🇮🇱 Israel-Hamas war: The crucial role of religion in the deadly conflict 🔌

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers! Did you miss me? I traveled to Cuba on a reporting trip. Given my limited internet access while away, Plug-in took last week off. That means this is our first edition since the Israel-Hamas war started. What an overwhelming story with countless religious angles. But I’ll do my best to catch you — and me — up. The … Continue reading 🇮🇱 Israel-Hamas war: The crucial role of religion in the deadly conflict 🔌

Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists honors Bobby Ross Jr. with eight awards

By Bobby Ross Jr. OKLAHOMA CITY — I’ve been blessed to receive a number of awards from the Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists over the last 30 years. In 2021, I was surprised to win the first-place prize for best reporter. This week, I earned eight awards in the 2023 contest, for content published last year: • First place for outstanding profile: “Amid crises, rural roots anchor Southern Baptists’ president” … Continue reading Oklahoma Society of Professional Journalists honors Bobby Ross Jr. with eight awards

🏈 Time to kneel again: Football coach who won Supreme Court prayer case returns 🔌

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged NEW YORK — Live from New York, it’s … Friday morning. I’m filing this edition of Weekend Plug-in from my temporary, 38th-floor apartment in Midtown Manhattan. I’ve spent the week enjoying a mix of work and fun in Metropolis. As I type this, Pope Francis has arrived in Mongolia, “becoming the first pope to visit the vast country with … Continue reading 🏈 Time to kneel again: Football coach who won Supreme Court prayer case returns 🔌

👣 March on Washington at 60: What the anniversary means for people of faith 🔌

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Good afternoon, Weekend Plug-in readers! Is it time for fall yet? We’re enduring yet another triple-digit day in my home state of Oklahoma, and I’m ready for cooler temperatures. But you signed up for religion news, not a weather report, so let’s start with this: Belief in the prosperity gospel is on the rise among churchgoers, according to a Lifeway … Continue reading 👣 March on Washington at 60: What the anniversary means for people of faith 🔌

For baseball star Clayton Kershaw and his wife, faith provides a foundation

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged LOS ANGELES — “Blue Heaven on Earth,” declares a sign behind the center field pavilion at Dodger Stadium. That description seemed fitting as Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, appeared on the stage before a recent Sunday afternoon game. A crowd clad in Dodgers blue cheered as the Kershaws reflected on their faith during a question-and-answer … Continue reading For baseball star Clayton Kershaw and his wife, faith provides a foundation

📝 Jesus didn’t lie on his resume, but this top Southern Baptist official did 🔌

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Good afternoon, Weekend Plug-in readers! It’s National Shameless Plug Day. Or maybe it’s really not, but I still want to share an in-depth feature I did on faith nights hosted by Major League Baseball teams. I traveled to San Diego and Los Angeles to report this story for ReligionUnplugged.com. But that’s enough shameless plugging for now. In major news … Continue reading 📝 Jesus didn’t lie on his resume, but this top Southern Baptist official did 🔌

Jesus at the ballpark: Why MLB teams host faith nights

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged SAN DIEGO — At 8:15 p.m. on a recent Saturday, Texas Rangers catcher Mitch Garver swung and missed at an 86-mph slider from San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader. Garver’s strikeout secured a 4-0 victory for the home team in front of 42,677 fans at Petco Park. Three minutes later, an electric guitarist and a keyboardist from The Rock Church … Continue reading Jesus at the ballpark: Why MLB teams host faith nights

🔥 Prayers for Maui: Houses of worship burned; People of faith organize help 🔌

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers! All of us are watching news of the devastating wildfires in Hawaii. That’s where we start our weekly roundup of the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith. What To Know: The Big Story Wildfires’ human toll: At least 55 people are dead in Hawaii’s worst natural disaster, and that number … Continue reading 🔥 Prayers for Maui: Houses of worship burned; People of faith organize help 🔌

⚖️ Seeking justice in Tree Of Life synagogue shooting: Will killer really be executed? 🔌

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged This is our weekly roundup of the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith. We start with the killer’s sentence in the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting. What to know: The big story Antisemitic attack: “The man who killed 11 congregants at a Pittsburgh synagogue was formally sentenced to death Thursday, one day after a … Continue reading ⚖️ Seeking justice in Tree Of Life synagogue shooting: Will killer really be executed? 🔌