Plus meet the real St. Nick (a 4th century Christian bishop) and more headlines  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

	Open in app or online Faint Signs of Faith: religion in the Czech Republic 🇨🇿 Plus meet the real St. Nick (a 4th century Christian bishop) and more headlines Religion Unplugged Dec 29   Cross-post   Hi ReligionUnplugged readers, We hope you’ve been having a wonderful holiday season! Did you know that modern stories of Santa Claus emerged from stories about the Greek Bishop Nicholas of Myra in what is now Turkey? Nicholas is regarded in Christian tradition as generous and loving of others (especially children, of course). In today’s top story, contributor Kim Lawton dives deep into the roots of St. Nick’s story, exploring his hometown and the reasons why his actions were powerful enough to have such a lasting, global impact. Learn more about the first story about Christmas stockings — and, for more Santa news, check out this piece from fellow Deborah Laker that explores five unique ways Santa is celebrated across the world. Also this week, check out the first few installments of a new seven-part series exploring religion in Prague, Czech Republic, a city known for its number of atheists. Stories were reported by 24 young journalists from 16 countries who studied at the European Journalism Institute — programmed by The Media Project — in Prague in July 2022. In the first part, Elitsa Simeonova and Damyana Veleva share how the present generation thinks about their country’s history of religious oppression under the Communist Regime and how priests and their grandparents bore the burden. See you next week! If you like what you read, share this with your family and friends. Share This is a quick reminder that we’re in the midst of our year-end NewsMatch campaign — and you can help! NewsMatch is a collaborative fundraising movement to support independent, public service journalism like ours. Through December 31, NewsMatch will match your new monthly donation 12 times or double your one-time gift, all up to $1,000. That means that through NewsMatch, we can raise up to $30,000.  For a nonprofit organization like us, this is a big deal and will help us deliver the kind of in-depth journalism you’ve come to expect, every day. It’s the kind of reporting that can make a real difference in our community. And it’s worthy of your support. Give today to double your gift! Finding The Real St. Nicholas’ Deep Roots In Turkey ’Tis the season when Santa Claus is nearly everywhere. Most people know that jolly old St. Nick hails from the North Pole. But many might not realize that the real St. Nicholas, a fourth century Christian bishop, lived and worked in what is now the country of Turkey. by Kim Lawton Faint Signs Of Faith Part 4: Maintaining An Ancient Jewish Community In The Czech Republic by Georgia Gilholy Old Prague’s Jewish quarter was once a walled-off ghetto where the bulk of Bohemia’s Jewish community resided apart from the Christian majority, partly for their own protection. It is now little more than an open-air museum. Faint Signs Of Faith Part 3: Does The Media Cover Religion Enough In The Czech Republic? by Ivelina Georgieva and Nikol Gileva As I researched media content, it became quite clear to me that churches find their place in the news primarily (if not only) when the subject is business or economics related — church properties and estates — as if shaking away the communist past; political and/or financial correlations. Looking at the local religious life — it barely ever is a subject of media focus. Faint Signs Of Faith Part 2: Churches In Prague Serve As Art And Tourism Sites If Not Houses Of Worship by European Journalism Institute participants Almost all of the pieces are religious, taken from churches, basilicas and private chapels. They are echoes of a glorious religious past — one that contrasts with the fact that most of the Czech Republic’s population today is religiously unaffiliated. Faint Signs Of Faith Part 1: The Communist Regime's ‘Witch Hunt’ For People Of Faith In Prague by Elitsa Simeonova and Damyana Veleva Being born in the final decades of the Communist Czech government, Mašková feels lucky. By that time, its hold had already weakened, she recalls. Just a couple of decades ago, her parents and grandparents were risking a lot more than being expelled from school by practicing their religion. Met Museum Explores ‘Lives Of The Gods’ In Classic Maya Society by Jillian Cheney “Lives of the Gods: Divinity in Maya Art,” a new exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, explores the role of religion in Classic Maya society with developments from the past few decades. It presents the culture as one where gods are deeply interwoven with everyday life.  