For many religious denominations in the United States, there were two shared preoccupations in 2020 beyond the usual matters of faith: How to cope with the coronavirus pandemic and how to respond to tumultuous political events.
As heavenly bodies converge, many ask: Is the Star of Bethlehem making a comeback?
On Dec. 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn will cross paths in the night’s sky and for a brief moment, they will appear to shine together as one body. While planetary conjunctions like this are not everyday events, they also are not particularly rare.
National Prayer Breakfast will be virtual in 2021 due to COVID-19
The National Prayer Breakfast will be a virtual event next year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A pandemic atlas: A virus widens Israel’s religious rifts
When Israel went into its second nationwide coronavirus lockdown in September, most of the country quickly complied. But in some ultra-Orthodox areas, synagogues were packed, mourners thronged funerals and COVID-19 cases continued to soar.
Latin patriarch of Jerusalem says Biden will need to ‘rebuild trust’ with Palestinians
The incoming Biden administration will need to rebuild trust with the Christian community in Israel after years in which Palestinians have felt shunted aside by the U.S. Mideast policy, according to the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa.
Pandemic Could Raise Learning Poverty by 72M Children
School closings due to the COVID-19 pandemic are projected to increase learning poverty by 72 million children in low- to middle-income nations, according to a World Bank report published Dec. 2.
Trump eases rules for religious social service providers
The Trump administration on Monday moved to loosen Obama-era restrictions on religious organizations that receive federal money to provide social services.
Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem? Why the Gospels disagree over the circumstances of Christ’s birth
Every Christmas, a relatively small town in the Palestinian West Bank comes center stage: Bethlehem. Jesus, according to some biblical sources, was born in this town some two millennia ago.
Church vandalism exposes divisions over faith and politics
Vandalism at four downtown Washington churches after rallies in support of President Donald Trump is exposing rifts among people of faith as the nation confronts bitter post-election political divisions.