The Founding Fathers established the U.S. on the foundation of the ideals they believed in. 

The Declaration of Independence famously says: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”

Here we see equality, justice and the knowledge of a creator being upheld and dignified.

We see similar themes in the constitution. Its preamble reads: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Again, justice appears, as does peace, perfection and blessings.

All of these ideas are deeply intertwined with religious principles. And, this remains true despite the great variety of belief present among the founding fathers. While some were certainly Christians, many were very skeptical of Christianity and several others were deists.

But for the Founding Fathers, these were not principles that only religious people could respect, they were common virtues—ideas that all Americans ought to see as essential to a flourishing society.

But, while this virtue is baked into the very founding documents of our nation, what does its role look like in politics today?

To find out, I spoke with Stephanie Slade. Slade is a senior editor at Reason magazine and the author of an upcoming book called “Fusionism.” In her book, Slade argues that the pursuit of virtue and liberty ought to be at the center of American policymaking. She argues that there was a time when conservative politicians in particular exhibited this balance well, but that, today, politicians who openly fight for legislation that upholds both virtue and liberty are largely absent from the most powerful rooms on American soil.

One of the projects, that fits this category is Amazon’s House of David. 

“House of David” follows the Biblical epic that is the life of King David, which has, so far, traced his journey from a nobody shepherd boy to a great warrior who slays the giant Goliath. All while the Errant King Saul rules the Israelites. The Show stars Michael Iskander as David, Ali Suliman as King Saul, and Stephan Lang as Samuel the Prophet.

When the series came out last year, Religion Unplugged’s Culture Critic, Joseph Holmes, said he believed it had potential to be even better than The Chosen, which has across the board, turned heads for its radical commitment to both Biblical accuracy and excellent artistry. With the release of House of David’s second season, Joseph called it “one of the best things the faith-based film space has ever made.”

One of Joseph’s most consistent praises for the show has been its ability to balance history and fantasy in a way that treats the story both as an epic Bronze Age myth and as the carefully told story of a man whose life is deeply important to millions of people all around the world.

On this week’s show, Holmes interviewed Jon Gunn, Executive Producer. The two talk through this balance of myth and reverence, the evolution of faith in film, the complications of portraying romance in a time where arranged marriage was the norm, and more.

What one writer might call the actions of a terrorist, another might refer to as the work of a freedom fighter.

The very individuals who are called heroes, warriors and revolutionaries by some, can be categorized as villains, murderers, and radicals by another.

But when the morality of a violent person is highly controversial or just ambiguous, we have a separate, more fuzzy term–we call them a vigilante.

The earliest uses of vigilante seem to be taken from the Spanish word for watchmen, vigilante.

Various dictionaries state that a vigilante is somebody who seeks to act outside of the law to enact justice.

For religious people, the idea that what is right and wrong is bigger than just was is legal or illegal, is extremely familiar.

While much of the legal system may coincide with a religious person’s worldview, it is virtually unthinkable that the two would be fully aligned outside of a theocracy.

And, most religious people are content to keep away from legal, but spiritually impermissible wrongdoing by means of their own community and self control.

But for some, this hasn’t been enough. The wrongdoing of fellow citizens and governors is so egregious to them, that they have no choice but to act out–in sometimes violent ways.

In order to understand what kind of person is willing to take the law into their own hands for the sake of their God, I explored religious vigilantism in recent history, very recent history and ancient history.

These stories cover Christianity, Islam, and Judaism in three separate acts with violence ranging from verbal harassment to mass suicide.

#vigilante #vigilantes #abolition #abolitionism #johnbrown #johnbrownsbody #muslimpatrol #zealots #zealot #simonthezealot #christianity #islam #judaism

Is it a gothic, palatial cathedral that dwarfs its neighboring buildings and carries with it an air of ancient mystery? Is it a small, white chapel with a sharp steeple and a quiet humility about its presence? Or does an American church conjure up a visual that isn’t all that glorious and isn’t all that quaint—something like a strip mall or a sprawling campus of boxy structures reminiscent of a convention center?

While many Americans might picture the latter, equating all American Christianity with the sort of no-bells-and-whistles aesthetic approach of evangelicalism, American christianity is no stranger to beautiful architecture.

In nearly every American city, beautiful, complex church buildings can be found—spires, stained glass, clock towers, and vaulted ceilings are not only present in American protestant churches, they are downright common.

In fact, some of the most historically American church traditions such as the PCUSA and the Episcopal Church are in possession of many of these houses of worship. But for many conservative protestants, the beauty of the church building stands in sharp contrast to the theological departure many of the mainline traditions have from orthodoxy. 

