Liberty University and its former President Jerry Falwell Jr. have ended their ongoing battle, “settling all outstanding disputes on both legal and personal matters,” according to a statement released by the Lynchburg, Va.-based school. The fight between Falwell and Liberty…
Beth Moore and a lost Southern Baptist Convention
Religion News Service reporter Bob Smietana broke the story this week that famous Bible study leader Beth Moore is leaving the Southern Baptist Convention and ending the mutually lucrative publishing relationship with their Lifeway group. She claimed that the SBC…
How Dave Ramsey responded to a story about being a bully by bullying the reporter who wrote it
Veteran religion reporter Bob Smietana of Religion News Service set out to get comments on allegations of employee dissatisfaction at Christian financial guru Dave Ramsey’s company. What he got in return was a sarcastic email from the company, copied to…
White Christians at ‘a moment of reckoning,’ author says
Jefferson Davis’ statue coming down in Richmond, Va., and Walmart refusing to fly the Mississippi state flag because of its Confederate emblem are powerful signs the movement against white supremacy is taking hold, Robert P. Jones said during an online discussion hosted June 26 by the BJC.
Judaism feeling Christianity’s pain over Millennials, declines in faith and membership
American Judaism in in a pretty tight spot thanks to the relentless growth of secularization and those ever-elusive Millennials. Equally as challenging is the freedom of – and from – religion available to Jewish people in the U.S., said Jeffrey…
After shakeup, Religion News Service hires veteran journalist as editor-in-chief
Bob Smietana, a veteran religion reporter who left The Tennessean in 2013 for LifeWay Christian Resources, has been named editor-in-chief of Religion News Service. The hiring, announced Aug. 16, comes four months after the independent non-profit news service fired former…
Columnist Jonathan Merritt latest departure from RNS
Jonathan Merritt, an award-winning religion writer who contributes regularly to national publications including The Atlantic and The Week, has stepped down as senior columnist for Religion News Service, citing “irreconcilable differences” with his publisher and interim editor-in-chief. Merritt, son of…
Editor change, resignations signal shakeup at RNS
Religion News Service — a news service of record for newspapers, magazines, broadcast organizations covering religion, ethics and spirituality around the world — has replaced its editor-in-chief in what appears to be a major shakeup of the award-winning non-profit founded in 1934.
President-elect inspiring more prayer, worship and (social media) fasting
It could be that the election of Donald Trump is having an unintended consequence: Driving more Americans to the practice of fasting. It’s already been reported that prayer and worship attendance among mainline Christians are rising since Election Day. So…