Religion Unplugged

01/07/2026

In a public landscape filled with minefields, clergy across the U.S. are meeting the moment with care and some angst as they try to build bridges through preaching, prayer and advocacy.

Members of Catholic communities, whether active or cloistered, have also been affected by the challenges of being faithful in a time of profound political and social uncertainty. But rooted as they are in ancient traditions of prayer and practice, these men and women say that part of their calling is to be a steady force for hope and trust among all the chaos.

In some churches, congregants may be directly or indirectly affected by the storms raging outside the sanctuary walls.

It is a fraught time to lead a congregation. Church leaders are navigating concerns about ICE raids, conversations following Charlie Kirk’s death — and trying to dodge spiritual and occupational burnout along the way.

01/06/2026

How does one balance faithfulness to religious tradition with artistic expression? Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews director Lotfy Nathan on this very topic. Lotfy was raised in the Coptic Christian tradition and grew up to make a horror film, starring Nicholas Cage, called “The Carpenter’s Son” about Jesus’ childhood based on the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.

How does one balance faithfulness to religious tradition with artistic expression? Culture critic Joseph Holmes interviews director Lotfy Nathan on this very...

01/06/2026

The climb to Mar Musa al-Habashi monastery is deliberate and demanding — 340 stone steps wind up a stark, treeless mountain ridge in the Qalamun region, north of Damascus, offering nothing to the weary except an expanding vista and the growing certainty that you are meant to be here, or you are not.

For Father Paolo Dall'Oglio, an Italian Jesuit who arrived in Syria in 1982, those steps represented something far more significant than a physical challenge. They were a pathway to a calling that would reshape how an entire generation understood the possibility of religious dialogue in the Muslim world.

The climb to Mar Musa al-Habashi monastery is deliberate and demanding. Three hundred forty stone steps wind up a stark, treeless mountain ridge in the Qalamun region. But complete the journey, and you’ll find a community of Muslims and Christians committed to interfaith dialogue and healing their...

01/05/2026

For many years, Uganda’s churches and affiliated NGOs depended heavily on international financing from the U.S., U.K. and European Union to run feeding programs, support clergy families and build schools and hospitals. Until last year, USAID was a major conduit for American support.

Uganda’s churches and affiliated NGOs are being forced to adapt after USAID withdrew funding. One built solar panels and planted a farm, another turned to locals to make bricks for their church.

01/03/2026

For many Venezuelans, the capture of President Nicolás Maduro is an answer, albeit a bittersweet one, to decades of fervent prayer.

“Although I am a Christian and firmly oppose all forms of war, I cannot deny that my heart feels a sense of hope at the possibility of justice being served in Venezuela,” Yhonatan Parada told The Christians Chronicle Saturday morning, after U.S. forces seized Maduro and his wife.

“And it is precisely because of my Christian faith that I do not celebrate the downfall of a person,” Parada said, “but rather the longing for peace, freedom and restoration that is now beginning to awaken in the soul of our people.”

Many Venezuelans, including Christians at home and abroad, expressed cautious hope after U.S. forces captured President Nicolás Maduro. While rejecting violence, they welcome the possibility of justice after years of repression. Church leaders now see the moment as a difficult beginning toward rebu...

01/03/2026

The elliptical machine in 69-year-old Bob Stephens’ home gym is stretching its handlebars to hang three coats. A recumbent bike, various weights and a stationary rowing machine complete the 20-by-20-foot room.

Stephens, a Focus on the Family senior public relations representative, said it’s been a few months since he used the room, likely speeding the fact that he fell short of his New Year’s Resolution to lose weight last year.

The elliptical machine in 69-year-old Bob Stephens’ home gym is stretching its handlebars to hang three coats. A recumbent bike, various weights and a stationary rowing machine complete the 20-by-20-foot room.

01/02/2026

Zohran Mamdani’s swearing-in at City Hall on Thursday afternoon highlighted the full diversity of New York City and included a striking display of Jewish presence and pride during a historic change in leadership.

In a scene rich with symbolism, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who once ran to become the nation’s first Jewish president, administered the oath of office to the city’s first Muslim mayor as Mamdani placed his hand on a Quran.

Zohran Mamdani’s swearing-in at City Hall on Thursday afternoon highlighted the full diversity of New York City and included a striking display of Jewish presence and pride during a historic change in leadership. In a scene rich with symbolism, Sen. Bernie Sanders, who once ran to become the natio...

01/01/2026

With 2025 now behind us, it was a year filled with significant developments in religion, faith and spirituality — and 2026 will likely be just as eventful.

(ANALYSIS) With 2025 now behind us, it was a year filled with significant developments in religion, faith and spirituality — and 2026 is likely to be just as eventful. Here are five key religion-related issues and trends to watch for over the next 12 months in the U.S. and throughout the world.

12/31/2025

As we step into 2026, may the year ahead bring clarity, compassion and deeper understanding across faiths. Thank you for reading, engaging and seeking thoughtful coverage of religion in our shared world.

12/30/2025

Now more than ever, your support is invaluable to Religion Unplugged and The Media Project. We are thrilled to share that we are just $2,352 away from reaching our end-of-year fundraising goal!

This is an exciting time of year since every donation received before December 31st is matched by a NewsMatch grant from the Institute for Nonprofit News.

This means that a donation of $50 will be doubled, resulting in a total impact of $100. Additionally, if you choose to set up a new monthly donation of any amount, it will also be matched for a full year. That means a new $20 monthly gift contributes an extra $240 or $10 monthly gift will mean a match of $120 this December.

Your support directly enhances our mission to provide high-quality religion training for journalists around the world and to keep our news site, Religion Unplugged, always ad-free. Please consider a donation before the end of the year.

Now through Dec. 31, every tax-deductible donation you make will be doubled, up to $35,000. That means your gift has twice the power to support independent, high-quality journalism at a time when it’s never been needed more.

12/30/2025

A popular New Year’s resolution is to take up meditation — specifically mindfulness meditation. This is a healthy choice.

Regular mindfulness practice has been linked to many positive health benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep and quicker healing after injury and illness. Mindfulness can help us to be present in a distracted world and to feel more at home in our bodies and in our lives.

There are many different types of meditation. Some mindfulness practices ask meditators simply to sit with whatever thoughts, sensations or emotions arise without immediately reacting to them. Such meditations cultivate focus, while granting more freedom in how we respond to whatever events life throws at us.

(ANALYSIS) Regular mindfulness practice has been linked to many positive health benefits, including reduced stress and anxiety, better sleep and quicker healing after injury and illness. Mindfulness can help us to be present in a distracted world, especially as we start a new year, and to feel more

12/30/2025

With just 48 hours left, we want to take a moment to say thank you. Many of you have stepped up during our year-end fundraising campaign.

We are close to achieving our goal, but we need your help.

Now through Dec. 31, every tax-deductible donation you make will be doubled, up to $35,000. That means your gift has twice the power to support independent, high-quality journalism at a time when it’s never been needed more.

Now through Dec. 31, every tax-deductible donation you make will be doubled, up to $35,000. That means your gift has twice the power to support independent, high-quality journalism at a time when it’s never been needed more.