Survey: Pope Francis is still popular in US, but warm feelings waning among conservatives
RNS Five years after Pope Francis ascended to the papacy, a new survey of US Catholics reports that most still harbor warm feelings toward the pontiff — but his popularity is waning among political conservatives. According to a new study from the Pew Research Center, the first Latin American pope retains a soaring 84 per […]
LIFESTORY: EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN MAKES THE CASE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
As a UN-backed summit on climate change convenes in Canada, SEBASTIEN MALO, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, speaks with evangelical Christian Katharine Hayhoe about her outspoken support for action on the issue…
Slaves’ descendants in Brazil braced for land titles’ fight
Thomson Reuters Foundation As Brazil marks 130 years since the abolition of slavery this year, the descendants of runaway slaves have been celebrating two major victories in their long fight to get legal title to their land. In the northern state of Para, 500 of them in Quilombo Cachoeira Porteira took formal ownership of 220,000 […]
Exhibition at Scottish Parliament celebrates role of women of faith in fight for gender justice
An exhibition celebrating how women of faith are working around the world to challenge gender inequality is opening at the Scottish Parliament in celebration of International Women’s Day on 8th March. The exhibition – Faith in Gender Justice – is being organised by Christian Aid and Side by Side Scotland – part of a global […]
BOOKS: RECLAIMING THE CENTRALITY OF PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
DAVID ADAMS reads Timothy Keller’s book on how to work to a richer prayer life…
Algerian pastor decries church closure
World Watch Monitor The leader of a Protestant church in Algeria’s north-western town of Aïn Turk has denounced the closure of his church four months ago. Youssef Ourahmane founded the House of Hope church more than 20 years ago – in 1997 – but on 9th November, 2017, the local authorities closed down the church, claiming […]
PERSUASION
I understand that Christianity was the first ‘force’ to successfully implement persuasion – through reason, rhetoric and experience – as its main method of conquest. MAKING A POINT? If persuasion involves a sword, then it’s not Christianity, says Paul Clark. PICTURE: Henry Hustava/Unsplash That is, virtually all other societies persuaded people to their point-of-view at the […]
EGYPT: CHRISTIANS KEY TO SUPPORT FOR EL-SISSI IN UPCOMING ELECTION
JACOB WIRTSCHAFFER and MINA NADER, of Religion News Service, report…
In the UK, Norfolk nuns look to give away property
St Michael’s House, one of the buildings the nuns are giving away. PICTURE: From a brochure on the property. A community of Anglican nuns in Norfolk in the UK are giving away their buildings to a successful applicant who comes up with the best idea for how the nine acre site could be repurposed as […]
ESSAY: AFRICAN RHYTHMS, IDEAS OF SIN AND THE HAMMOND ORGAN – A BRIEF HISTORY OF GOSPEL MUSIC’S EVOLUTION
In an article first published on The Conversation, ROBERT STEPHENS, professor of world music at the University of Connecticut, charts the history of Gospel music…