Lead story
Editor's note:
As Christians begin the somber celebrations of Jesus' last days this week, ending with the joy of Easter, millions of churchgoers will declare in prayer, song and recitations of creeds that Jesus died to save us from our sins. But in recent decades, many progressive theologians have questioned the idea that God needed to punish his own son to forgive humanity. Besides being brutal and shaming, they argue that this idea, known as penal substitutionary atonement, is illogical. This Easter, what is it that Christians believe?
Religion News
State Department wants staff to report alleged Biden-era anti-Christian bias
The State Department has issued an appeal for its employees to report instances of alleged anti-Christian bias, including formal or informal actions due to opposition to vaccines or personal pronoun choice that may have occurred during the Biden administration. By Matthew Lee/The Associated Press
For many in Hurricane Helene's path, North Carolina Baptists provide home-repair lifeline
When it comes to rapid repairs in mountain communities ravaged by the hurricane, Baptists on Mission has come to the rescue. By Yonat Shimron/Religion News Service
An American pastor who was kidnapped last week by armed and masked men during a sermon in South Africa was rescued after three of his abductors engaged in gunfire with officials and were killed. By Michelle Gumede/The Associated Press
An Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Washington preserves ancient traditions amid modern challenges
In the U.S. capital, hundreds of Ethiopians dressed in white tunics gather at the DSK Mariam Church to chant and pray in an ancient liturgical language of one of the oldest branches of Christianity. By Luis Andres Henao/The Associated Press
Funerals for cadavers: How one professor gets aspiring ministers comfortable with death
Indiana Wesleyan professor Mike Tapper worried few of his students would be ready to officiate a funeral when they became pastors at churches, so he came up with a plan that involves mock funerals for cadavers. By Bob Smietana/Religion News Service
Commentary and Analysis
Throughout history, Christians have often believed Pontius Pilate was reluctant to condemn Jesus. History suggests otherwise, a scholar explains. By Nathanael Andrade for The Conversation
The Haggadah’s fixation on our intimate knowledge of oppression sounds like a warning not to take the values of a society for granted. By Sarah Bassin/Religion News Service
Churchgoers who think their religious leaders don’t believe humans are driving climate change are less likely to discuss it with fellow congregants or take action to mitigate the effects. By Stylianos Syropoulos and Gregg Sparkman for The Conversation
Even when companies do not face legal liability, public pressure can help force a reckoning with complicity in genocide, slavery and other atrocities. By Sarah Federman for The Conversation
Jewish men and children burn leavened items in final preparation for the Passover holiday in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish town of Bnei Brak, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
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