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Editor's note:
After Republican Mike Johnson – a Southern Baptist – was elected speaker of the House in October, there was extensive media coverage about his outspoken embrace of a very conservative strain of Christianity. That prompted AP’s Religion Team to look into the religious outlook of his Democratic counterpart, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. He's also a devout Christian – but with a dramatically different viewpoint than Johnson. Since adolescence, he's been active in a prominent historically Black church in Brooklyn, Cornerstone Baptist. He still attends services there. And his whole approach to politics is steeped in the social-justice gospel that has motivated leaders like the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The story, by Darren Sands, crystalizes just how unmonolithic Christianity is in the U.S.
Religion News
At trial’s start, prosecutor says Brooklyn preacher lied to get rich, a claim his lawyer disputes
A prosecutor told a jury at the start of a fraud trial that a Brooklyn preacher exaggerated his ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and let greed overtake him as he looted a parishioner’s retirement savings and tried to extort a businessman to fuel his lavish lifestyle. By Larry Neumeister/The Associated Press
Faith leaders renew push for ‘accurate’ Black history education in Florida
Training sessions in Tallahassee and in Orlando will feature curriculum companies whose products could enhance those wishing to teach Black history in schools and churches. By Adelle M. Banks/Religion News Service
When the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are considered children under state law, its chief justice had a higher authority in mind. By citing verses from the Bible and Christian theologians in his concurring opinion, Chief Justice Tom Parker alarmed advocates for church-state separation. By Peter Smith and Tiffany Stanley/The Associated Press
For those of mixed heritage, Israel-Hamas war complicates already difficult terrain
Since Oct. 7, writers who have both Palestinian and Jewish relatives are navigating polarizing arguments among family and friends as well as reexamining their own identities. By Tara Abhasakun/Religion News Service
Algeria inaugurates Africa’s largest mosque after years of political delays and cost overruns
Algeria has inaugurated a gigantic mosque on its Mediterranean coastline after years of political upheaval transformed the project from a symbol of state-sponsored strength and religiosity to one of delays and cost overruns. By The Associated Press
Commentary and Analysis
Religious beliefs can provide motivation, hope and endurance in the long and often discouraging task of mobilizing people for social change. By Brad Christerson, Alexia Salvatierra and Robert Chao Romero for The Conversation
Being a religious conservative doesn't necessarily make you a theocrat. By Mark Silk/Religion News Service
A scholar of South Asian religions explains how one lesson from the text, 'nishkama karma' – or acting without desire – may be useful for navigating the contemporary workplace. By Robert J. Stephens for The Conversation
Changing the 'psychological distance' someone feels toward an issue can shift their attitudes in ways that might help people on opposite sides of an issue see more eye to eye. By Rebecca Dyer and Keelah Williams for The Conversation
Hindu holy men perform a ritual by burning dried cow dung cakes in earthen pots at the Sangam, the confluence of sacred rivers the Yamuna and the Ganges at the annual traditional fair of Magh Mela in Prayagraj, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, India, Friday, Feb. 16, 2024. Hundreds of thousands of devout Hindus bathe at the confluence during the astronomically auspicious period over 45 days celebrated as Magh Mela. (AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh)
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