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Editor's note:
On any given day, media reporting about religion in the U.S. tends to focus on Christianity – evangelical Christianity, in particular. That’s all the more true for stories about religion and politics. Just consider the big role conservative Christianity has played in some of the issues dominating the lead-up to next month’s midterm elections: Trumpism, LGBTQ rights, opposition to abortion.
There are good reasons to pay attention to those views, of course, but it also leaves a lot of religion out of the picture. Political scientist Ryan Burge looks at one often-overlooked segment of people with growing influence: atheists and agnostics.
It may seem odd to think of these Americans as a “religious group,” but they’re part of the ever-changing landscape of what faith does – and doesn’t – look like today. And their political influence could grow even more rapidly than their numbers, Burge explains, since they tend to be quite politically engaged – even more so, by some measures, than white evangelicals.
Religion News
'It's about time': Celebrations of Diwali illuminate NYC
The week dawned gloomily in New York. But the drab mist was little match for the holiday at hand: Diwali, the festival of lights that symbolizes the triumph over darkness. By Malika Sen/The Associated Press
Faith groups weigh the impact of abortion on the midterms
'Pro-choice Catholics don’t just exist, we are the majority,' reads a line from a Catholics for Choice voter guide. By Jack Jenkins/Religion News Service
Andy Wood took the reins of Saddleback Church from founder Rick Warren, an influential figure in evangelical Christianity. Wood has a vision of expanding Saddleback’s reach and is doubling down on nurturing female pastors. By Deepa Bharath/The Associated Press
New projects offer churches ways to pay royalties on the spirituals they sing
'It seems to have picked up some steam within the last couple of years, particularly since the George Floyd murder,' said a spirituals expert about churches offering royalties. By Adelle M. Banks/Religion News Service
Greek monastery manuscripts tell new story of Ottoman rule
Deep inside a medieval fortified monastery in the Mount Athos monastic community, researchers are for the first time tapping a virtually unknown treasure: Ottoman-era manuscripts that include the oldest of their kind in the world. By Costas Kantouris/The Associated Press
Commentary and Analysis
A Hindu now leads a country that for two centuries subjugated Hindus around the world. By Murali Balaji/Religion News Service
A folklorist explains how Halloween continues an ancient Celtic tradition of the celebration of the dead. By Tok Thompson for The Conversation
In the midterms, some religious voters may be motivated by the argument that if abortion is funded with tax dollars, it makes them personally complicit in sin. By Ruth Braunstein for The Conversation
If you think of Latino voters as left-leaning Catholics, think again. By Laura E. Alexander and Cristian Doña-Reveco for The Conversation
Women, their heads covered by veils, burn incense as they take part in a procession marking the Lord of Miracles feast day, in Lima, Peru, Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022. After two years of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the nation's patron saint has returned to the streets for the annual procession. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
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- This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
- The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
