[There are] a wave of buyers who are scooping up abandoned churches from coast to coast as congregations wither and disappear. Since about 2000, the number of Americans who belong to a church, synagogue or mosque has plummeted from around 70 percent to around 47 percent in 2021. (Brown, The New York Times)
Read MoreAn eight-man heavy metal band from Mongolia known as The Hu has done what few thought could happen in the 21st century: Create a new genre of folk-metal music. Decked out in black war regalia out of the 13th century, they sing invocations to a Mongolian sky deity and odes to 13th century warlord Genghis Khan. (Duin, Religion News Service)
Read MoreChurches often tower over their surroundings, their steeples glistening in the sunlight. Now a growing number of them are tapping that natural resource by adding solar panels to their roofs, spurred by generous federal subsidies. (Ramkumar, The Wall Street Journal)
Read MoreVisitors at many U.S. cemeteries can check out movie screenings, market days, concerts, art installations and dance and theater performances. Some are even finding ways to change the conversation around death itself − and bringing life to spaces previously thought of only for the dead. (Trethan, USA Today)
Read MoreFueled by streaming, Halloween can be a way for artists who delve into darker themes — think Ethel Cain, Travis Scott, Rob Zombie — to tap into the zeitgeist before sleigh bells drown them out. (Hogan, The New York Times)
Read MoreThere has been sustained outreach by Ukrainian Baptists and other evangelicals to their American counterparts in the past two years, through coordinated campaigns and individual efforts. They have crisscrossed the U.S., visiting churches and Christian colleges, Capitol Hill and the Republican National Convention. (Stanley, AP News)
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