After I began writing about abuse within faith communities, a clergywoman I’ll call Stephanie Green reached out to me with her story. She was the associate pastor of a large congregational church in the Chicago suburbs. One morning she noticed…
RNS reporters look ahead at 2020
As we enter the new year, we asked Religion News Service’s reporters to give us a glimpse into the stories they’ll be following in 2020.
Pope Francis equates violence against women to profaning God
Pope Francis is pinning much of his hopes for a more peaceful world in the new year on women, saying violence against them is akin to profaning God and calling for them to be increasingly involved in making major decisions.
Baby Jesus goes missing from popular Florida nativity scene
On the sixth day of Christmas, Baby Jesus vanished from his manger in a popular nativity scene at a Florida park — right under the noses of Mary, Joseph and bowing kings.
A ‘defining feature of masculine men’ — soldier’s Norse pagan faith earns beard waiver
A soldier serving in Afghanistan with the Nevada Army Guard has been granted a religious accommodation to grow a beard in accordance with a Norse pagan faith that traces its origins to Scandinavia.
Texas church shooting and Hanukkah stabbing spur calls for increased security at places of worship
A shooting at a church in Texas and a stabbing at a rabbi’s home during a Hanukkah celebration in New York over the weekend have renewed calls for increased security and the right to be armed in places of worship.
Biblical Archaeology’s Top 10 Discoveries of 2019
From Goliath-size walls to clay seal impressions the size of a fingernail, archaeological discoveries announced in 2019 continued to add context to our understanding of the Bible.
Lawsuit: Southern Baptist leader ignored sex abuse complaint
A new lawsuit accuses a top-ranking Southern Baptist official in Arkansas of failing to report sex abuse allegations against a pastor last year.
Parishioners praised for stopping gunman who killed two at Texas church
Following the deadly shooting at a church in Texas Sunday, investigators are praising the heroic parishioners who stopped the gunman. Several people with guns jumped up to help protect the congregation.