Lead story
Editor's note:
Where do you turn when you’re wrestling with stress, depression or even suicidal thoughts? For some Americans, the answer is a house of worship – and not just for pastoral care.
An increasing number of congregations offer some form of mental health program. In fact, 1 in 3 people who attend religious services go to a church, mosque or temple that provides such care, according to the National Congregations Study.
Strengthening relationships between mental health providers and houses of worship can help boost access to needed care, writes sociologist Brad Fulton – especially in African American communities, where the country’s mental health care crisis is particularly acute.
At times, pairing mental health care with faith can prove harmful, Fulton notes. But congregations are often supportive environments, in part because of their built-in social supports. You’re not just a patient or part of a weekly group – you’re part of a community.
Religion News
French report: 330,000 children victims of church sex abuse
Victims of abuse within France’s Catholic Church welcomed a historic turning point Tuesday after a new report estimated that 330,000 children in France were sexually abused over the past 70 years. By Sylvie Corbet/The Associated Press
On day of remembrance, churches confront their role in Indigenous boarding schools
Several US mainline denominations — including the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Methodist Church — encouraged their members to observe a day of remembrance for US Indian boarding schools. By Emily McFarlan Miller/Religion News Service
‘COVID has been harder on us’: Some Black churches remain hesitant to reopen
Black churches reflect a cautious approach on the part of ministers, reopening task forces and the average people currently not in the pews. By Adelle M. Banks/Religion News Service
Around New York City in the weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks, Asian and Arab men started vanishing. More than 1,000 were arrested. Many were held in detention for months, with little outside contact. By Gary Fields and Noreen Nasir/The Associated Press
Southern Baptist panel to open legal records for abuse probe
A top Southern Baptist Convention committee agreed to open up legally protected records to investigators who will look into how it handled cases of sexual abuse within the denomination over the past two decades. By Peter Smith/The Associated Press
Commentary and Analysis
A historian of the Bible in American life explains how Bible verses are being picked out of context to make a case for the anti-vaxxer movement. By John Fea for The Conversation
From its beginnings, gospel music has had a strained relationship with commercial interests and secular artists. By Cheryl Townsend Gilkes/Religion News Service
Surrogacy can be exploitative, but a theologian writes how it can also remind individuals that family is not just biological but also social and relational. By Danielle Tumminio Hansen for The Conversation
People celebrate the festival of Maskel in Ethiopia on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, to commemorate the unearthing of the True Holy Cross of Christ. Celebrations begin with the building of the Damera bonfire in Maskel Square in Addis Ababa – a conical pyre of poles surrounded by bundles of branches and torches, decorated with green grass and Abyssinian daisies symbolizing the New Year. (AP Photo)
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- This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
- The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.
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