News
Martha C. Nussbaum wins $1 million Berggruen Prize
The Berggruen Institute called her “one of the world’s leading public philosophers.”
Robert Jones, religion researcher, wins a Grawemeyer award
Jones received the honor for his book The End of White Christian America.
Airbnb announcement that it would drop West Bank properties sparks charge of anti-Semitism
The company gives Crimea as another disputed territory where it has removed listings. Critics pointed to other areas under occupation—such as northern Cyprus—where it has not.
Clergy visits give hope to ICE detainees, but access is inconsistent
All prisoners in the United States have religious rights, undocumented or not. But human rights groups and a government inspector report concerns at various ICE detention centers, such as the right to worship being denied or disrupted.
Mark Jobe to become president of Moody Bible Institute
Jobe comes to the school a year after all three top leaders resigned amid tensions around the school’s theological standards, finances, and treatment of students of color.
Is religious intensity in the U.S. declining? Sociologists disagree
At the heart of the debate is a question: Is American religion exceptional?
Christian leader resigns as former staff describe “toxic masculinity” in workplace
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders also rescinded their recommendation of a book by Noel Castellanos, former president of the Christian Community Development Association, for church members to read and discuss.
Churches use advocacy, small loans to fight predatory lending
Frederick Douglass Haynes III, a pastor in Dallas, saw two dozen payday loan and car-title loan stores open in a five-mile radius in his community.
Sanctuary church, supporters resist arrest and deportation of congregant
Samuel Oliver-Bruno was tackled by ICE agents while at a government office applying to stay in the U.S. on humanitarian grounds—and deported a week later.
Crisis in Yemen shaped by unique religious and political factors
How did Yemen arrive at this point?
India’s Statue of Unity is latest venture of Hindu nationalist leaders
The statue depicts Sardar Patel, an icon of India’s independence—whom the Bharatiya Janata Party has claimed as one of its own.
White House expands birth control exemptions for employers, schools
The new rules extend to institutions with religious or moral objections to providing insurance that covers contraception—but not to publicly traded businesses, government agencies, or government-funded health centers.
Mirza Masroor Ahmad, leader of Muslim minority group, visits faithful in U.S.
Globally, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community includes 10 to 20 million people with a message of “love for all, hatred for none.”
Asia Bibi, Pakistani woman charged with blasphemy, freed
“She appears to be a person, in the words of Shakespeare’s King Lear, ‘more sinned against than sinning,’” the Supreme Court wrote in its ruling.
Egyptian Copts angry at authorities’ broken promises after pilgrims massacred
Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population, have seen increasing violence against them since 2013.
Thomas Keating, who developed centering prayer, dies at age 95
Keating was also known for his engagement in interreligious dialogue.
Aid agencies denied travel to North Korea, blocking humanitarian relief
Faith-based groups have spent years building relationships in North Korea with efforts such as improving farming or providing health care. Now the U.S. State Department has a visa embargo.
Palestinian candidate in East Jerusalem defies voting boycott
Ramadan Dabash sought to be the first East Jerusalem resident to serve on the city council since 1967.
Report details trends for U.S. women clergy
Among mainline denominations, women are half of the total clergy only in the United Church of Christ, Eileen R. Campbell-Reed’s research shows.
Pittsburgh synagogue shooting strikes at vibrant Jewish community
The neighborhood’s unity has been evident in the wake of the murders during sabbath services.