RNS
LightNews LightNews
banner
rns.org
RNS
@rns.org
8.5K followers 29 following 9K posts
Covering the world of religion. https://rns.org
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
rns.org
RNS @rns.org · Nov 14
RNS is an independent nonprofit dedicated to shining a light on the ways religion and faith shape our world. Your support helps power our newsroom: rns.org/donate
rns.org
A royal commission, which is the most powerful form of government-commissioned inquiry that can be held in Australia, has the power to summon witnesses and request documents as evidence.
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/a...
Australia's leader announces a royal commission into antisemitism after Bondi mass shooting
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The commission will investigate the nature, prevalence and drivers of antisemitism generally as well as the circumstances of the Bondi mass shooting, Prime Minister…
religionnews.com
January 11, 2026 at 2:30 PM
rns.org
OPINION: “Judeo-Christian” can mean very different things, as my well-meaning Presbyterian colleague learned.
religionnews.com/2026/01/07/t...
The government’s idea of 'Judeo-Christianity' doesn’t sound very Jewish
(RNS) — If this is Judeo-Christianity, it seems that what comes after the hyphen is doing most of the work.
religionnews.com
January 11, 2026 at 2:00 PM
rns.org
“My conduct defied everything that I believe about marriage,” Yancey, 76, wrote in a letter to Christianity Today. “It was also totally inconsistent with my faith and my writings and caused deep pain for her husband and both of our families.”
religionnews.com/2026/01/07/p...
Philip Yancey, beloved evangelical author, retires after admitting affair
(RNS) – In books such as ‘What's So Amazing About Grace?’ and ‘Where Is God When It Hurts?,’ Yancey spoke to evangelicals struggling with doubts and dealing with hardship.
religionnews.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:30 PM
rns.org
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the move “an important and Zionist decision that will also strengthen the North and the Galilee.”
religionnews.com/2026/01/08/i...
Indian 'lost tribe' believes it is fulfilling prophecy by moving to Israel
(RNS) — Since 1989, through special government permissions, about 4,000 Bnei Menashe have been able to make aliyah, but just as many people have spent years, in some cases generations, attempting to…
religionnews.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM
rns.org
Water stored in Lake Marathon and in the other three reservoirs supplying Athens has dropped from more than 1 billion cubic meters in 2022 to about 390 million cubic meters.
religionnews.com/2026/01/08/g...
Greece's Epiphany events marking Christ's baptism highlight concerns about water scarcity
MARATHON, Greece (AP) — Water stored in Lake Marathon and in the other three reservoirs supplying Athens has dropped from more than 1 billion cubic meters in 2022 to about 390 million cubic meters.
religionnews.com
January 11, 2026 at 12:30 PM
rns.org
While religious language or symbols are not necessarily present, the rituals are unmistakably spiritual.
religionnews.com/2026/01/05/w...
With limits on campus protests, quieter vigils are the growing voice of protest
NEW YORK (RNS) — While religious language or symbols are not necessarily present, the rituals are unmistakably spiritual in tone.
religionnews.com
January 11, 2026 at 12:00 PM
rns.org
The board of an evangelical seminary said the school’s president, Joy Moore, resigned in October. Moore said she didn’t. Now, the dispute is over.
religionnews.com/2026/01/02/j...
Joy Moore steps down as Northern Seminary president after months of confusion over status
(RNS) — School officials say a misunderstanding and distrust led to Moore's departure.
religionnews.com
January 11, 2026 at 2:00 AM
rns.org
OPINION: People are coming together, even when it would be easier not to, because they believe there is something powerful about collective action.
religionnews.com/2026/01/02/t...
For Sikhs, as for New York City, Mamdani's inauguration holds spiritual promise
(RNS) — What I’ll remember from Zohran Mamdani’s inauguration.
religionnews.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:00 AM
rns.org
Bible Bricks is one of a number of Lego-compatible bricks tapping a market for offline toys inspired by biblical figures and events.
religionnews.com/2025/12/22/r...
Religious-themed brick sets hold appeal for both children and adults in digital age
(RNS) — Faith-based companies making Lego-compatible building blocks are tapping a market for offline toys inspired by biblical figures and events.
religionnews.com
January 11, 2026 at 12:00 AM
rns.org
OPINION: Marty Mauser bears an uncanny resemblance to our current president, which makes it rather amazing that many of the same publications that regularly call out the appalling behavior of our president are falling all over themselves to idolize “Marty Supreme.”
religionnews.com/2025/12/31/t...
The hollow moral core of 'Marty Supreme'
(RNS) — ‘Marty Supreme’ is an excellent film about a despicable confidence man. It perfectly reflects our historical moment.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 11:00 PM
rns.org
"There’s not actually a question about showing up like that — the greatest form of sin is feeling like we are separate from other people," the Rev. Ashley Horan told RNS, explaining her reason for rushing to the scene.
religionnews.com/2026/01/07/m...
Minneapolis clergy exposed to pepper spray after rushing to scene of deadly ICE shooting
(RNS) — ‘There was a request for clergy to show up’ at the scene, said one Minneapolis minister. ‘I was out the door.’
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:00 PM
rns.org
“I have a very strong prayer life, and it is specially activated early in the morning before the noise of the world gets started,” said Sen. Rev. Raphael Warnock.
religionnews.com/2026/01/08/w...
