Southern Baptists were early to the cultural war over Critical Race Theory, but documents obtained by the Nashville Tennessean show the tightrope denominational leaders have walked trying to placate white ultra-conservatives while not running off Black conservatives. A Dec. 8…
Americans growing less religious and more strictly religious at the same time
In the current sociology of American religion, there are two trends moving in opposite directions. The “nones” are growing in number, while among those who identify as Christian, varieties of fundamentalism are growing. Religion researcher Ryan Burge recently summarized this…
Houston pastor voted off local school board by angry parents who called him a Black liberal racist
Pastor John Ogletree never imagined he would be unseated from his local school board position amid charges that he is a Black liberal racist. But after 17 years of service, he is out of office — along with two other…
Mike Stone drops defamation suit against Russell Moore, claiming God will judge
The Southern Baptist pastor who in October filed suit against a former Southern Baptist Convention agency head for defamation has withdrawn the suit, explaining that he trusts God to take care of him and judge the matter. “This was a…
High court says New York doesn’t have to offer a religious exemption to vaccine mandate
After nearly two years of largely favoring the free-exercise-of-religion claims brought by conservative Christians during the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Supreme Court drew a firm line against such claims Dec. 13. Presented with a request for an emergency injunction…
What American churchgoers heard in sermons prior to the election, during the pandemic and at other key moments
Three new research projects attempt to shed light on the nature of what American churchgoers hear in weekly sermons. The results are predictable, surprising and contradictory all at the same time. The largest of these surveys was undertaken by Pew…
Conservatives hoping for a 6-3 ruling in favor of taxpayer funding for sectarian schools
Comments by justices of the United State Supreme Court Dec. 8 indicate likely support for parents of Maine high school students who want to use government funding to send their children to sectarian schools. During oral arguments before the court…
In second year of pandemic uncertainty, church leaders are watching year-end giving closely
With just three Sundays left in the year, it’s once again make-or-break time for most church budgets. And in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, amid noteworthy signs of inflation nationally, there are more questions than answers about how…
Brentwood Benson Music announces sudden closing and the end of an era
The owner of the world’s largest Christian music publishing catalog is closing its business, citing the effects of COVID-19 as the reason. Brentwood Benson Music — which reportedly owns about 60,000 copyrights and is a storied Christian music business based…