đ Happy New Year: What will be the big religion stories in 2024? đ
It's impossible to predict â but we'll try anyway
By Bobby Ross Jr.
Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers!
Todayâs edition marks the launch of Plug-inâs fifth year. If you enjoy it, please encourage friends to subscribe.
Black churches were hit hardest by the pandemic but did more to promote vaccines, according to a new study cited by ReligionUnplugged.comâs Clemente Lisi and Religion News Serviceâs Adelle M. Banks.
The Israel-Hamas war âhas exposed a generational rift among U.S. Christians and their perceptions about the conflict.â Lifeway Researchâs Aaron Earls details the differing views of young and old believers.
And a new national poll explores why most Republicans think former President Donald Trump is a person of faith. The Deseret Newsâ Samuel Benson delves into the findings.
This is our weekly roundup of the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith. We start by looking ahead to the (expected) major news of 2024.
What to know: The big story
Campaign 2024: Hey, guess what? Itâs a presidential election year.
ReligionUnplugged.comâs Clemente Lisi rounds up everything you need to know about the candidates.
At The Conversation, Tobin Miller Shearer predicts how politics and religion will mix in 2024. He suggests three trends to track.
What will make news?: Itâs impossible to know â in advance â what stories will dominate our attention in 2024.
But Religion News Serviceâs stellar team of journalists share the headlines they anticipate â from papal reforms to psychedelics to the aforementioned presidential voting.
More prognostication: Lisi offers five Catholic storylines to watch this year, while the Houston Chronicleâs Eric Killelea and The Oklahomanâs Carla Hinton assess the potential big religion news in their regions.
And the Deseret Newsâ Kelsey Dallas has a suggestion for 2024: âMake a new friend of a different faith and then commit to actually talking to them about what they believe.â
Power up: The weekâs best reads
1. Leonard Leoâs influence: If that name doesnât ring a bell, heâs seen as the architect of the conservative Supreme Court â and heâs poised to take on the wider culture, the National Catholic Reporterâs Heidi Schlumpf writes.
At Politico, Heidi Przybyla reports that Leoâs allies are advancing a new cause, âpublic Christian schools,â starting with a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma.
A podcast series, âWe Donât Talk About Leonard,â was produced last year by ProPublica and WNYCâs âOn The Media.â
2. How a Sikh Marine made history: A 30-year-old religious freedom law helped as Private 1st Class Jaskirat Singh âcompleted boot camp with a turban and beard â two essential parts of his Sikh faith.â
As illustrated by Singhâs case, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act serves as âan essential tool for lesser-known faith groups,â the Deseret Newsâ Kelsey Dallas notes.
3. Sign dispute at NBA game: A Utah rabbi claims the Jazz made him put down his âIâm a Jew and Iâm proudâ sign after a complaint by the Dallas Mavericksâ Kyrie Irving, but Irving says he didnât complain.
The Salt Lake Tribuneâs Eric Walden details the controversy, which also drew coverage by the Dallas Morning Newsâ Joy Ashford.
More top reads
Members of a prominent Little Rock church rallied around a former associate pastor arrested on a charge of sexual assault, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazetteâs Frank Lockwood reports. ⌠Native Hawaiian salt makers combat climate change and pollution to protect a sacred tradition, The Associated Pressâ Deepa Bharath writes. ⌠Worshipers in Texas try to balance safety with a welcoming spirit, the Fort Worth Reportâs Marissa Greene explains. ⌠What were 48,000 pie crusts doing in the alley behind a Minneapolis church? The Star Tribuneâs Rachel Hutton has the answer. ⌠Thou shalt not print errors, so Bible proofreaders weed out typos and recipes, according to the Washington Timesâ Mark A. Kellner. ⌠Beth Moore âhas always been dangerousâ to the Southern Baptist Convention, the Houston Chronicleâs Eric Killelea reports. ⌠Faith groups say more foster families are needed to care for the children coming to the US alone, APâs Giovanna DellâOrto reports. ⌠What is the Epiphany? AP explains. ⌠Meanwhile, ReligionUnplugged.comâs Clemente Lisi provides a history of La Befana, Italyâs annual Epiphany tradition.
Inside the Godbeat
GetReligion has published at least one piece of new content every single day since its launch on Feb. 2, 2004, according to its editor, Terry Mattingly.
âThat streak will end ⌠on our 20th anniversary,â Mattingly reveals. âThe website will close, although some of our features will live on â to one degree or another â on other websites. We will share more details before we close, so hold that thought.â
I contributed to GetReligion for nearly 10 years, developing a niche as the media criticism siteâs âgood cop.â Since I left GR to start Plug-in 2020, tmatt has republished this newsletter/column on Mondays, which I appreciate.
I wish all my GR friends â including Godbeat legend Richard Ostling â the best during the upcoming transition.
Charging station: ICYMI
Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from ReligionUnplugged.com.
Paul Glader and Mary Cuddehe explore religionâs role in the life of a convicted fraudster pardoned by former President Donald Trump.
The final plug
âItâs amazing.â
Hulk Hogan is praising God for the response his baptism video has received, ChurchLeaders.comâs Jesse T. Jackson reports.
At Christianity Today, Stefani McDade references Hogan in an opinion piece headlined âFriends in High Places.â
âWe love celebrity conversions, but this obsession may not be as gospel-centered as it seems,â McDade writes.
Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.
Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for ReligionUnplugged.com and serves as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.