With many mainline traditions affirming LGBTQ lifestyles and, more importantly, calling into question core Christian doctrines such as the bodily resurrection of Christ or the authority of scripture, it has been generally accepted that theologically conservative believers ought to steer clear of the mainline and join more orthodox congregations—even if they meet in an old bank or a local elementary school.

But, that position may be changing. In 2023, Christian Gen-Z YouTuber Richard Ackerman, known online as Redeemed Zoomer, began Operation Reconquista. Operation Reconquista, which now appears to have changed its name to Operation Reformation, is a movement of American Christians who believe that restoring orthodoxy in mainline churches is possible and deeply important. And they don’t discriminate by denomination. 

Operation Reformation seeks to reform the Episcopal Church, The United Methodist Church, The Presbyterian Church USA, The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and others. Their strategy is to have Christians join the few, but findable mainline congregations who hold to more traditional Christian views, thus strengthening the conservative minority as the progressive majority, in their view, inevitably dies out.

And, though it certainly is a motivation, the movement isn’t merely about reclaiming the physical church buildings. It is about reclaiming the cultural influence that many of these denominations hold in the American public. These churches often already have robust networks of service and outreach organizations, they are located conveniently in the center of American towns and they are generally well connected to many facets of American life, from local government to community events.

To better understand why conservative Christians are beginning to consider joining a mainline church and why their presence just might be effective, Culture Critic Joseph Holmes interviewed Joe Colletti, who is known online as Young Anglican. 

Colletti was previously a member of the Anglican Church in North America, but has recently left the ACNA to join The Episcopal Church. Though he has been vocally cautious and even resistant of Operation Reconquista since its founding, he has now embraced the mainline, but with a key difference from the rest of the movement: Colletti is interested only in the reclaiming of the Church which sits at the center of historical American social influence: the Episcopal Church.

And, for 3 weeks, rockets have flown across the Middle East in all directions. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Iraq have kept their guard up as different assets are targeted.

As these oil-rich nations are thrown into turmoil, gas prices in the U.S. have gone up by nearly a dollar in the last month, with many Americans wondering when the increase will slow down.

More crucially, two different water desalination plants have been hit. These facilities are essential for the hydration of millions of Middle Easterners—and neither the U.S., Israel or Iran have taken responsibility for these destabilizing attacks.

Over 20,000 people are suffering injuries from the war, and over 2,500 people have been killed, with the majority being in Iran and Lebanon.

Babies, not even a year old, have been among the casualties, as have 168 other children at an Iranian elementary school.

And even after Khamenei’s death, it is clear that Iran has pockets brimming with replacement leaders who support the continuance of his extremist regime.

So, in a conflict where death is abundant and instability is crashing in from all sides, it is worth asking: “what do the Iranian people stand to gain from all this chaos?”

To answer this question, I sat down with Erica Kasraie. Kasraie is an Iran-born American, Middle East expert, human rights activist and producer of a short documentary called “Occupied Homeland,” which details the January 2026 massacre of Iranian protesters and the history of the Iranian people. Kasraie was also formerly the Middle East Advisor to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives Armed Services Committee.

In this week’s podcast, Kasraie speaks on how the Islamic revolution came to be, the difference between Iranian culture and Islamic culture, the possibility of democracy in Iran and her hopes and fears for the future.

Tags:

#iran #khamenei #humanrights #islam #women #war #muslim #christian #jew #jewish #minorities #us #israel #middleast #persian #iranian

The Egyptian pyramids were constructed to accommodate the needs of a king’s soul after his death.

The oldest architectural structures still standing today are almost exclusively temples, and archaeologists hypothesize that many ancient cave paintings depict religious scenes and images.

As history progressed, towering cathedrals, opulent mosques, and brilliantly ornate Hindu temples were erected and maintained for centuries. Worshipful hymns and poems abound in nearly all religious communities. Sacred texts are transcribed with careful calligraphy and detailed illustrations. Elaborate dances celebrate the supernatural, and massive marble statues are carefully carved to depict the holiest beings

The beautiful things that humans have made throughout time, have most often been made for a deity.

But, in a secularized world, the purpose of art is much more varied. Today, art is most often defined as creative self-expression—there has been a clear shift from creating for a higher power to creating for the rest of humanity.


But, has the absence of spiritual motivation made art worse, or has the decision to tell human stories for a human audience made excellence more attainable?

Actor, director, and producer David Henrie is interested in this question. It’s one of the reasons he recently took a trip to Italy. This trip was filmed and is now available as a 6 episode documentary series called “Seeking Beauty” in which Henrie engages with some of the most sacred Italian churches and artwork to understand the motivations and beliefs of the artists who created them. 

