A Vaccine Could Save Prisoners’ Lives. Christians Can Help.
Advocating for prisoner vaccinations is a political issue, but it doesn’t have to be a partisan one. Read full piece
Christmas Trees Are the Hot New Pandemic Item
Christmas will look a little different this year, but everyone is still jonesing for a tree all their own. Read full piece
Christians in Israel Face Bleak Christmas Season Due to COVID-19
Like most Holy Land Christians, Hagop Karakashian’s ceramic shop in the Old City here has always relied heavily on the presence of Christian pilgrims, especially in December. But the narrow alleyways of his shop’s ancient neighborhood are painfully empty this year.
After Turbulent 2020, Faith in America Faces More Big Issues
With Joe Biden replacing Donald Trump as president, and with vaccines eventually expected to ease the threat of COVID-19, the challenges for faith leaders in 2021 will shift. Here’s a look at some important storylines to keep an eye on in the coming year for
How to Motivate Millions of Americans to Get Vaccinated? Let Faith Help.
In this terrible moment, the vaccines that have been developed are nothing less than a modern miracle. America’s diverse faith communities can play a central role in facilitating the distribution and administration of the vaccines.
Lockdown Looms Over Christmas in Bethlehem
The Palestinian prime minister on Thursday (Dec. 17) announced a two-week lockdown in the West Bank that appears certain to curtail Christmas celebrations in the town of Jesus’s birth.
Christian Nationalists Much More Likely to Reject Vaccine, New Study Finds
As a COVID-19 vaccine gets closer to a public rollout, public health experts and policymakers in the United States are likely to encounter a big cultural barrier: Christian Nationalism. Read full piece
Catholic Parishioners Gave More Money to Churches That Went Online During Quarantine
The coronavirus shutdown is affecting giving to Catholic parishes around the country in dramatically different ways, data shows, with some expected to see their offertory — parishioners’ donations, typically given at weekly services — down 50 percent, while others have had an increase. A study
Photo Essay: Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church
On Nov. 25, vandals attacked Mount Vernon Missionary Baptist Church, a historic Black Baptist church in rural Callaway County, Missouri. On Dec. 6, Word&Way Editor Brian Kaylor met Mount Vernon’s pastor, Gordon Coleman, at the church to talk about its legacy and the damage.
St. Louis Interfaith Group Urges Congregations to Balance Religious Freedom with Good Public Health this Holiday Season
As Christmas celebration goes into full swing, an organization of 34 religions said here Friday that it wanted “all communities of faith and conscience” to exercise great caution to stay safe and protect others from the coronavirus. Read full piece