CREEDE HINSHAW: Keeping current on religion

Most major newspapers once contained a religion section back in the day when we seemed more homogeneous as a nation.

For that matter, maybe we had more religion then. It was easier in those days to write news highlighting mostly what white Protestants were doing. That section was also filled with paid church ads featuring the sermon titles of various community preachers. I remember reading those ads and wondering how some of these preachers could devise such boring sounding topics.

I doubt whether any major newspapers have a religion section now. Such sections are called “Living” or “Lifestyle” or some other hollow phrase. Some papers (thanks, Albany Herald!) still allot column space to a writer of religion, but most of these features have vanished.

So, where does one get news of religion?

There are plenty of sources out there. Over the years, I have subscribed to Christianity Today and Christian Century. The former is more conservative, the latter more liberal. Each is online in a free mode and an expanded fee mode.

They are certainly worth examining, but I find myself more attracted these days to the sources listed below for the breadth of their coverage and range of their opinions:

1 — The New York Times and Wall Street Journal (I subscribe to both) carry quite a few well-written religion stories covering a wide spectrum of world religions. The problem is that these stories are no longer gathered in a single section of the newspaper.

A careful, consistent reading of these papers (each with a unique editorial slant) will reward the reader with credible religion stories regularly. The Journal carries one religion article every Friday on the same page of the paper.

2 — Religion News Service (www.religionnews.com) is a balanced, nonprofit organization with an 80-year history of disseminating news of all faiths. RNS sends me an email 2-3 times a week highlighting the most current stories on religion.

Their website is quite comprehensive, and their goal is to be “the largest single source of the news of religion, spirituality and ideas.” That’s an audacious goal, impossible to measure. This is my primary source for keeping up with Mormons, Jews, Muslims, Protestants, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists, etc.

Religious News Service features news stories, opinions, columnists, humor, etc. One current feature is called “Five Faith Facts …” about each presidential and vice presidential candidate.

No single source can cover every aspect of every religion, but this source is dependably balanced, politically and theologically.

3 — The Revealer (www.wp.nyu.edu/therevealer/). If you are more adventuresome, give this website a try. Published by New York University’s Center for Religion and Media, this site seeks to promote cross-cultural knowledge of religion, frequently updating its news page and publishing a highly eclectic selection of articles, including an examination of religious violence and Islam, Sanskrit poetry, religion in the 2016 election cycle, a monthly column on religion and medicine, etc.

I find creative connections here that are found nowhere else. You can enroll for a regular email from the Revealer, too. Some of the articles are weird, but all will be provocative.

Where do you go to stay current on religion? Happy reading!

Email columnist Creede Hinshaw, a retired Methodist minister, at [email protected].