Religion Unplugged’s Culture Critic Joseph Holmes interviewed Henrie to understand his own faith journey and what he learned from centuries of Italian Catholicism.

Seeking Beauty: https://www.ewtn.com/programs/9875-seeking-beauty

#davidhenrie #henrie #christianity #catholicism #seekingbeauty #art #expresssion #artist #architecture #cathedral #church #wizardsofwaverlyplace #howimetyourmother

But, as has been increasingly the case in recent years, droves of moviegoers also showed up to films with heavily religious themes.

Faith based studios and directors produced a variety of faith-forward movies with family-friendly animated movies like “David“ or “Light of The World” and more mature films such as “Guns and Moses” or “The Last Rodeo.

But faith also appeared in many religiously unaffiliated Hollywood films, such as the latest installment of the “Knives Out” franchise which focused on the murder of a controversial catholic priest and Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners,” which explored the clashes of spirituality and conventional religion.

As the Oscars are fast approaching this weekend, Religion Unplugged’s Culture Editor Jillian Cheney and Film Critic Joseph Holmes sat down with public intellectual and theologian Paul Anleitner. Paul is the President and CEO of Goodmakers, and the author of “Based on a True Story: Vibe Shifts, the End of Deconstruction, & the Reboot of Meaning,” which comes out this summer and is available for pre-order now. 

Jillian, Joseph and Paul talk through the spiritual and religious themes of some of this years’ most beloved Oscar Nominees including “Sinners,” “Train Dreams,” “One Battle After Another” and “F1.”

#oscars #goodmakers #podcast #paulanleitner #traindreams #sinners #f1 #onebattleafteranother

U.S. military presence in Venezuela had been creeping up for months—with much of it being attributed to cartel suppression. But, when President Trump posted an image on Truth Social depicting Maduro in a Nike Sweatsuit and a blindfold aboard the USS Iwo Jima, many Americans were left wondering, "What happens next?" and, just as crucially, "Can the U.S. Government do that?"

But while human rights advocates from around the world cautiously celebrate the downfall of the authoritarian dictator, life for many Venezuelans has not changed radically, and the regime Maduro was a part of remains in power through his Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez.

Another part of that regime that may have outlived Maduro’s rule is the Venezuelan Government's bribery of certain churches. Under Maduro, extra cash and remodeled church buildings were exchanged for pastoral support of the government.

And for the churches that refused to bow the knee, there have been multiple cases of intense verbal harassment, leading many to consider Venezuelans as having a suboptimal form of religious freedom—despite a constitution which protects that liberty.

For this week’s podcast, I spoke with Knox Thames and Anna Lee Stangl. Knox worked in the U.S. State Department under both Obama, and Trump as a Special Advisor for Religious Minorities. He is also the author of Ending Persecution and International Religious Freedom Advocacy. Anna Lee is the Head of Advocacy and Team Leader of Latin America at Christian Solidarity Worldwide USA.

Thames and Stangle talked through religious freedom before and after Maduro, the way Venezuelan politics has been shaped by the nations around it, Trump’s confusing justification for keeping Maduro’s Vice in power, and concerns for Latin American religious liberty at large.

Tags:

#venezuela #maduro #religiousfreedom #humanrights #liberty #freedom #church #christianity #latinamerica #latino #venezuelans

They are criticized for being cheesy, preachy, poorly acted, poorly written, and generally prioritizing lesson-teaching over entertainment or artistic excellence.

But, in recent years, their Rotten Tomatoes scores have been on a steady uptick. The critical reviews contain more of the nuance given to secular films, and, en masse, viewers seem to be more positive about their experiences.

So, what’s happening?

The tide that has turned in the faith-based film industry is multifaceted. The studios have become willing to give Christian directors bigger budgets. Writers have started telling stories with more complicated heroes and honest portrayals of life. Skilled and well-established actors like Patricia Heaton, Zachary Levi, Kelsey Grammar, and Dennis Quade are being hired

One of the innovators behind the industry’s compounding improvement is Andy Erwin.

Andy Erwin and his brother Jon helped found Kingdom Story Company in 2019. The studio has been responsible for some of the biggest and most positively reviewed Christian films to date—including Jesus Revolution, Sarah’s Oil, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. 

But the Erwin brothers’ breakout hit was 2018’s “I Can Only Imagine.” The film follows MercyMe’s vocalist Bart Millard from his childhood growing up with an abusive father to his creation of one of the most popular contemporary Christian songs of all time.

Now, they’re back with the sequel, “I Can Only Imagine 2” which came out in theaters last week.

Religion Unplugged’s Culture Critic, Joseph Holmes, sat down with Erwin to better understand where the Christian film industry is headed and why the story of “I Can Only Imagine” needed to be expanded on.


