Race & Ethnicity
Half online, half in person: The state of Black churches now and possibly on Easter
By Adelle M. Banks — April 6, 2023
(RNS) — As Easter approaches, leaders of Black denominations use cautious language even as they hope for a resurrection in the numbers of people who return to the pews.
This North Carolina church used to be multiracial. Then came Jan. 6.
By Yonat Shimron — April 4, 2023
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (RNS) — Chapel Hill Bible Church seemed perfectly positioned to attract a diverse membership. And for many years it did — boasting that 20% of people attending were nonwhite.
Public theologian Yolanda Pierce named next dean of Vanderbilt Divinity School
By Adelle M. Banks — March 24, 2023
(RNS) — ‘I look forward to building on the strong foundation that Emilie Townes and others have established to form this treasured community,’ Pierce said.
White supremacist propaganda scaled new heights in 2022, ADL report finds
By Yonat Shimron — March 9, 2023
(RNS) — The Patriot Front, based in Texas, was responsible for 80% of propaganda distributions in 2022, the ADL report concluded.
Baptist Joint Committee gains faith and justice center, grows religious liberty work
By Adelle M. Banks — March 6, 2023
(RNS) — ‘One of the things that we prioritized in our work was really reimagining religious freedom through the experiences of marginalized communities,’ said Sabrina E. Dent, the center’s president.
For many congregations, wiping out medical debt has become a popular calling
By Yonat Shimron — March 1, 2023
DURHAM, N.C. (RNS) — While donations from religious groups constitute less than 20% of RIP Medical Debt's overall revenue, they are becoming an increasingly common way for congregations to do social justice.
Faith leaders urge Biden to sign executive order for reparations study by Juneteenth
By Adelle M. Banks — March 1, 2023
(RNS) — They urged Biden to base an order on the structure of H.R. 40, legislation proposed for decades that has yet to pass on Capitol Hill.
‘Holy Queer’ author seeks Black church inclusion beyond singing with choir
By Adelle M. Banks — February 27, 2023
(RNS) — ‘I focus on the Black church in my criticism because I love it,’ said the Rev. Karmen Michael Smith, author of ‘Holy Queer.’
‘Woke Wars’ infiltrate Christian colleges, prof under fire for racial justice unit
By Kathryn Post — February 24, 2023
(RNS) — What happens when racial justice education is flagged as indoctrination?
Harvard, National Council of Churches, Reform Jews seeking reparations blueprint
By Adelle M. Banks — February 20, 2023
(RNS) — ‘This is not a mere research paper,’ said the Rev. Cornell William Brooks, a Kennedy School professor and former president of the NAACP.
Poll: A third of Americans are Christian nationalists and most are white evangelicals
By Yonat Shimron — February 8, 2023
(RNS) — A new PRRI survey finds that 10% of Americans are avowed Christian nationalists and an additional 19% are sympathetic to its ideals. Among white evangelicals, nearly two-thirds are Christian nationalists or sympathizers.
Reconstructionist Jews call for reparations, embark on racial justice pilgrimages
By Yonat Shimron — January 31, 2023
(RNS) — The denominational resolution calls for a ‘deep reflection on the ways in which we have participated in or benefitted from racial injustices in our communities.’
How Southern California helped birth white Christian nationalism
By Yonat Shimron — January 24, 2023
(RNS) — Part memoir, part history of Southern California’s formative role in the rise of the religious right, Bradley Onishi's new book traces his growing estrangement from the faith he once zealously championed.
Building a more just church in a post-pandemic world
By Kelly Brown Douglas — October 27, 2022
(RNS) — Trying to ‘get back to normal’ is both folly and missed opportunity — in more ways than one.
‘The White Mosque’: A Mennonite of color’s travel memoir rejects rigid storytelling
By Kathryn Post — October 26, 2022
(RNS) — Sofia Samatar intertwines her story with the stories of the German Mennonites who traveled to Uzbekistan in the 1800s to fulfill an apocalyptic prophecy.
