Russia attacks Ukraine: Why some experts insist Putin is motivated by religion

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. What’s religion got to do with Russia’s attack on Ukraine? A whole lot, according to some experts. Here at ReligionUnplugged.com, Richard Ostling stresses that journalists shouldn’t … Continue reading Russia attacks Ukraine: Why some experts insist Putin is motivated by religion

Worship in PJs or pews?

Two years into the pandemic, church leaders reflect on the blessings — and drawbacks — of livestreaming. By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle Have some Christians gotten a little too comfortable worshiping at home in their pajamas? Trey Morgan asks that half-serious question about livestreamed services. “You honestly have to wonder,” said Morgan, senior minister for the Childress Church of Christ, a thriving Texas congregation halfway … Continue reading Worship in PJs or pews?

‘This is not God’s first pandemic’

Center for Christian Studies presents seminar on ‘Leading the Church in Tumultuous Times.’ By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Christian Chronicle AUSTIN, Texas — It’s a stressful time to be a church leader. From racial strife to rising inflation to pandemic culture wars, various factors conspire to divide congregations. “It’s never been easy to be a leader in the church,” said Keith Stanglin, director of the Austin-based Center for Christian Studies. “I think it’s just become … Continue reading ‘This is not God’s first pandemic’

How Canada truckers’ protest parallels American-style Christian nationalism

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. “Honk if you love Jesus.” That headline on a recent story by the Ottawa Citizen’s Blair Crawford sets the scene as the Canadian newspaper explains “Why … Continue reading How Canada truckers’ protest parallels American-style Christian nationalism

Not just nostalgia: Some pandemic-weary souls want to make Sunday a day of rest once again

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. In a hit song two decades ago, country music group Rascal Flatts offered banjo-tinged commentary on “the world spinning faster than it did in the old … Continue reading Not just nostalgia: Some pandemic-weary souls want to make Sunday a day of rest once again

The truth of Brown v. Board of Education

Plaintiff’s daughter sets the record straight on landmark school desegregation case. By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged OKLAHOMA CITY — You may think you know the story of the Rev. Oliver Brown, the lead plaintiff in the landmark 1954 case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. You probably don’t. Nearly seven decades ago, the African Methodist Episcopal pastor’s name was etched in … Continue reading The truth of Brown v. Board of Education

Online church and virtual spirituality in the pandemic age: Can we please have a Wordle?

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. Is online church good for your soul? Can real fellowship be attained through virtual reality? Amid a global pandemic, why has Wordle — yes, the online … Continue reading Online church and virtual spirituality in the pandemic age: Can we please have a Wordle?

For tornado-ravaged Kentucky churches, rebuilding means rethinking

By Bobby Ross Jr. | The Associated Press MAYFIELD, Ky. — Mayfield First United Methodist Church, a century-old temple with stately columns and stained-glass windows, has long been an anchor in the life of Kathy O’Nan, the city’s 68-year-old mayor. She directed the children’s choir for 42 years and attended countless worship services and ceremonies, from weddings to funerals to the baptisms of both her children … Continue reading For tornado-ravaged Kentucky churches, rebuilding means rethinking

‘We have to stop hate’: Why it’s important to remember the Holocaust

By Bobby Ross Jr. | Religion Unplugged Editor’s note: Every Friday, “Weekend Plug-in” features analysis, fact checking and top headlines from the world of faith. Subscribe now to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. Got feedback or ideas? Email Bobby Ross Jr. at therossnews@gmail.com. To Anna Salton Eisen and her son, Aaron Eisen, Thursday’s International Holocaust Remembrance Day was personal. George and Ruth Salton — Anna’s parents and Aaron’s grandparents … Continue reading ‘We have to stop hate’: Why it’s important to remember the Holocaust