I Can Only Imagine: https://icanonlyimagine.com

They can be found in hockey goals, cross country slopes, bobsleds, and skating competitions.

But, despite a robust representation in Milan and an even more significant representation in the Paris games of 2024, the stereotype that Jews are bad at sports has not fully vanished.

The stereotype is a very old one, but it was probably made most popular by none other than Hitler himself. It has become such a popular delusion that even many Jewish writers and entertainers have adopted it.

In order to understand how this stereotype began, and why it is so egregiously incorrect, I sat down with Writer and Radiologist Michael Meyerson.

Michael was a tennis player in his younger years and began researching and writing about Jewish Athletes in his spare time as a way to debunk the stereotype

Michael’s 300-page book, “Tragedy & Triumph” details the stories of countless jewish athletes who competed in the Olympic Games.

Michael explores the constant struggle that Jews have had throughout history to be respected in athletic circles—and it turns out to be much bigger than just the infamous Hitler games.

Notably, Michael’s book covers several athletes whose stories have made it into major films such as Chariots of Fire and The Boys In The Boat. He even touches on Martin Reisman, the hustling table-tennis player whose life inspired last year’s critically acclaimed Marty Supreme.

Michael and I talked about his purpose in writing the book, the strange moment when gliding was considered an Olympic Sport, the reason many Jews are so good at fencing, and much more.

Tragedy and Triumph: https://www.amazon.com/Tragedy-Triumph-Second-Olympics-Perspective/dp/0645343250

This is sometimes translated as Paul being “chief of sinners” and even as him being, plainly, “the worst.”

It’s this idea that Christian actor, writer, and podcaster Nathan Clarkson uses to justify the title of his new book: “I’m The Worst.”

Nathan’s work goes against the cultural current.

In an age where many loud voices urge us to put away thoughts of self-criticism and turn instead toward radical self-acceptance, Nathan argues that to truly value ourselves is to understand where we have failed and where we need to grow.

Furthermore, Nathan encourages his readers to spend less time bemoaning the people who are making the world worse and more time actively working on what we can do to make the world better.

Nathan has acted in The Purge, Silicon Valley, FBI: Most Wanted, Past Lives, and many other movies and TV shows. In addition to acting Nathan has produced multiple feature films through his production company, Clarkson’s Creations. He is also a Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author for his book Finding God in Hollywood, among others.

Religion Unplugged’s Culture Critic, Joseph Holmes regularly co hosts a podcast with Nathan called The Overthinkers, so this week, the pair sat down on our podcast, to discuss Nathan’s personal cycles of failure and self-improvement, the ways we villainize the people who differ from us, and how a self-critical mindset can still coincide with self-love.

The assaulted individuals come from every ethnic group, age, social class, and even gender.

For over a decade, tens of thousands of South Africans have been violated in their communities.

To better understand South Africa’s abuse crisis and how faith communities are involved, I sat down with Vicky Abraham.

Vicky is an investigative journalist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. In addition to her work at Religion Unplugged, Vicky’s work has appeared in The Roys Report, the Mail & Guardian, City Press and many other publications.

Vicky’s article last week, entitled “South Africa’s Gender-Based Violence Crisis Reaches The Pulpit” details the incredible range of sexual violence that is occurring at the hands of the person who parishioners often trust most, their pastor.

Abuse of teenagers is incredibly frequent, with many abusers having been abused in adolescence themselves and then perpetuating the cycle of sexual violence. But Vicky noted that even very elderly people and babies under a year old have fallen victim to abuse. 

Vicky walked me through the complex path that victims often have to walk in order to report their abuser. When brought to church authorities, many victims are rebuked and told that what they say is going to harm the church and disrupt the spiritual community.

For men, who are also frequently victims, police officers will often mock them for having been sexually assaulted, heaping shame on an already devastating situation.

Vicky’s investigation into pastoral sex crimes is ongoing—with new cases appearing all the time. And while she is pleased with the outraged reactions from many healthy churches and even South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, there is still a long way to come.

#southafrica #southafrican #churches #pastors #christianity #abuse #awareness #africa

Again, everyone watched as Conservative Christian Apologist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University.

But while religious news events like these were known world round, other important stories are being covered all the time by journalists like Bobby Ross Jr., a veteran religion reporter.

In addition to covering Kirk and Leo, Bobby also wrote about Christian parents grieving in the wake of the Central Texas floods, faith’s role in The Oklahoma City Thunder’s championship-winning season, and the possibility of Christian higher education in Europe.