Lilly Endowment To Award $75 Million To Help Pastors Preach Better by Tracy Simmons The Lilly Endowment as part of its Compelling Preaching Initiative will award $75 million to help Christian pastors, “strengthen their abilities to proclaim the Gospel in more engaging and effective ways.” Proposals are due in May 2023. Christmas 2022: Holy Family Trail Unites Coptic Sites Where Jesus Once Traveled by Gil Zohar Egypt is developing the Holy Family Trail — a pilgrimage of sites from Jesus’ infancy to his wandering in the desert — hoping to revive its tourist industry battered by two years of COVID-19 travel restrictions. Cormac McCarthy’s Tragic Coda ‘Stella Maris’ Doubles As A Philosophic Seminar by Jillian Cheney (REVIEW) The novel, released Dec. 6, serves as a coda to the stories of siblings Bobby and Alicia Western, though it takes place before sister novel “The Passenger” began. The book is an ambitious dialogue-only novel that contains a tragic but fascinating heroine and deeply explores math, philosophy, physics and more. Geneva Bible From The 16th Century On Display At Connecticut Church by Jillian Cheney The 427-year-old Abercrombie Bible was displayed publicly for the first time Nov. 4-6, when members past and present gathered to celebrate the Connecticut congregation’s 150th anniversary. The Bible is but one small part of the church’s legacy as a tightly knit congregation with a steadfast love of God. Christians From Myanmar Celebrate Passage Of US BURMA Act by Isabella Meibauer Since Myanmar’s latest military coup in February 2021, ethnic Chin, Kachin and Karen Christians in the U.S have advocated for democracy.  Last week those efforts paid off, with the historic passage of the BURMA Act, an American Congressional act that will authorize sanctions against senior officials in Myanmar’s military and state-owned commercial enterprises, support democracy efforts and provide humanitarian relief. Churches Across US Host Premieres Of New Season Of ‘The Chosen’ by Kenneth Pybus Since “The Chosen” initially premiered in spring 2019 as an app-based, crowdfunded project, many churches have viewed it in their Bible classes, during their small groups and at their weekday services. And several bought blocks of tickets to the show’s Christmas special released in theaters a year ago. Lionel Messi Thanks God For Success In Epic World Cup Win by Clemente Lisi The soccer star, a practicing Catholic, didn’t hide his feelings after Argentina’s World Cup victory on Sunday at the 89,000-seat Lusail Stadium located in the suburbs of Qatar’s capital Doha. It was a final loaded with ups and downs. Argentina twice squandered a lead — but triumphed in the end on penalties after the game ended 3-3. “I knew God would bring this gift to me,” Messi said. “I had the feeling that this time was the one.” 5 Unique Variations Of Santa Claus Around The World by Deborah Laker The tradition of a man bringing gifts to children is traced to stories about the early Greek bishop, St. Nicholas of Myra, a small city in modern day Turkey. Santa Claus today goes by different names around the world and is linked to various folktales and cultural practices. Here are the lesser-known variations of Santa, from the beaches of Aruba to the snow-capped mountains of Finland.  Agape Conference Encourages Christian Unity by Audrey Jackson The soccer star, a practicing Catholic, didn’t hide his feelings after Argentina’s World Cup victory on Sunday at the 89,000-seat Lusail Stadium located in the suburbs of Qatar’s capital Doha. It was a final loaded with ups and downs. Argentina twice squandered a lead — but triumphed in the end on penalties after the game ended 3-3. “I knew God would bring this gift to me,” Messi said. “I had the feeling that this time was the one.” ‘Untraditional’ Hanukkah Celebrations Are Often Full Of Traditions For Jews Of Color by Samira Mehta (ANALYSIS) Hanukkah, the Jewish “festival of lights,” commemorates a story of a miracle, when oil meant to last for one day lasted for eight. Today, Jews light the menorah, a candelabra with eight candles – and one “helper” candle, called a shamas – to remember the Hanukkah oil, which kept the Jerusalem temple’s everlasting lamp burning brightly. Morocco’s World Cup Soccer Team Used Teamwork And Prayer To Win Games And Crowds by Clemente Lisi The team, nicknamed the Atlas Lions, became the first African nation to reach a World Cup semifinals in the tournament’s 92-year history. Not only did Morocco represent the African continent, but over the past four weeks was a team that galvanized the Arab world behind it.   