Faith & Culture

SALT LAKE CITY — Roger Gannam cites the Bible to define his company’s mission.

That wouldn’t be notable if he worked at a church or food kitchen. But Gannam works at a law firm, suing others and representing those who have been sued.

PLAINS, Ga. (RNS) — We wake at 5 a.m. because we are told everyone in our hotel has come for the same reason — to see 92-year-old Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States, conduct Bible study at Maranatha Baptist Church.

(The Conversation) At sundown on July 31, Jews around the world will observe Tisha B’av, the most somber of Jewish holidays. It commemorates the destruction of the two temples in Jerusalem, first by the Babylonians and then, almost seven centuries later, in A.D. 70, by the Romans.

For the past eight years, First Baptist Church in Kearney, Neb., has been in new construction mode. Land was purchased, plans were in hand and the congregation had voted to start building. And then God opened the door to an unexpected opportunity.

(RNS) — At least half of Americans realize that churches feed and clothe the poor but far fewer are aware of other social services that congregations provide, a new study shows.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Elected officials in North Carolina violated the Constitution by opening meetings with Christian prayers and inviting audience members to join, a federal appeals court ruled Friday (July 14) in a closely watched case that could end up in the Supreme Court.

(RNS) Summer is in full swing. For many of us, that means trips to the pool or the beach to cool off from the summer sun. So what are the options for people — women in particular — whose religion dictates modest dress? Deciding what to wear in the water as a conservative or plain clothes dresser varies by religion, and among individuals within a faith.

(RNS) Paul M. Sutter teaches astrophysics at Ohio State University but reaches a far broader audience through his “Ask a Spaceman” podcast and on social media, where he fields questions — in plain, entertaining and conversational English — from anyone who wonders about the cosmos.

Churches and religious organizations are the most highly regarded among U.S. institutions, according to the Pew Research Center.

Fifty-nine percent of U.S. adults hold a positive view of faith-based institutions.

(RNS) — While the Roman Catholic world digests a Vatican letter confirming the church’s prohibition on gluten-free wafers, Protestant churches continue to place orders for a Eucharist that won’t bother the gluten-intolerant.

Gluten or no gluten — the difference is theological.