So on this week’s episode of the Religion Unplugged Podcast Matthew Peterson sat down with Bobby to discuss not only the news trends he anticipates in the year to come, but also his career of 25 years covering faith through on-the-ground reporting in all 50 states and in 20 different countries.

Bobby started his career of reporting on what he calls “the Godbeat” back in 2001, when he was working for the Oklahoman.

Today, he is Editor-in-Chief of The Christian Chronicle, which focuses on covering Churches of Christ all over the globe. He also writes his column, the “Weekend Plug-In” every Friday at Religion Unplugged

Bobby and Matthew's conversation spanned how his interest in baseball shaped his initial career decision, how he maintains fairness and accuracy when covering difficult subjects within his faith tradition, and even how to discern what is true in the age of social media and AI.

#religion #godbeat #religionnews #journalist #journalism #christianchronicle #2026 #bobbyrossjr #interview #podcast

Ancestors: https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506482217/Ancestors

Donate: https://religionunplugged.com/donate

The Case For Miracles: https://thecaseformiracles.movie

Donate: religionunplugged.com/donate

The Gospel Way Catechism: https://gospelwaycatechism.com

Donate: religionunplugged.com/donate

Jesus Springs: https://uncpress.org/9781469689371/jesus-springs/

Donate: religionunplugged.com/donate

Fictions of God: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo253759253.html

Donate: religionunplugged.com/donate

Pope Leo XIV: https://store.loyolapress.com/pope-leo-xiv

Donate: https://religionunplugged.com/donate

#newpope #pope #popeleoxiv #popefrancis #catholic #catholicism #conclave #vatican #holysee #rome #catholic #christopherwhite

From Dropout to Doctorate: https://www.ivpress.com/from-dropout-to-doctorate?srsltid=AfmBOoqSH7VrFGv8YO3urnrm8HiYz2vPXGEAxewYniwQZm2wfb58v5bL

Love Beyond Walls: https://www.lovebeyondwalls.org

Donate: https://religionunplugged.com/donate

Christianity at the Crossroads: https://www.cambridge.org/us/universitypress/subjects/religion/church-history/christianity-crossroads-global-church-print-revolution-digital-era?format=HB&isbn=9781009597432

Donate: https://religionunplugged.com/donate

Science and Civilization between Islam and Christianity: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/S/bo245009719.html

The Promised Land: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePromisedLandSeries/featured

Crabgrass Catholicism: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo250888546.html

The Senior: https://www.angel.com/movies/senior

Guns & Moses: gunsandmosesmovie.com

Devotion in Motion: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/D/bo248381442.html

Light of The World: https://lightoftheworld.com

ANHAD: https://anhadindia.com

CSSS: https://csss-isla.com

Hansen: https://www.alephbookcompany.com/book/the-law-of-force-the-violent-heart-of-indian-politics/

Cavanaugh: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-myth-of-religious-violence-9780195385045?cc=us&lang=en&

I Am Nobody's Slave: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/i-am-nobodys-slave-lee-hawkins?variant=42417685856290

Bible Chat: https://thebiblechat.com

Noah and the Flood in Western Thought: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/noah-and-the-flood-in-western-thought/D854F3F09B2AB914D50E274C540BC8D8

#kevinsorbo #hercules #godsnotdead #dallasjenkins #thechosen #christianity #christianfilm #faithbasedfilm

The Turban: A History from East to West: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/T/bo248107952.html

Is Superman Circumcised: https://mcfarlandbooks.com/product/is-superman-circumcised/?srsltid=AfmBOoqcVvb0Jx6SzCgZpyca-meeutW4pEYZFpjTVkuZrgEovryXzsb-

Thomas Becket and His World: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/T/bo248107940.html

After The Death of God: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/A/bo242202719.html

Read Paul's Work: https://religionunplugged.com/news?author=62cf1597d8ba387d85eac503

Rev. Charles Wesley (1707-88): https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/R/bo238311671.html

Amaravati: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/A/bo214800056.html

#amaravati #buddhism #stupa #amaravatistupa #jaselsner #religiousart #buddha #buddhistart

Visit Rebecca’s Website: https://www.rebeccagordonastrology.com

Rebecca's Free Guide To Reading Your Birth Chart: https://da264.infusionsoft.app/app/form/religion-unplugged-2025

"Cabrini" is in theaters March 8th. 

"The Chosen" is in theaters now and on streaming soon.

In a conversation with Joseph Holmes, Donnie and Nancy Emerson discuss the intricacies of the recently released film chronicling their life journey, titled "Dreamin' Wild." Their discussion encompasses the experience of achieving success later in life, as well as navigating the path of an artist while steadfastly upholding their faith. 

Can It Inspire A Repeat Of The ‘Jesus Movement’?

