All of this—real lives taken, real worlds shattered, real threats of ongoing mass murder and death—is part of an incredibly complex geopolitical reality; of settler colonialism, land occupation, political pressures, and a long history of violence. What it is not is a holy…
Want to fix America’s woes? Start by getting to know your neighbors, researcher says
Seth Kaplan, a researcher at Johns Hopkins who studies fragile states around the world, argues that rebuilding social capital— including religious congregations — can help address some of the more pressing social problems.
War between Israel and Hamas raises fears about rising US hostility
A fatal stabbing in Illinois, a gun pointed at protesters in Pennsylvania, vandalism at synagogues and harassment of staff at a Palestinian restaurant all are raising fears that the war between Israel and Hamas is sparking violence in the United States.
Russian forces occupy seventh Baptist church in Ukraine
Russian occupying forces seized another Baptist church in Ukraine, and a military court in Russia imprisoned a Baptist who refused to fight in Ukraine on religious grounds, Forum 18 News reported.
Religion(s) and the rule of law: Let us compare mythologies
As perceptively noted by James Boyd White, religion is difficult to talk about because it speaks to a way of experiencing life that affirms ineffable or mysterious links between self and others, truth and uncertainty, the real and the spiritual.
Why editors in legacy newsrooms struggle with calling members of Hamas ‘terrorists’
The British state broadcaster came under pressure last week when its leaders refused to call Hamas terrorists. In an explanation posted to the BBC website on Oct. 11, John Simpson, who serves as World Affairs editor, defended the decision this…
Russian Orthodox Church appoints Putin’s spiritual adviser metropolitan of Crimea
The Russian Orthodox Church has installed one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies as the highest-ranking church leader in Crimea.
Voices: A wall of separation is meant to protect the people
Some Christian preachers and writers believe the concept of the separation of church and state arose in America specifically to protect the church from the government. In reality, the idea arose to seek to protect the people from both the…
This Is the Violent World in Which Christ Commands Peace
The horror of terrorism reminds us anew of how impossible it feels to love our enemies.