Friday, October 25, 2024

This Week in Religion - Black Pentecostals' increased visibility in U.S. politics

Lead story

Rows of people, most of whom are Black and in formal clothing, sit in church pews inside a sanctuary with beige walls.

Editor's note:

A handful of words dominate reporting on religion and politics. “Christian nationalism,” for example – or “evangelicals,” or “the Black church."

They’re all useful, but they’re shorthand: umbrella terms that sweep together people with sometimes strongly different views. And it’s the shifts within each of those categories that can be most interesting.

Dara Delgado, a religion scholar, unpacks an important shift she’s noticed among Black Protestant voters. As the election nears, she’s found that several Pentecostal figures are speaking up about the election, mostly in support of Kamala Harris.

Black preachers are no stranger to politics and social issues; just think of the Civil Rights Movement. But traditionally, Delgado explains, Pentecostals have been more apolitical, focusing more on making a difference through prayer. Discrimination against Pentecostals was often a major factor sidelining them from politics. Their increased visibility today, she writes, is “turning the page” on that history.

A banner with a headshot of Molly Jackson and the text, "Molly Jackson, Religion and Ethics Editor, The Conversation U.S."
 

Religion News

Judge hears arguments to block Louisiana’s Ten Commandments displays in schools 

A federal judge hears arguments on whether he should temporarily block a new Louisiana law that requires the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom by Jan. 1. By Sara Cline/The Associated Press 

'Not an act of God.' How the Rev. Richard Joyner became a farmer, then a climate activist

Richard Joyner has a new rejoinder to his congregants: 'God is not flooding the land. Our behavior is destroying the environment.' By Yonat Shimron/Religion News Service

The Chinese government said it had agreed with the Vatican to extend a provisional agreement on the appointment of Catholic bishops in China for four more years. By The Associated Press

Panamanian people in yellow shirts sing and dance together in a church.

Panamanians crawl to reach the Black Christ of Portobelo in annual religious pilgrimage 

At dawn, pilgrims undertake the hardest stretch of their journey to reach the statue of the Black Christ of Portobelo in Panama, crawling for hours along the street toward the image of the saint. It’s one of the most striking scenes to happen every year in one of Central America’s largest pilgrimages. By Matais Delacroix/The Associated Press

Crash Course and John Green unpack religion on YouTube

‘Religion seems like something firm and concrete, but it oozes out of your grasp as soon as you think you’ve got a hold on it,’ said novelist and host John Green. By Aleja Hertzler-McCain/Religion News Service

 

Commentary and Analysis

A biblical scholar traces how images of the 'city of God' have shaped American culture – especially when it comes to who should be allowed into the country. By Yii-Jan Lin for The Conversation

'It is not enough to preach the values of compassion and respect,’ the vice president told a church crowd in Atlanta. ‘We must live them.’ That must apply to the Palestinian people. By Andre Henry/Religion News Service

In the mid-19th century, photographs with ghostlike figures became collectible amusements thanks to the  invention of the stereoscope – a device that created three-dimensional optical illusions. By Andrea Kaston Tange for The Conversation

The US has a long history of blasphemy laws, which reflect the complex fight for freedom of religion and speech. By Kristina M. Lee for The Conversation

 
A member of the Grupo Coatlicue, wearing traditional clothing including a large feathered headdress, blows on a conch shell.

A member of the Grupo Coatlicue blows on a conch shell during a performance of a traditional Aztec dance, an agricultural prayer ceremony in motion, during an Indigenous Peoples Day event, Monday, Oct. 14, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

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