By Joseph Holmes

Religion Unplugged’s culture critic, Joseph Holmes, discusses Brent McCorkle’s new film “Jesus Revolution” and whether this movie can inspire a repeat of the “Jesus Movement” revival of the 70s.

Content Warning: This episode contains descriptions of graphic violence, PTSD, Suicide and trauma. Caution is recommended for children or listeners with mental health conditions.

On today’s MinistryWatch EXTRA episode I’m pleased to welcome back to the program Paul Glader. Paul is the editor-in-chief at Religion Unplugged and the director of the journalism program at The King’s College in New York City. His journalism experience includes a long tenure with the Wall Street Journal.

We begin with a story by Ryan Burge on the Decline of the Mainline. It was a response to a story by PRRI, the Public Religion Research Institute. That survey said that the mainline churches were experiencing a resurgence, and their members may now actually outnumber evangelicals. But that can’t possibly be right. We explain why.

Next, we turn our attention to “The Chosen,” which is the streaming series by Dallas Jenkins that portrays the life of Jesus. You have a review of the second season, by Joseph Holmes. He says the second season is not as good as the first season, but it is still the gold standard for Christian television.

Finally, we talk “Pastors and Plagiarism.” We’ve covered a number of stories involving celebrity preachers and plagiarism over the years. Everyone from Mark Driscoll to David Barton. Lately, the issue came up when the new president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Ed Litton, was accused of plagiarizing sermons from the outgoing president J.D. Greear.

To find out more about Religion Unplugged and the stories we discussed today, go to Religion Unplugged.com. If you’d like to give to its International Reporting Fund, there’s a link at the top of the page.

On today’s MinistryWatch EXTRA episode I’m pleased to welcome back to the program Paul Glader.Paul is the editor-in-chief at Religion Unplugged and the director of the journalism program at The King’s College in New York City. His journalism experience includes a long tenure with the Wall Street Journal.

To find out more about Religion Unplugged and the stories we discussed today, go to Religion Unplugged.com. If you’d like to give to its International Reporting Fund, there’s a link at the top of the page.

To find out more about MinistryWatch, go to MinistryWatch.com. And I’d like to share with you a couple of quick notes before we go.

First, I want to let you know that the classic book “Mission Drift” is our book of the month. Mission Drift sprang out of research done by the co-author Peter Greer and his colleagues into the reasons some ministries strayed away from their founding missions, and how others stayed “mission true.” This is an important book, and for a gift of any size, we’ll send you that book as our thank you for your support of MinistryWatch. We think every Christian donor and ministry leader should have this book in his or her library. But you do need to act fast. This offer expires on May 31.Secondly, if you’re in a spot where you can’t contribute – hey, I get it. Been there a time or two myself. But that doesn’t mean you can’t help. First of all, we covet your prayers. We write a lot here at MinistryWatch about people who started out strong, but finished poorly. Pray for us that what God has begun here will continue faithfully. And, secondly, if you’re listening to this podcast on a podcast app, give us a rating. The more ratings we get, the better the program performs with search engines. It’s an important way you can help us, and it doesn’t cost you a dime.

The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Steve Gandy.  Here at MinistryWatch we get database, technical, and editorial support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, and Casey Sudduth.  Thanks to Bobby Ross, Julia Duin, Christopher Hutton, and entire Religion Unplugged team for providing content for our conversation today.

Today, I’m pleased to welcome back to the program Paul Glader. Paul is the editor-in-chief at Religion Unplugged and the director of the journalism program at The King’s College in New York City. His journalism experience includes a long tenure with the Wall Street Journal.

Here at MinistryWatch we bring you news about Christian ministries, as well as the latest in charity and philanthropy, all designed to help us become better stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us. Regular listeners to the program know that I do a regular weekly roundup of the week’s ministry news with my co-host Natasha Smith. But these MinistryWatch Extra episodes are a chance for us to “go deep,” you might say, with our editorial partners.

To find out more about Religion Unplugged and the stories we discussed today, go to Religion Unplugged.com. If you’d like to give to its International Reporting Fund, there’s a link at the top of the page.

The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Steve Gandy.  Here at MinistryWatch we get database, technical, and editorial support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, and Casey Sudduth.  Thanks to Tom Osanjo, Mattie Townson, David Hancock, Gil Zohar, and the entire Religion Unplugged team for providing content for our conversation today.

