Religious toys are part of an estimated a $6 billion-plus market for religious publishing and products in the United States, with growth fueled since mainstream mega-retailers recently began carrying faith-based toys.

In the wake of 9/11, war, hurricanes, the worst recession in decades and countless other woes, preparation and survivalism are no longer fringe activities. In fact, for some Christians, current events yield signs of the End Times and Jesus’ Second Coming.

While staunch defenders of human rights and religious liberty for all, Southern Baptists rarely mentioned religious persecution in convention resolutions until the 1990s.

Baptists generally prefer to handle violations of religious freedom through quiet diplomacy instead of media headlines denouncing “persecution” of Christians, said a freedom-and-justice specialist for the Baptist World Alliance.

Two-thirds of Protestant pastors in the United States believe Islam is a dangerous religion, according to survey results released by LifeWay Research. The survey, however, did not explore the issues behind their concern.

The H1N1 flu pandemic is shaking up religious communities and disrupting worship life. But when does caution veer into paranoia? And what is lost when faith becomes fear?

Nearly one-fourth of the self-identified Christians in the United States delve into a range of Eastern or New Age beliefs, a new study shows.

Author Donald Miller’s best-selling 2003 memoir, Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality, is being made into a movie. It will reflect his slightly warped sense of humor as it recounts Miller's growing up fatherless, struggling with relationships and finding a Christian faith that wrestles with Jesus, the church and cultural stereotypes.

The nation’s religion journalists named President Obama’s June speech to the Muslim world  in Cairo as the top religion story of the year.

The list of notable quotations from 2009 begins with Saddleback Church Pastor Rick Warren, in his inaugural prayer for President Barack Obama: "I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus (hay-SOOS), who taught us to pray."

 When it comes to observing Christmas, Baptists in the United States can benefit from comparing notes with Baptists in other countries.

Christian recording artist Chris Tomlin is seeking to do more than spread Yuletide cheer. He wants young worshippers to find new meaning in traditional Christmas carols.