Pope John Paul II greets the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, at the Vatican on June 29, 1998. (AP Photo/Sambucetti)
Need to know: Wednesday, February 12, 2020
New book by Pope Francis points to continuity with John Paul II
The pope aligns with his predecessor on some of the thorniest issues facing the Catholic Church.
Is the rise of the nones slowing? Scholars say maybe
Three political scientists say Generation Z, broadly defined as Americans born after 1996, doesn’t look any less religious than the millennial generation that came before.
How a Western megachurch pastor fell in love with Eastern meditation
Evangelical leaders often cast meditation as a dangerous pagan practice, butt Western Christianity has its own long tradition of meditation, writes Jarrett Stevens.
Prophets are social critics not fortunetellers
Attacking political and economic elites, God's messengers challenge today's leaders and preachers who ignore their civic responsibilities, writes Thomas Reese.
Mormon Votes Are Valued. Too Often Mormon Convictions Are Not.
Romney's vote to convict Trump is the latest sign that Mormonism has an imbalanced relationship with the Republican Party.
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What’s on pastors’ minds? It’s not religious liberty
Barna Group is preparing to release its State of the Church data for the first time in a decade in what it calls the most in-depth and comprehensive study in its history.
Impeachment leads to theological war of words among Trump critics and backers
For months the president, his supporters and his opponents have invoked the divine to defend their positions, even questioning each other’s faith.
Fighting taboos, British Sikhs work to demystify organ donation
Recent initiatives are challenging ideas about death and organ donation among Sikh and other South Asian communities in the UK.
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Mormon $100B fortune offers opportunity to do more good
Secret fortunes. Guarded treasure. Is this what we want our religion to be known for, writes Jana Riess.
A day for environmentalist Judaism
Or, adapting an ancient holiday to the spiritual and societal imperatives of your time, writes Mark Silk.
Making an idol of brain-injured patients
A failure to appreciate the historical context of the ‘sanctity of life’ has led some to distort its meaning, write John J. Paris and Kevin Wildes.
