Weekly religion news roundup (August 21-27, 2026)
Photograph by Utsav Srestha via Unsplash
Hannah Estifanos
‘I am a person of faith’: How Christianity shaped Dolly Parton’s music and spirit. Country music icon Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday, credited her faith for her career, which crossed religions, races and politics — and the philanthropy that followed. (Religion News Service)
Teacher asks Supreme Court to hear case on Ten Commandments in schools. A Louisiana teacher is asking the Supreme Court to weigh in on the state’s law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, calling it a topic of “exceptional and growing national importance.” (USA Today)
‘A Bible-sized blind spot’: congressman sounds alarm on rising Christian nationalism. In his new book, congressman Jared Huffman argues that theocratic insurgency has only grown more powerful after Donald Trump returned to the White House. (The Guardian)
DHS claims it did not violate court order by spying on Baptist church. The Trump administration claims its spy mission in a Baptist church did not violate an injunction barring immigration actions on or around the property because its operative infiltrated a gathering other than a worship service, according to an Aug. 23 court filing. (Baptist News Global)
Israelis worry about weakening connection with younger Jewish Americans. Israelis across political and religious lines are worried about the weakening connection with younger Jewish Americans — who, according to a recent AP-NORC poll, tend to consider support for Israel less crucial to their Jewish identity than older adults. (Associated Press)
Settler attacks threaten the West Bank’s final Christian village. As settler violence escalates in Taybeh, a Catholic priest and a papal charity are working to give Palestinian Christians security, jobs and community support to remain in the Holy Land. (Religion News Service)
Each week in The Christian Citizen, we publish a Religion News Roundup with summaries of religion news stories and links for those who want to read more.
For over 100 years, travelers have checked into US motel rooms and found the Gideon Bible. For more than a century, countless have found it in the bedside drawers of American hotel and motel rooms. It has become a symbol of America’s roadside culture and Protestant tradition. It’s mentioned in lyrics, films, Broadway shows. (Associated Press)
Nigeria launches hunt for hundreds of kidnapped mosque worshippers. With elections set for January, President Tinubu seeks to clamp down on kidnapping trend in northern Nigeria. (Al Jazeera)
‘No Room for Bhagwat’: Interfaith group blasts Hindutva leader’s upcoming MSG speech. A coalition of faith leaders and religious advocates gathered at New York’s City Hall on Tuesday (Aug. 25) to denounce the upcoming visit of Mohan Bhagwat, leader of the Hindu nationalist paramilitary organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) based in India. (Religion News Service)
Myanmar military bombing kills 14 at Buddhist monastery, opposition reports. More than 100 people were in the monastery for a religious retreat, according to a local resident. (Al Jazeera)
Venezuelan archbishop says hope endures as church rebuilds from catastrophic quakes. Archbishop Jesús González de Zárate of Valencia, who serves as president of the Venezuelan bishops’ conference, recalled the fateful day when his country was struck by back-to-back earthquakes, the strongest to hit the country in more than a century. (National Catholic Reporter)
Hannah Estifanos is the copyeditor of The Christian Citizen.
The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
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