In 1996, John Updike released his 17th novel, In the Beauty of the Lilies, a story about a Presbyterian minister, Clarence Wilmot, who loses his faith, leaves the ministry and becomes an encyclopedia salesman. In a strange case of art…
U.S. not only place where ‘nones’ on the rise
Looks like you don’t have to be American or European to give up on religion. And the same is especially true for young adults, who are becoming “nones” around the planet just as they are in the U.S., according to…
That tricky terrain between angry atheists and fundamentalist Christians
Between these two disheartening poles, it’s not the muddled mush of some middle ground I’m seeking — which makes staking a claim to “free and faithful” even more difficult.
Report offers good (and bad) news about the state of American faith
A new survey of Christian beliefs and practices opens with what many in the church world would consider very good news: nearly three-quarters of Americans claim to be Christian. Meanwhile, a fifth claim no religious belief or affiliation at all,…
An atheist and a Christian review ‘God’s Not Dead 2’
Jack Jenkins, senior religion reporter for ThinkProgress, and Zack Ford, ThinkProgress’ LGBT editor and an atheist, viewed the new film, “God’s Not Dead 2.” This is the conversation that followed.
Religion and irreligion: Friends or foes?
Atheists, agnostics, and other people who profess no religious faith have often been criticized, ostracized, ridiculed, discriminated against, and belittled. Especially in recent years such people have begun to fight back. Some of that fight has been rather hostile towards…
A necessary heretic
Last week, the long-awaited new book Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates finally hit shelves. Its release was moved up from October to July in light of recent events yet again raising the ongoing concerns of race in…