Qatar’s Museum Of Islamic Art Highlights Religious Artifacts Spanning 14 Centuries by Clemente Lisi The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha houses many masterpieces connected to Islam. From ceramics to glassware to manuscripts and textiles, the museum is the Arab world’s artistic jewel, a repository like no other. It is the only one of its kind to highlight art and culture from the Arab world spanning 1,400 years. What Are Iran’s Morality Police? A Scholar Of The Middle East Explains Their History by Pardis Mahdavi (ANALYSIS) Where did Iran’s morality police come from? The earliest evidence of a muhtasib, interestingly, was a woman selected in Medina by the prophet himself. Missionary Pilot Detained In Mozambique After Relief Supplies Flagged by Anne Stych An American missionary pilot serving with Mission Aviation Fellowship is being held in a maximum-security prison in Mozambique on charges he supported insurgents in the country. Ryan Koher, 31, was detained Nov. 4 along with two South African volunteers. He had been scheduled to fly supplies, including vitamins, to church-run orphanages. Restaurant Staff Refuses To Serve Christian Nonprofit Over Views On Abortion, Marriage by Dale Chamberlain The Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization seeking to preserve and promote “the family in Virginia as God’s foundation upon which all free and thriving societies are built,” was denied service at Metzger Bar and Butchery, a restaurant in Richmond, this month on the basis of their stances regarding abortion and same-sex marriage. Opinion Weekend Plug-In Year In Review: The Best Religion Journalism Of 2022 In this week’s Weekend Plug-in, Bobby Ross Jr. highlights the best religion journalism of 2022, as picked by some of the nation’s top Godbeat pros. Don’t forget! You can subscribe to receive Bobby’s column early on Fridays for only $5 a month. Click the button below to subscribe! Subscribe to Weekend Plug-In This Christmas, Some Churches Need To Think About Widowers by Terry Mattingly Advent Reflections On Religious Freedom And Pluralism by Chelsea Langston Bombino Refugees And Religion In Russia’s War Against Ukraine by Mark R. Elliot The Hindutva Threat Outside India by Paul Marshall and Lidia Papp Long History Behind Bitter Orthodox Schism In Ukraine by Terry Mattingly Don’t miss our latest podcast The Religion of Woke America Misses God and Forgiveness Georgetown University professor Joshua Mitchell talks with ReligionUnplugged.com about his new book, “American Awakening,” where he explores how identity politics in America bear a some resemblance to Christianity but miss vital concepts such as forgiveness. Mitchell speaks with Paul Glader and Paul Marshall about the book thesis and Mitchell’s observations and concerns about American life. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or listen directly on our website.  In case you missed it Editorial picks from our archives Why ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ Remains Beloved By Both Christians And Nonbelievers by Clemente Lisi (OPINION) Something truly magical happens by the end when Charlie Brown asks what the true meaning of Christmas is. Instead of more commercialism, Linus sets his friend — and everyone else — straight and delivers a truly important message. 12 Christmas Movies To Celebrate The 12 Days Of Christmas by Jillian Cheney There’s an excess of Christmas movies to stream this holiday season. We’ve compiled a list of 12 of the best faith-based Christmas movies to enjoy. Thanks again for reading! ReligionUnplugged is a non-profit news organization that benefits greatly from your contributions. Your monetary donations allow us to continue our reporting and expand our coverage. You can always donate on our website by clicking the button below. Donate Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. For $5 a month, subscribe to our Weekend Plug-In Substack. 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. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. For $5 a month, subscribe to receive our Weekend Plug-In in your inbox.  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.    Cross-post     Like Comment Share   Read Religion Unplugged’s Week in Headlines in the app Listen to posts, join subscriber chats, and never miss an update from Religion Unplugged. © 2022 Religion Unplugged 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe