As the invasion of Ukraine by the command of President Vladimir Putin continues, religious communities around the world have responded: calling for peace, protesting, praying and much more.
Religion Unplugged has spoken to many about the invasion, its causes and its consequences from Nairobi to New Jersey. Hear from Ukrainian journalists and more.
Managing editor Meagan Clark reports a deep-dive on the growing schism between Orthodox Christians and statements and pushback from clergy. The massive divide of the church in 2019 — which had Ukraine at its center — has only worsened with the start of the Russian invasion. More than 150 Russian Orthodox priests have signed a letter to Patriarch Kirill asking for a stronger statement condemning the military actions and increasing numbers of Ukrainian Orthodox Churches, under Moscow, have stopped praying for Kirill and want to consider withdrawing from the Patriarchate.
Many Orthodox theologians argue that the war in Ukraine will determine the future of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun, an expert on Orthodox ecumenism, is one of them. Read our Q&A here.
Orthodox churches around the world are all preparing for Easter, a celebration of Christ defeating death, by reflecting on Judgment Day. Despite this relative unity in worship, the Orthodox schism between Moscow and Constantinople that broke open in 2019 is cracking further. What is good and what is evil in the war in Ukraine is far from agreed upon. by Meagan Clark
In the last couple years, Ukraine has been in the center of the Orthodox schism between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate over independence of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Many Orthodox theologians argue that the war in Ukraine will determine the future of the OCU. Cyril Hovorun is one of them.
ReligionUnplugged.com interviewed Serbian ambassador Darko Tanaskovic to understand the role of diplomacy at the Vatican and the potential for further Catholic-Orthodox cooperation.
ReligionUnplugged.com interviewed Serbian ambassador Darko Tanaskovic to understand the role of diplomacy at the Vatican and the potential for further Catholic-Orthodox cooperation.
An upcoming Discovery+ documentary series on embattled Hillsong Church was produced to purposely hurt the church, interim head pastor Phil Dooley said in a Feb. 19 message livestreamed on YouTube. Discovery+ released the trailer for “Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed,” on YouTube Feb. 16. The series is set to premiere March 24.
At a small Ukrainian Orthodox church in Oklahoma, a priest worries about his mother, brother and other loved ones caught in harm’s way. At Sunday’s service, the Rev. Stepan Bilogan and other believers prayed for peace in their homeland.
Christians across Ukraine woke to the sounds of explosions as their Russian neighbors began a bombardment of the Eastern European nation. Some had made plans to house refugees making their way west, but the Feb. 24 attacks were reported in cities east and west, further complicating their situation.
For the past century, America’s conservative Christians and politicians were united in the belief that the communist USSR — and later, Russia — was anti-American, anti-God and a threat to the world. But recently, some Christian nonprofits have consistently praised Russia as a global beacon of hope for families and the survival of Christianity.
Students from Lithuania’s LCC International University, 20% of whom are from Ukraine, rallied to express support for Ukraine against Russian aggression this week. LCC is a novel, faith-based university that brings Russians, Ukrainians and many others together to learn and interact.
In 2020, Anne Snyderlaunched a publishing project to explore a redemptive vision forward through the public health, racial and economic crises at hand. The online commons that resulted — Breaking Ground — became a one-of-a-kind space to probe society’s assumptions, interrogate our own hearts and imagine what a better future might require.
About 50 Christians with ties to Ukraine gathered for an afternoon of prayer at the North Davis Church of Christ in Arlington, Texas. Less than 48 hours after the prayer service, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the independence of the breakaway republics and ordered his military to “maintain peace” in the disputed areas.
Following days of rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis called on Christians around the world to fast and pray for peace this coming Ash Wednesday. Before ending his general audience at the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall, the pontiff said believers should fight “the diabolical senselessness of violence” that has engulfed the Russian-Ukraine border.
In Friday’s Weekend Plug-In column, Bobby Ross Jr. highlights the role that some experts see religion playing in Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Plus, catch up, as always, on all the week’s best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
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Mariya Kapinos is a Ukrainian journalist and game designer normally based in Kyev. She fled her city in recent days as Russia prepared to invade. As tanks rolled into her home country, Kapinos spoke with ReligionUnplugged.com executive editor Paul Glader about the military, political and religious conflicts between her homeland, Ukraine, and Russia. An alumna of The Media Project's European Journalism Institute in Prague, Kapinos explains the anger, loss and fear that millions of Ukrainians are feeling right now. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or listen directly on our website.
(REVIEW) February is Black History Month, and it’s a reminder of the many contributions Black Americans have made to the culture, life and history of the United States. Often overlooked is the relationship between African Americans and the Roman Catholic Church in this country. Here are five books that delve into their history and why it matters.
Stan Cottrell is incredibly fast and on July 3, 1980, broke the mark recognized by Guinness World Records for running from New York City to San Francisco — 66 miles per day for 48 consecutive days. And he has been told he set another distance record this year by reaching 270,000 miles of running in his lifetime.
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Any news tips for us? Is there a story you think we should be covering? We want to know! Email our managing editor Meagan at meagan@themediaproject.org.
