kallub — February 8, 2021
ROME (AP) — Francis has spent years trying to improve Christian relations with Muslims, and his meeting with Ali al-Sistani will mark one of his most important encounters with a Shiite leader.
Sistine Chapel key-keeper opens up after lockdown
By Paolo Lucariello and Elisa Colella — February 7, 2021
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Sistine Chapel reopened to public view last week, but for Gianni Crea, the doors to Michelangelo's magnificent frescoes were never really closed.
Justices: California can’t enforce indoor church service ban
By Jessica Gresko — February 6, 2021
WASHINGTON (AP) — The justices said the state can cap indoor services at 25% of a building's capacity.
Henry Louis Gates’ new book and TV series distills centuries of Black church history
By Adelle M. Banks — February 5, 2021
(RNS) — 'The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song' is a new book and a documentary set to air on PBS stations.
For Latter-day Saints like Andy Reid of Kansas City Chiefs, football and faith go hand in hand
By Bob Smietana — February 5, 2021
(RNS) — More than a century ago, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the game of football were both in crisis. The two found each other — and the relationship transformed the sport and the faith.
American Humanist leader Roy Speckhardt stepping down to make room for diverse leaders
By Emily McFarlan Miller — February 5, 2021
(RNS) — Speckhardt told Religion News Service his decision was prompted by a lot of 'humanistic soul searching, especially during the pandemic.'
Robert Saleh is the NFL’s first Muslim head coach
By Joseph Hammond — February 5, 2021
(RNS) — For Saleh, who went to a majority-Muslim public high school in Dearborn, Michigan, the Islamic faith and American football have always had a unique synergy.
Photos of the Week: Kashmiri Muslims, death rites
By Kit Doyle — February 5, 2021
(RNS) — This week’s photo gallery includes Kashmiri Muslims, funerary rites around the world and more.
Faith-based refugee resettlement groups describe what it will take to rebuild program after Trump cuts
By Emily McFarlan Miller and Jack Jenkins — February 5, 2021
(RNS) — Biden's executive order may be raising the number of refugees allowed into the U.S. from 15,000 to 125,000, but the work needed to rebuild the gutted resettlement apparatus have many admitting it’s unlikely the United States will reach that target anytime soon.
Southern Baptist leaders decry ‘stone cold racist’ letter to Dwight McKissic
By Adelle M. Banks — February 4, 2021
(RNS) — SBC President J.D. Greear and others objected to a letter that assailed McKissic, a Black pastor who recently announced he was pulling his church out of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
Secular groups praise Biden’s agenda but express concerns about religious rhetoric
By Jack Jenkins — February 4, 2021
WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘I worry that this administration’s idea of interfaith outreach may tend to exclude nonbelievers,’ said Sarah Levin, program director for Secular Democrats of America.
