New bat caves đŠ
UK churches home to over 12 species
Hi Religion Unplugged readers,
Bats have been making their homes in UK churches for centuries. The flying mammals are protected by law, meaning they canât be moved or eradicated, but they can cause damage to the church buildings.
In todayâs top story, contributor Angela Youngman writes on the way churches are cohabitating in the modern day with their winged residents and how public awareness is spreading to church congregants.
The New Bat Caves: UKâs Historic Churches Now Home to Protected Species
Research carried out by the Bat Conservation Trust has revealed that over 8,000 churches provide bats with a home. They are messy houseguests, and churchgoers must coexist with them. At the same time, a U.K. law prohibits removing or disturbing the winged creatures that have scared people for centuries. by Angela Youngman
Some Renaissance Paintings Of The Virgin Mary Have A Secret: Islamic Calligraphy
Because Mary herself was from the eastern Mediterranean, the subtle incorporation by Renaissance painters of abstractly rendered Arabic or Hebrew in religious art linguistically linked their sacred subjects to the regionâs Biblical past as well as its bounteous wealth. by Tom Verde
U.S. Religious Decline Stalls, But No Revival Detected Among Young People
After decades of falling religious affiliation and participation, key measures of religiousness in the United States have leveled off in recent years â although no revival has been detected among young people. The findings from the Pew Research Center suggest that a period of relative stability â first observed around 2020 â has continued five years after the pandemic. by Clemente Lisi
How Holocaust Movies Help Us Understand Rising Antisemitism In The West
(ANALYSIS) These films give us hints as to potential âwhysâ behind rising Western antisemitism. When you look at the lessons the historical dramas teach, and the movies made about their legacy today, you see deep tensions. These tensions suggest that some of the popular secular lessons our culture has derived from the Holocaust are also planting the seeds of its rejection. by Joseph Holmes
A Preacher Became President â Then Came His Stunning Fall From Grace
It was a stunning reversal of fortunes. In October, Lazarus Chakwera, Malawiâs charismatic preacher-turned-politician who once promised to âserve both God and the people,â lost his presidential re-election bid to long-time rival Peter Mutharika, who was formerly president himself from 2014 to 2020. by Calvin Manika
Religion Unplugged Podcast
Why Trevin Wax Built a New Catechism
Catechesis is almost as old as Christianity itself. And while many catechisms have evolved over the years, the age of catechisms is rarely seen as a drawback. If anything, knowing that a catechism is tried and true can be what makes people trust it. But Trevin Wax and Thomas West believe it is worth developing a new catechism. Wax speaks with Matthew Peterson about why churches and traditions who neglect catechism ought to reconsider.
Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spotify | Google Podcastsï»ż | Episode Catalog â
đ âFull Court Faithâ: Former NBA Team Owner George Shinn Opens Up đ
A quarter-century ago, the millionaire businessman who brought the NBAâs original Charlotte Hornets to North Carolinaâs largest city became embroiled in a sex scandal. Now he has published a book chronicling his stumbles and triumphs. by Bobby Ross Jr.
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