This is our weekly newsletter of religion news and updates about the Religion Media Centre, which we post every Friday afternoon.
Please consider donating to help us continue our vital work.
The challenges, concerns and benefits of reporting religion in the media were on the agenda at the sixth Religion Media Festival, held at Methodist Central Hall in London on Monday. Sir Mark Thompson, chief executive of CNN, and Channel 4 journalist Cathy Newman were interviewed, there were panel discussions on British Muslims, British Jews, community relations, reporting religion and millennials producing stories about faith and belief to new audiences. Read our mega report here. View our highlights film here. We will be publishing films of each festival session in the forthcoming days. Keep an eye on our YouTube channel and sign up to the daily newsletter for details.
Hindu temples across Britain held prayer services for the victims of the Air India crash in Ahmedabad, which claimed 241 lives, impacting particularly Gujarati communities in London and the Midlands >>
Pew Research finds that Christianity remains the world’s largest religion, but the number is increasing at a slower pace than for Muslims and non-religious. Christians number 2.3 billion, Muslims 2 billion, and non-religious 1.9 billion >>
More than one million Muslim pilgrims visited Mecca this week to perform the Hajj, but for some, the political decisions of Saudi Arabia forced a crisis of conscience over whether to attend. Report here
The historian and “The Rest is History” podcast host, Tom Holland, has been appointed Canon Historian at Salisbury Cathedral. He is the first person to take on this role in its 800-year history, describing it “as great an honour as I could possibly imagine”. >>
More headlines ..
| Bishop steps down from leading Living in Love and Faith project >> Job description issued for next Archbishop of Canterbury >> Lord’s Prayer more recognisable than Shakespeare or Star Wars >> CofE spending plans include10.7 per cent pay rise for clergy >> ‘Brutal’ cut to CofE racial justice programme >> Bishop seeks more money to save clergy jobs >> New twist in village row over campaign to oust the Rector >> Renowned Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann dies aged 92 >> Christian Aid marks 80th anniversary >> Church of Ireland bishop: ‘No excuse for violence in Ballymena’ >> Church of Scotland calls on UK government to end war in Gaza >> Methodists and URC call for end to ‘appalling reality’ of war in Gaza >> Bill to exempt criticism of religion from harassment laws >> Twelve MPs back bill to ‘protect right to criticise religion’ >> Catholic archbishop rallies opposition to the Assisted Dying Bill >> Theos counters criticism of religious ideas in assisted dying debate >> MPs debate legalising humanist marriages in England and Wales >> Christian charity criticises spending review and calls for a wealth tax >> Labour losing Muslim support over Gaza and Islamophobia, survey >> Death threats for man who burned Quran outside Turkish Embassy >> Muslim Tech Festival for entrepreneurs in science, health and media >> Debate to end non-stun slaughter of animals ‘reveals anti Muslim bias’ >> Islamic Relief reports trebling of severe malnutrition in Darfur >> Rabbi attacked in Paris suburb amid surge in antisemitic incidents >> Chief Rabbi: European Conference cancellation is ‘shocking hatred’ >> US Episcopalian Church condemns LA immigration raids >> Los Angeles Archbishop calls for unity amid deportation protests >> LA Faith leaders pledge non-violence as officers train guns on them >> Southern Baptist Convention urges repeal of same‑sex marriage ruling >> Failed proposal to ban women pastors in Southern Baptist church >> Christianity Today CEO takes over at the John Templeton Foundation >> India will include questions about caste in national census >> New Archdruid for US based organisation with global growth in sight >> Satanic Temple in Iowa claims discrimination on religious grounds >> Scientists rediscover divine “Egyptian Blue” pigment >> |
If you’d like to receive these news round-ups straight to your inbox every Friday afternoon, subscribe for free.
