Are we entering a 'postdenominational' era?
Plus an art exhibit with rubble from WWII-bombed churches and synagogues
Hi ReligionUnplugged readers,
According to the 2020 U.S. Religion Census, released last week, the number of nondenominational Christians in the U.S. is growing. In the past decade, nondenominational churches have added 2 million attendees and 9,000 congregations in the country.
That makes it the third largest religious group in the U.S., only behind Catholics and the Southern Baptist Convention.
In today’s top story, contributor Tracy Simmons reports on this shift and shares why people are deciding to attend nondenominational churches.
In culture this week, contributor Kimberly Winston reports on an art exhibit honoring the war efforts in WWII with a series of stained glass windows on display at the Veterans Building in San Francisco.
In 1944 and 1945, U.S. Army Chaplain Frederick A. McDonald collected glass shards from places of worship destroyed during conflict. The show includes 25 glass works by 13 different artists, many of them representing experiences McDonald recounted in journals.
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Are We Entering An ‘Postdenominational’ Era? Inside The Rise Of The Unaffiliated Church
Between 2010-2020 the nondenominational church has expanded by 2 million attendees and 9,000 congregations in the U.S., according to the 2020 U.S. Religion Census, which was released last week. The nondenominational church now makes up 4 percent of the U.S. population and is now the third largest religious group in the country after Catholics and the Southern Baptist Convention. by Tracy Simmons
Mike Pence’s Book Doesn’t Shy Away From His Faith And Trump’s Election Insanity by Clemente Lisi
(REVIEW) Tell-all books have become a staple of our political conversation. They give readers a chance to see what took place in private during some of history’s most trying times. That’s the case of former Vice President Mike Pence’s new memoir about his life and time in the White House with former President Donald Trump.
WWII Bombed Churches And Synagogues Live On In Art Glass Exhibit by Kimberly Winston
U.S. Army Chaplain Frederick A. McDonald collected shards of glass from broken stained glass windows of synagogues, churches and chapels across Europe during World War II. Those fragments are now part of an art exhibit called “Remembered Light: Glass Fragments from World War II, The McDonald Windows” on display in San Francisco’s Veterans Building through Nov. 20.
New Play ‘The Gospel Woman’ Draws Inspiration From Family History, Gospel Music And A Well-Known Parable by Jillian Cheney
(REVIEW) “The Gospel Woman” is a brilliant new play produced by National Black Theatre. It’s an American family drama that focuses on grief, faith and healing — and it features some incredible gospel music.
Recreational Marijuana Legalization Becomes New Front In The Culture Wars Following Midterms by Clemente Lisi
In a midterm election highlighted by issues such as inflation, crime, abortion and threats to democracy, it turned out that recreational marijuana use has emerged as a new hot-button issue in the culture wars following staunch opposition by Catholic bishops.
Bob Jones University Alumni Rally Around Embattled President by Steve Rabey
Christian institutions face a never-ending challenge: Which cultural changes should we embrace as we prepare for the future? The challenge is starker at Bob Jones University, the bastion of American fundamentalism for nearly a century.
After Oklahoma Tornado, Church Shelter Becomes Base Of Red Cross Operations by Audrey Jackson
When a tornado struck this southeastern Oklahoma town on Friday night, the Bypass Church of Christ served the community as a shelter. The 100-member congregation opened its doors almost immediately to help — as the American Red Cross and news stations spread the word.
‘Spirit Of Toumliline’ Interfaith Inquiry Lives On 50 Years After Moroccan Monastery Closed by Julia Bicknell
A film crew started a movement to rebuild a French monastery in Morocco after shooting the award-winning movie “Of Gods and Men” there. The monastery was closed in 1968, leaving abandoned buildings. But the “Spirit of Toumliline” did not leave.
Opinion
Faith And Politics: Winners And Losers In The 2022 Midterm Elections by Bobby Ross Jr.
This week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the winners and losers in the 2022 midterm elections. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
To End Trumpism, We Must Stick Together. Liz Cheney Has Shown Us How by Bruce Barron
Obviously, Trump’s behavior is several orders of magnitude below Hitler’s horrors; hopefully, Cheney will never have to display courage to the point of martyrdom as Bonhoeffer did; and certainly no one should be plotting to assassinate Trump as Bonhoeffer’s circle did with Hitler. But there are some instructive similarities.
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Bono, William Blake And CS Lewis by Michael Metzger
Can Believers Find Political Unity In The Pews These Days? by Terry Mattingly
Don’t miss our latest podcast
The Religion of Woke America Misses God and Forgiveness
Georgetown University professor Joshua Mitchell talks with ReligionUnplugged.com about his new book, “American Awakening,” where he explores how identity politics in America bear a some resemblance to Christianity but miss vital concepts such as forgiveness. Mitchell speaks with Paul Glader and Paul Marshall about the book thesis and Mitchell’s observations and concerns about American life. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or listen directly on our website.
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Editorial picks from our archives
Who Are The Jews? Kanye West’s Rhetoric Echoes Black Hebrew Israelites’ Antisemitism by Princess Jones
(ANALYSIS) According to the controversial singer Ye, formerly called Kanye West, Black people are Jews. This part of his rhetoric is the strongest hint of where exactly his recent outpouring of antisemitism flows from.
Pastor In Laos Tortured, Brutally Murdered by Anonymous
Sources close to the police investigation told ReligionUnplugged.com they believe Pastor See was killed because of his faith during a time of rapid growth in Laotian churches. The number of baptisms is causing tension in communities distrustful of a religion they see as foreign.
Thanks again for reading!
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