News
People of Good Faith: Monty Self
Monty Self is a certified health care ethics consultant and senior staff chaplain at the Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Good Faith Media Welcomes Spring 2022 Interns
Angela Grant and Maddie Grimes are the latest individuals to become GFM’s Ernest C. Hynds Jr. interns. The program launched in 2020, with eight having completed internships to date.
U.S. Wage Inequality Continues to Increase
Wage inequality in the U.S. continues to increase, with the nation’s top earners consistently seeing a significantly higher percent increase in annual wages each year, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Evolution of Faith Discussed in Latest Nurturing Faith Books’ Title
‘Phases of Faith in the Biblical Story’ is the latest title from Nurturing Faith Books, with author Sherrill Gardner Stevens considering the various ways that people have expressed their faith over time in the Bible.
Garbage Truck Worth of Plastic Enters Oceans Every Minute
The amount of plastic waste entering the oceans each year is the equivalent of a garbage truck worth being dumped in every minute, a report found. The U.S. is a top producer of plastics and source of plastic waste.
Only One Religious Leader on ‘Most Admired’ Lists for 2021
A single religious leader made YouGov’s “most admired” lists in 2021. Political figures, TV and film celebrities and athletes were the most prominent figures.
U.S. Prison, Jail Population Drops in 2020, Racial Disparities Persist
Both U.S. prisons and jails saw significant population declines in 2020, due mostly to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these drops, significant racial disparities continue.
Less Than Half of U.S. Says Religion Extremely or Very Important
Less than half of U.S. adults say that religion is extremely or very important to them, a recent report found. White evangelical Protestants were the most likely group to affirm this view.
Religious Life in U.S. ‘Slowly Returning to Normal’
Religious life in the U.S. is “showing signs of slowly returning to normal,” an AP-NORC report found. Nearly one-quarter of all adults are attending in-person religious services at least weekly.
Few U.S. Adults Could Tell Christmas Story Accurately from Memory
Less than a quarter of all U.S. adults say they could tell the biblical Christmas story accurately, a report found. Even so, a strong majority plan to celebrate Christmas this year.
New Nurturing Faith Books Analyze Broadway and the Gospels
The latest books from Nurturing Faith feature Terrell Carter looking to Broadway for insight and inspiration, and Maralene and Miles Wesner carefully analyzing the Gospels for information about Jesus as a person.
Few in U.S. See Conflict Between Religious Teaching, Vaccination
Few adults in the U.S. say there is a conflict between religious teaching, or personal religious beliefs, and receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. Still, a slim majority favor religious exemptions for vaccinations.
People of Good Faith: David Emmanuel Goatley
David Emmanuel Goatley is Associate Dean for Academic and Vocational Formation, Ruth W. and A. Morris Williams, Jr. Research Professor of Theology and Christian Ministry, and Director of the Office of Black Church Studies at Duke University Divinity School.
Nearly a Third of U.S. Does Not Affiliate With a Religious Tradition
The religiously unaffiliated now comprise nearly a third of all U.S. adults, a new report found. While a majority still identify as Christian, total affiliation has declined significantly in the past decade.
U.S. Adults: Fair Trial More Likely for Whites Than Blacks
U.S. adults believe a white defendant is more likely than a Black defendant to receive a fair trial, a report found. Notable differences emerged when analyzing responses based on race and on political affiliation.
New Resource Available to Help Churches Discuss Taxation and Justice
Five Christian organizations have jointly produced a taxation and justice resource for local churches. The “ZacTax Toolkit” draws its name from Jesus’ encounter with a tax collector named Zacchaeus.
Bill Jones to End ‘Weekly Baptist Roundup’
Bill Jones will end his “Weekly Baptist Roundup” that he has been publishing since May 2011. Dec. 18 will be the final edition of the Roundup, which provides links to articles and other resources relevant to faith and contemporary trends and issues.
People of Good Faith: Bruce Salmon
Bruce Salmon served for 33 years as pastor of Village Baptist Church in Bowie, Maryland, a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Listening Tops Gen Z List for Effective Evangelism
U.S. teens recently offered their views on the most effective approaches to sharing one’s faith. Rather than the apologetics common to earlier generations, they prefer listening, not lecturing.
Slight U.S. Majority Supports Death Penalty
A slim majority of U.S. adults support the death penalty, with support remaining largely unchanged in recent years. Current levels were the lowest since 1972, and well below the 80% who affirmed capital punishment in 1994.
Reaction and Response | Few Cite Faith/Spirituality/Religion As Giving Life Meaning
Few adults worldwide cite faith, religious or spirituality as a leading source of meaning, according to a new report. What were the most common responses? And what do faith leaders think about the findings?
U.S. Protestant Congregations See Finances Stabilizing
Many Protestant churches in the U.S. have seen their finances stabilize after a volatile 2020, a survey found. A majority report that giving was either the same as last year or had increased in 2021.
Government Restrictions on Religion at All-Time High in 2019
Government restrictions on religion were at an all-time high in 2019, according to a Pew Research Center report. Social hostility toward religion declined for the second year in a row.
U.S. Majority Says People, Not God, Responsible for World’s Suffering
Most U.S. adults blame people, not God or a higher power, for the world’s suffering, a report published by Pew Research Center found.
People of Good Faith: Paul Lewis
Paul Lewis is professor of religion in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
Statues, Memorials Continue to Reveal U.S. Divides
Protests and counter protests over removing statues and memorials to Confederate leaders have largely died down. However, a recent poll found that polarization remains over some of the people to be honored and memorialized.
More Protestant Pastors Consider Leaving Full-Time Ministry
A growing number of U.S. Protestant clergy are considering leaving full-time ministry, a report found. More than a third seriously considered this possibility in the fall of 2021.
Three New Titles Now Available from Nurturing Faith Books
New titles from Doug Dortch, Bruce Salmon, and Maralene and Miles Wesner are now available from Nurturing Faith Books, the publishing imprint of Good Faith Media.
UMC Female Clergy Underrepresented, Underpaid
Female clergy in the United Methodist Church are underrepresented and underpaid, according to a report. Even when accounting for mitigating factors, pay is substantially less in several regions.
Non-Christians Most, White Evangelicals Least Affirming of U.S. Religious Diversity
A recent survey asked U.S. adults to share their views on diversity in the nation. Two groups stood out for their divergent perspectives on this inquiry.