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(ANALYSIS) The young Jimmy Carter was a political nobody the first time he ran for governor of Georgia. That long-shot 1966 effort failed, leaving him wrestling with doubts about his future and his faith. But Carter rallied, including years of work with Billy Graham’s 1973 Atlanta Crusade. He also joined a small circle of Southern […]
It may be the start of a new year, but many of the same issues and concerns will dominate the news cycle in 2025. Religion Unplugged recently highlighted our most popular stories of 2024 and the stories several religion journalists felt were their best of last year. With 2024 close to being in the […]
Tension with the SBC Though he identified himself as a Southern Baptist, Carter repeatedly distanced himself from the Southern Baptist Convention in later years — particularly in 2000 when he mailed a letter to 75,000 Baptists nationwide expressing opposition to the revised Baptist Faith and Message doctrinal statement. “I have seen an increasing inclination on […]
(ANALYSIS) President Donald Trump is returning to the White House, convinced — after a close encounter with an assassin’s bullet — that he had God on his side in the election. While opinions differed on that theological question, Trump clearly drew strong support from voters that frequented pews. In Washington Post exit polls, he received […]
With mountains in Zimbabwe associated with traditional African beliefs and the Apostolic Christian sects who form the majority. Apostolic sects — Christian denominations that originated from Pentecostalism in the early 19th century — have roots in the African tradition, at least the majority of them. In search of spiritual connection with God, Pentecostal and Charismatic […]
Thanks to the intervention of the non-profit, Tlotliso was snatched from the cusp of addiction to the grim statistics that see the small African country punch above its size to earn itself the dubious title of “suicide capital of the world.” According to 2022 data from the World Health Organization, at 87.5 suicides per 100,000 […]
(ANALYSIS) It’s universal for kids when they lose their way or skin their knees to call out for their parents. But from my experience as a parent, and now a grandparent, children more often cry for their mommy. “I want mommy.” There’s something about a mother. This natural cry is widening how I understand our […]
CLINTON, Miss. — Mississippi College will become Mississippi Christian University, a statement from the school’s board of trustees announced on Nov. 18. The name change will take effect in 2026 to coincide with bicentennial of the school affiliated with the Mississippi Baptist Convention. “The institutional name change is a strategic decision that reiterates leadership’s commitment […]
(ANALYSIS) The Religion Guy’s answer: The Archbishop of Canterbury, whose position has a 1,427-year history, is a major figure in world Christianity as head of the Church of England and, because of that, in modern times is also the spiritual leader of the international Anglican Communion. This branch of Christianity encompasses some 85 million members […]
The idea of a “saint,” or a particularly holy and good person, is ubiquitous across world history and faith traditions. Within the Christian tradition, the term “saint” was originally used to refer simply to believers. By the 10th century, the church had developed a procedure of canonization whereby a particularly exemplary Christian might be recognized […]