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Celtic spirituality draws pagans and Christians alike
By Eric Berger — August 17, 2018
(RNS) — 'It’s a big-tent spirituality,' said book editor Brandenburgh, 'so it’s something that not only Roman Catholics and mainline Protestants feel comfortable with, but it’s also something that is of interest to the neo-pagans of the world, many of the New Age types.'
Catholics and lawmakers respond to sex abuse report
By Jack Jenkins — August 16, 2018
(RNS) — Two days after Pennsylvania's 'catastrophic' report on clergy sex abuse, questions remain about its effect on American Catholics and how states will prosecute such crimes in the future.
Aretha Franklin started with gospel, ended with soul at age 76
By Adelle M. Banks — August 16, 2018
(RNS) — At age 14 and much later in life, the R&B singer recorded gospel songs at her father's Detroit church.
Questions remain for faith-based agencies as border crisis passes
By Emily McFarlan Miller — August 15, 2018
(RNS) — Providing support to separated families is one way faith-based agencies normally tasked with welcoming refugees got involved in the crisis at the border.
Dodging dangers, mission groups weigh risks and rewards
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald — August 15, 2018
(RNS) — This year's many pitfalls, from fuel price riots in Haiti to violent unrest in Nicaragua, have forced a fresh reckoning with thorny questions: How much risk is too much?
Report alleges decades of child sex abuse by Pennsylvania priests, cover-up by bishops
By Jack Jenkins — August 14, 2018
(RNS) — Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro has released a more than 1,300-page grand jury report detailing allegations of widespread sexual abuse of more than 1,000 children by Catholic priests in the state, naming hundreds of clerics accused of misconduct over 70 years and accusing church officials of a “systemic” cover-up. Shapiro unveiled the report […]
Billy Graham drew less from Old Testament as years went by, new exhibit shows
By Menachem Wecker — August 14, 2018
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Poring over some 1,300 sermon notes from 'America’s pastor,' Museum of the Bible associate curator Anthony Schmidt has tracked Graham's evolution as a preacher from the Cold War into the 2000s.
Report identifies more than 1,000 victims of priest abuse
By The Associated Press — August 14, 2018
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — The report, released Tuesday (Aug. 14), said more than 300 Roman Catholic priests in six Pennsylvania dioceses committed the abuse over a period of decades.
Labor Department bolsters religious exemptions from nondiscrimination laws
By Yonat Shimron — August 14, 2018
(RNS) — The directive is yet another sign of the Trump administration’s determination to accommodate people of faith, even if it means letting them refuse to hire LGBT people.
Turkish star witnesses against US pastor Andrew Brunson are his expelled congregants
By Umar Farooq — August 13, 2018
IZMIR, Turkey (RNS) — The Turkish government isn’t Brunson’s only foe. He’s also battling former members of his congregation who were expelled in part for harboring racist views toward ethnic Kurdish refugees, according to one pastor at the church.
Faith-based protesters flock to Washington to counter white supremacists
By Jack Jenkins — August 12, 2018
WASHINGTON (RNS) Methodists, Baptists, Quakers and other religious counter-demonstrators far outnumbered the white supremacists assembled for the 'Unite the Right 2' rally in D.C. on Sunday.
For military families, this church aims to be manna from heaven
By Yonat Shimron — August 11, 2018
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (RNS) — Manna Church has found a way to keep many young military families by building a church home for them wherever they go.
A down payment on making hajj easier for Muslim women
By Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil — August 11, 2018
LOS ANGELES (RNS) — A new group founded a year ago is helping Muslim women make the pilgrimage to Mecca by providing money, advice and even rewriting the narrative about women and hajj.
Photos of the Week
By Kit Doyle — August 11, 2018
(RNS) — This week’s gallery includes images of Hindu festivals in India, abortion legislation in Argentina, daily life in Israel and more.
Willow Creek leadership summit goes on despite mass resignations
By Emily McFarlan Miller — August 9, 2018
SOUTH BARRINGTON, Ill. (RNS) — Just one night before, church leaders had stood on the same stage to announce that their lead pastor and elder board were stepping down to give the church a 'fresh start.'