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Building a new church community in a culture that has forgotten how
By Christian Piatt — July 22, 2019
(RNS) — Today’s young people are more connected than ever, but they carry a lot of baggage about the idea of walking through the doors of a church.
Husband of Christian blogger and father of 6 dies in beach accident
By Yonat Shimron — July 22, 2019
(RNS) — Lee Dingle was the husband of Shannon Hope Dingle, a blogger and activist who has written about sexual abuse, the #Churchtoo movement and disability rights.
Attack on Hindu priest in New York leads to call for hate crime investigation
By Aysha Khan — July 22, 2019
(RNS) — Faith leaders are calling on New York City police to launch a hate crime investigation into a violent attack on a Hindu priest near his temple in Queens.
The refugee crisis broke my heart, but refugees mended it
By Bridget Kadolph — July 22, 2019
(RNS) — Walking alongside refugee families has restored and strengthened my Christian faith. It has expanded my worldview and ignited my life with passion and purpose.
House fire devours Baptist church in Savannah, Georgia
By Associated Press — July 22, 2019
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Reports say the homes and church were vacant at the time of the fire, and no injuries have been reported.
Gospel sing-along in Tennessee faces Confederate controversy after photos surface online
By Holly Meyer — July 22, 2019
(USA Today) — Organizers apologized after a parade preceding the Diana Singing, a popular event for 50 years, included a motorized scooter flying the Confederate banner.
Photos of the Week
By Kit Doyle — July 19, 2019
(RNS) — This week’s gallery includes Hindu and Buddhist festivals in Asia, a Catholic bishop blessing slums in South America, and more.
Faith groups fear the end of refugee resettlement in the U.S.
By Jack Jenkins — July 19, 2019
(RNS) — The Trump administration is considering shutting down refugee resettlement for the coming fiscal year, a move that would dismantle an already weakened refugee resettlement infrastructure.
Hymn society tournament reveals ‘greatest hymn of all time’
By Adelle M. Banks — July 19, 2019
(RNS) — More than 800 people, mostly members of the Hymn Society in the United States and Canada, voted during the competition that featured brackets similar to the springtime NCAA basketball tradition.
Millennials, moral relativism and Iris Murdoch
By Tara Isabella Burton — July 19, 2019
(RNS) — The celebrated British novelist Iris Murdoch, who would have turned 100 this week, anticipated young Americans' attempt to find goodness without God.
Will the Mormon president apologize to the NAACP for the church’s past racism?
By Jana Riess — July 19, 2019
(RNS) — Short answer: probably not, but a columnist can dream.
Across US, clergy mobilize to support vulnerable migrants
By Hannah Grabenstein — July 19, 2019
(AP) — The prospect of a nationwide sweep for undocumented immigrants has prompted legions of pastors, rabbis and their congregations to stand ready to help vulnerable immigrants with offers of sanctuary and other services.
Scribes tried to blot her out. Now a scholar is trying to recover the real Mary Magdalene.
By Yonat Shimron — July 19, 2019
(RNS) — New questions about Mary Magdalene's true identity have implications not just for biblical scholars but for policy about women's roles in the church.
From Apollo 8 to SpaceIL, how to celebrate Shabbat, Ramadan and Christmas in space
By Emily McFarlan Miller and Jack Jenkins — July 19, 2019
(RNS) — From NASA's Apollo missions to SpaceIL's recent moonshot, Christmas to Ramadan, humans have found ways to practice their beliefs while touching the heavens.
Israeli archaeologists discover signs of religion in 9,000-year-old city near Jerusalem
By Bob Smietana — July 19, 2019
JERUSALEM (RNS) — The Israel Antiquities Authority said 2,000 to 3,000 people lived in the ancient city, 'one of the largest of its kind in the region.' This is the first time a prehistoric settlement from this time period has been discovered in central Israel.
