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  Hollywood looks to the Bible for screenplay potential

  Studios and filmmakers are rediscovering a classic text as source material for upcoming mainstream movies—the Bible.

  10/30/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  Church giving reaches Depression-era record lows

  Collection plates are growing even lighter as Protestant church member giving reached new lows in 2011, and tithing probably will not recover from the recession, according to a new report by Empty Tomb, a Christian research group.

  10/30/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  Politicking and pulpits—setting the historical context

  Because of a senator’s action in 1954, churches have been included with certain other tax-exempt organizations restricted from electioneering—publicly endorsing or working against candidates for political office.

  10/30/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  IRS to churches: Don’t endorse candidates

  With another big election year on the horizon, the IRS has a message for churches — the tax code expressly disallows all 501c3 organizations from political involvement. But some organizations don’t agree.

  10/30/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  Jason Russell back after Kony 2012, breakdown

  A campaign to arrest an African warlord generated awareness in more ways than the effort’s co-founder Jason Russell could have imagined.

  10/24/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  Faith Digest: Monks free to make caskets

  A group of Catholic monks can continue selling their handmade caskets after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal from the Louisiana State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors in their case against the brothers of St. Joseph Abbey.

  10/24/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  Breaking bread in faith and love

  Dinners after Sunday church, or around the Sabbath Friday night table for Jewish families, have inspired two new books, packed with stories and recipes from Christian and Jewish traditions.

  10/24/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  Church news outlets struggle to maintain editorial standards

  The closing of several Protestant denominational newspapers, magazines and other news services has played a part in eroding the standards of professional religious journalism, according to members of the Associated Church Press.

  10/24/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  Hispanics increasingly identify as ‘nones’

  The number of Hispanic-Americans who say they adhere to no religion is growing and now rivals the number of Hispanic evangelicals, a new study has found.

  10/22/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  Staying motivated while serving the poor demands discipline

  Chronic poverty, hunger and homelessness can leave even the most committed Christian activists feeling overwhelmed and defeated.

  10/21/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  12 Years a Slave prompts calls for racial reconciliation


  The new movie 12 Years a Slave depicts a bygone era in American history, but religious leaders hope it might spark increased attention about present-day race relations.

  10/17/2013 - By John Rutledge

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  Kenya may see more interreligious strife, experts insist

  For years, Kenya has been oasis of Christian-Muslim calm and a refuge for people fleeing strife in other parts of the continent. But that could be changing.

  10/17/2013 - By John Rutledge