Saturday, February 25, 2023

This Week in Religion - Revival event overwhelms tiny Kentucky town

Lead story

An auditorium full of Asbury University students praying.

Editor's note:

For nearly two weeks, Hughes Auditorium has been filled with people worshipping and praying around the clock. This student led, spontaneous gathering began on February 8 at Asbury University and quickly gained momentum, even as participants began to refer to it as a spiritual revival. As social media posts and videos of students singing, weeping and praying started to spread, the revival drew national attention — and visitors from across the country — to the small evangelical Christian school in Wilmore, Kentucky. By the second week, more than 50,000 Christian worshippers, celebrity pastors and onlookers had flocked to the rolling revival meetings, reported RNS correspondent Fiona Morgan, who was on scene for several days. The unprecedented number of visitors to the town of about 6,000, began to take a toll on local infrastructure, and this week, Asbury officials moved to end services in Hughes on Thursday (Feb. 23), with plans to move services to other venues in Central Kentucky.

A portrait of Molly Jackson, Religion and Ethics Editor at The Conversation U.S.
 

Religion News

Mormon church fined $5M for obscuring size of portfolio

The church has agreed to pay $1 million, and its investment arm will pay $4 million in penalties based on the violation. By Sam Metz/The Associated Press

Suspect arrested in shooting of Los Angeles bishop is housekeeper’s husband

Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop David G. O’Connell was committed to 'the ordinary person, not the rich Catholic,' said Linda Dakin-Grimm, an immigration attorney who worked with the bishop. His death is being investigated as a homicide. By Alejandra Molina/Religion News Service

Outrage over Israel’s government and its anti-democratic leanings have provoked strong reactions among U.S. Jews. By Yonat Shimron/Religion News Service

Southern Baptists oust Saddleback Church over woman pastor

The committee cited Saddleback’s having “a female teaching pastor functioning in the office of pastor,” an allusion to Stacie Wood, wife of the current lead pastor of Saddleback, Andy Wood. By Peter Smith/The Associated Press

A woman speaks at a mircrophone at a rally in front of a sign reading "BAN CASTE DISCRIMINATON"

Seattle becomes first U.S. city to ban caste discrimination

The national debate in the United States around caste has been centered in the South Asian community, causing deep divisions within the diaspora. By Deepa Bharath/The Associated Press

 

Commentary and Analysis

A historian of the late Roman world, who visited the earthquake-devastated Antakya several times, writes about the city's rich history and recovery after being devastated in the past. By Christine Shepardson for The Conversation

Employers navigating employees' requests for religious accommodations face some confusing guidance. A new Supreme Court case could clarify – and shift the norm. By Charles J. Russo for The Conversation

A roundup of The Conversation's articles about this holy Christian season and its history. By Molly Jackson/The Conversation

The mosque, church and synagogue complex is a shining monument to tolerance. By Knox Thames/Religion News Service

 
A group of mourners weeps at a mass grave site.

People mourn after they bury their loved ones in Adiyaman, Turkey,  Friday, Feb. 10, 2023. Emergency crews have made a series of dramatic rescues in Turkey, pulling several people, some almost unscathed, from the rubble, days after a catastrophic earthquake killed more than 20,000. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Did a friend or colleague forward this to you? Click here to subscribe.

 
 
  • 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.
 
 

No comments:

Post a Comment