Warnock, declaring ‘spiritual crisis,’ urges public, private sectors to help meet needs
WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘Those of us who are people of faith need to lead the way in helping the nation to understand that meeting people’s physical needs is a spiritual project,’ he said.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 9:00 PM
rns.org
OPINION: Like most Reform Jews of my generation, I grew up “topless.” Why? Reform Jews had wanted to fit in. Men did not wear hats indoors; therefore, we followed suit.
religionnews.com/2026/01/08/j...
Jews and Hats: A Thousand-Year-Old Love Story
Hats are a symbol, and nowadays, quite a potent one.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:00 PM
rns.org
RNS reporters Adelle Banks and Jack Jenkins join this week's episode to share stories of courage, compassion, and activism within religious communities, underscoring the vital role faith continues to play in addressing social and political challenges.
religionnews.com/2026/01/03/w...
What Happened? Top Religion News Stories of 2025 with RNS, and Looking Ahead to 2026
Religion News Service reporters Adele Banks and Jack Jenkins reflect on a pivotal year in which faith communities played a visible role in responding to political, social, and economic upheaval, from…
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 7:00 PM
rns.org
"I think that is a beautiful contrast to the violence that took place five years ago," one organizer told RNS.
religionnews.com/2026/01/08/i...
Interfaith concert looks to reclaim Jan. 6 as day of unity, five years after Capitol riots
(RNS) — ‘I think that is a beautiful contrast to the violence that took place five years ago,’ one organizer told RNS.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:30 PM
rns.org
OPINION: I do not need to know you to love you and show compassion; knowing you are my neighbor is enough.
religionnews.com/2026/01/09/n...
Neighborliness is a lived theology in Minnesota
(RNS) — The simple concept of caring for those in your proximity holds religious resonance.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM
rns.org
OPINION: The Trump administration does not even pretend to care about democracy, human rights, political refugees or victims of natural disasters.
religionnews.com/2026/01/06/t...
Trump's foreign policy is a disaster for America and the world
(RNS) — The Trump administration does not even pretend to care about democracy, human rights, political refugees or victims of natural disasters.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 5:30 PM
rns.org
“We must never forget the terrible consequences of treating people as ‘other,’” Eva Schloss said in 2024. “We need to live together with our differences. The only way to achieve this is through education, and the younger we start the better.”
religionnews.com/2026/01/06/h...
Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, stepsister of Anne Frank, dies at 96
LONDON (AP) — Born Eva Geiringer in Vienna in 1929, Schloss fled with her family to Amsterdam after Nazi Germany annexed Austria.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 5:00 PM
rns.org
Mamdani placed his hand on two Qurans while taking the oath of office: his grandfather's Quran and a pocket-sized version that dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century.
religionnews.com/2026/01/03/z...
Zohran Mamdani chose a Quran full of symbolism for his mayoral oath
NEW YORK (AP) — Mamdani placed his hand on two Qurans while taking the oath of office: his grandfather's Quran and a pocket-sized version that dates back to the late 18th or early 19th century.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:30 PM
rns.org
OPINION: Many people encounter matcha not through Zen teachings or formal tea ceremonies but through lifestyle trends and the contemporary fascination with “calming rituals.”
religionnews.com/2026/01/08/h...
How tourism, a booming wellness culture and social media are transforming the age-old Japanese tea ceremony
(The Conversation) — Social media has turned traditional Japanese matcha into a commercial trend, though its roots lie in Zen Buddhism. A scholar of premodern Japanese literature unpacks that history.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 4:00 PM
rns.org
Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the insurrection, RNS spoke with Noelle Cook about her new book, "The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism, and the Lure of Belonging."
religionnews.com/2026/01/06/t...
The women of January 6 who left Christianity for faith in New Age conspiracy theories
(RNS) — Ahead of the fifth anniversary of the insurrection, RNS spoke with Noelle Cook about her new book, ‘The Conspiracists: Women, Extremism, and the Lure of Belonging.’
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 3:30 PM
rns.org
Think you know the answer to this question from our weekly religion news quiz? Test your knowledge at rns.org/games
January 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM
rns.org
OPINION: The main character may not be upright, but he's an archetype in the mythos of the American Dream.
religionnews.com/2026/01/05/m...
'Marty Supreme' is a classic American Jewish dark comedy
(RNS) — The main character may not be upright, but he's an archetype in the mythos of the American Dream.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:30 PM
rns.org
“I am here to listen.” Pope Leo opens his first consistory by inviting cardinals into what he called a “collegial journey” for the church.
religionnews.com/2026/01/08/p...
Pope Leo gathers cardinals in first consistory to chart church’s path together
VATICAN CITY (RNS) — The closed-door meeting comes as Leo inherits a deeply divided church and seeks to set the tone for his papacy by emphasizing unity, shared responsibility and evangelization…
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM
rns.org
A mile apart, supporters of the Jan. 6 rioters and clergy whose churches were assaulted five years ago, commemorated the historic events at the U.S. Capitol.
religionnews.com/2026/01/06/t...
Two events remember the 5th anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot, appealing to two divine truths
WASHINGTON (RNS) — A mile apart, supporters of the Jan. 6 rioters and clergy whose churches were assaulted five years ago, commemorated the historic events at the U.S. Capitol.
religionnews.com
January 10, 2026 at 1:30 PM