Background reading: 

CNN report, March 1, 2021: https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/26/africa/ethiopia-tigray-dengelat-massacre-intl/index.html?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=f451299025-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2021_03_02_02_58&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-f451299025-400468605

Amnesty report, Feb. 26, 2021: https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/afr25/3730/2021/en/

Telegraph report, Feb. 19, 2021: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/02/19/should-have-finished-survivors-ethiopian-army-implicated-brutal/

AP report, Feb. 17, 2021: https://apnews.com/article/witnesses-recall-massacre-axum-ethiopia-fa1b531fea069aed6768409bd1d20bfa

Desta’s analysis for Religion Unplugged, Feb. 10, 2021: https://religionunplugged.com/news/2021/2/10/were-750-christians-really-massacred-the-truth-about-ethiopias-recent-crisis

Here at MinistryWatch we bring you news about Christian ministries, as well as the latest in charity and philanthropy, all designed to help us become better stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us. Regular listeners to the program know that I do a regular weekly roundup of the week’s ministry news with my co-host Natasha Smith. But these MinistryWatch Extra episodes are a chance for us to “go deep,” you might say, with our editorial partners.

Today, I’m pleased to welcome back to the program Paul Glader. Paul is the editor-in-chief at Religion Unplugged and the director of the journalism program at The King’s College in New York City. His journalism experience includes a long tenure with the Wall Street Journal. Today we discuss The Jericho March that took place in Washington, DC, a Charlie Brown Christmas, and Prison Fellowship’s Angel Tree ministry.

The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Steve Gandy.  Here at MinistryWatch we get database, technical, and editorial support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, and Casey Sudduth.  Thanks to Clementi Lisi, Bobby Ross, Micah Danney, Jillian Cheney, and the rest of the Religion Unplugged team for providing content for our conversation today.

Here at MinistryWatch, we bring you news about Christian ministries, as well as the latest in charity and philanthropy, all designed to help us become better stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us.

Today, I’m pleased to welcome back to the program Paul Glader. Paul is the editor-in-chief at Religion Unplugged and the director of the journalism program at The King’s College in New York City. His journalism experience includes a long tenure with the Wall Street Journal. We discuss the recent election, conflict in Armenia, Hillsong’s Carl Lenz, and more.

To find out more about Religion Unplugged and the stories we discussed today, go to Religion Unplugged.com. If you’d like to give to its International Reporting Fund, there’s a link at the top of the page.

The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Steve Gandy. Here at MinistryWatch we get database, technical, and editorial support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, and Casey Sudduth.  Thanks to Clementi Lisi, Jade Levin, Bruce Barron, Jake Densmore, and Meghan Clarke, and the rest of the Religion Unplugged team for providing content for our conversation today.

Until next time, may God bless you.

Here at MinistryWatch we bring you news about Christian ministries, as well as the latest in charity and philanthropy, all designed to help us become better stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us.

Regular listeners to the program know that this month we began these “MinistryWatch Extra” episodes. We will continue our regular Friday weekly roundup episodes. Those are episodes I co-host with Natasha Smith. But these MinistryWatch Extra episodes are a chance for us to “go deep,” you might say, with our editorial partners.

Today, I’m pleased to welcome back to the program Paul Glader. Paul is the editor-in-chief at Religion Unplugged and the director of the journalism program at The King’s College in New York City. His journalism experience includes a long tenure with the Wall Street Journal.

Today we discuss Amy Coney Barrett’s religion, a huge drop in travel – including travel to religious sites – as a result of COVID, and The American Solidarity Party (ASP), a third party that takes Christian ideas seriously. It’s pro-life, and pro-traditional marriage, which separates it from the Libertarian Party. But it also favors a fairly strong environmental program, and it’s not afraid to say the government has a role in all of these arenas.

To find out more about Religion Unplugged and the stories we discussed today, go to Religion Unplugged.com

The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Steve Gandy.  Here at MinistryWatch we get database, technical, and editorial support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, and Casey Sudduth.  Thanks to Bobby Ross, Ken Vaughan, Meghan Clarke, and the rest of the Religion Unplugged team for providing content for our conversation today.

Until next time, may God bless you.

Hello, everyone. I’m Warren Smith and I’d like to welcome you to the MinistryWatch podcast. Here at MinistryWatch we bring you news about Christian ministries, as well as the latest in charity and philanthropy, all designed to help us become better stewards of the resources God has entrusted to us.

Regular listeners to the program know that this month we began these “MinistryWatch Extra” episodes. We will continue our regular Friday weekly roundup episodes. Those are episodes I co-host with Natasha Smith. But these MinistryWatch Extra episodes are a chance for us to “go deep,” you might say, with our editorial partners.

Today, I’m pleased to welcome back to the program Paul Glader. Paul is the editor-in-chief at Religion Unplugged and the director of the journalism program at The King’s College in New York City. His journalism experience includes a long tenure with the Wall Street Journal.

To find out more about Religion Unplugged and the stories we discussed today, go to www.ReligionUnplugged.com

To find out more about MinistryWatch, go to www.MinistryWatch.com

The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Steve Gandy.  We get database, technical, and editorial support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, and Casey Sudduth.

I’m Warren Smith, along with my co-host Paul Glader, and you’ve been listening to the MinistryWatch podcast. Until next time, may God bless you.

MinistryWatch Episode Notes

"Ep. 28 Warren Smith Talks with Paul Glader of Religion Unplugged"

This is the first of our “MinistryWatch Extra” episodes. Today’s guest is Paul Glader. Paul talks to us about “Religion Unplugged,” a website with which MinistryWatch has a content-sharing relationship. We’ll go deep into our editorial processes and look at the “making of” some of the stories from “Religion Unplugged” that we have posted at the MinistryWatch podcast.

We also spend time talking about the mission of “Religion Unplugged” to train the next generation of Christian journalists.

To find out more about Religion Unplugged and the stories we discussed today, go to www.religionunplugged.com

The producers for today’s program are Rich Roszel and Steve Gandy. We get database, technical, and editorial support from Cathy Goddard, Stephen DuBarry, Christina Darnell, and Casey Sudduth.

Archibald does not practice a particular religion, but she has studied medieval spiritualism and draws from that knowledge and imagery to produce her own body of work.

Many have gradually stockpiled food, guns and even secret, remote motorhomes for years, creating complex survival and escape plans. Their beliefs are often rooted in theology more than fear and anxiety, and many resent media caricatures of preppers and the term itself.

In early March, Religion Unplugged Executive Editor Paul Glader and our Poynter-Koch reporter Micah Danney traveled to Colorado Springs, Colo. to meet Tim Bosh and his wife Tydae, who both trust in the Lord and ever since getting stranded in a snowstorm, love to stay prepared for disasters. 

Dr. Harper’s 2017 book was titled "The Fate of Rome, climate disease and the end of an empire," published by Princeton University Press. It explains how devastating viruses, pandemics and other natural catastrophes swept through the Roman Empire and brought down one of the most powerful civilizations in history. Roberta dialed up Kyle on Zoom to talk about the parallels between COVID19 and the ancient world.

We messaged every member of The Media Project to get a sense of what it's like living in the midst of the pandemic for 15 journalists around the world, and how their local religious practices are adapting.

We messaged every member of The Media Project to get a sense of what it's like living in the midst of the pandemic for 15 journalists around the world, and how their local religious practices are adapting.

Read more:

1. Mass protests in India are resisting Hindu nationalism more than ever
2. Internet Ban Eased In Kashmir After Seven Months
3. Protests ring in the new year in India as a 'black day' 
4. Photo essay: 50 injured in Kashmir's worst violence since India's crackdown
5. Fear and confusion grips India's northeast as 1.9 million people face statelessness

Ms. Rose Kanyunyuzi is from Uganda and works with the Global Orphan Project in Africa. She told us about the work she is doing in Uganda and other parts of Africa with orphans. 

We met Rev. Josphine and Ms. Rose at a conference for Anglican leaders on Martha’s Vineyard this past September.

On Monday night, we broke a story about this at ReligionUnplugged.com after a month-long investigation into claims the whistleblower made to the IRS. 

Samuel D. Brunson, a law professor at Loyola University in Chicago and an expert on religion and tax law, discusses the concerns about his church.

This episode of the Religion Unplugged podcast was hosted by Paul Glader, edited and produced by Peter Freeby. Special thanks to ReligionUnplugged team member Meagan Clark.

The Religion Unplugged Podcast is a production of religionunplugged.com. and is a part of The Media Project, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping journalists to cover religion. 

To read our award-winning global religion news coverage or to find out more about Religion Unplugged or The Media Project, visit religionunplugged.com or follow us on twitter at religionmag.

The MacArthur Foundation noted that Miller’s scholarship into English literature and theology sheds light on new ideas "about the role of faith in daily life and government among Reformation and Renaissance scholars.” Miller 

We wanted to learn more about Miller and his pathway from his studies at Princeton University as an undergraduate to his Rhodes Scholarship and doctorate at Oxford University to his finding about the King James Bible. 

This episode of the Religion Unplugged podcast was hosted by Paul Glader, edited and produced by Peter Freeby. Special thanks to Melissa Harrison and Meagan Clark.

The Religion Unplugged Podcast is a production of religionunplugged.com. and is a part of The Media Project, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping journalists to cover religion. 

To read our award-winning global religion news coverage or to find out more about Religion Unplugged or The Media Project, visit religionunplugged.com or follow us on twitter at religionmag.