Joel Osteen, known for his best-selling motivational books and "megawatt smile," and Carl Lentz, dubbed by Details magazine as an "apostle of cool," recently sat down with Katie Couric to discuss the "modern face of religion in America." While both Christian pastors are popular, their ministry styles certainly differ. So what is it that draws people by the thousands to their churches – and garners Osteen millions of viewers around the globe?
NBC has officially given the green light to the 12-hour miniseries "A.D.," dubbed a follow-up to the wildly successfully "The Bible" miniseries that aired on the History channel in the the spring and did wonders for the network's ratings and popularity among Christians.
A new "found footage" horror film called "The Lock In" from Holy Moly Pictures takes on pornography consumption and addiction — what producers call "a growing epidemic in the church community" — by linking the dangers of porn consumption to demonic activity.
Nigerian televangelist and Pastor Chris Okotie stands by the inflammatory comments he made during a recent church service in which he claimed that "all Catholics will go to hell" and called the pope "an Anti-Christ', among other things. The controversial preacher's remarks were widely reported online by Nigerian media and swiftly rebuked by religious and nonreligious readers.
Nick Vujicic of Life Without Limbs ministry premieres his first-ever Web series Monday that documents his travels to 24 countries where he shared with tens of thousands of people how his hope and faith in Jesus Christ helped him overcome a rare disorder that has left him without any arms or legs.
Franklin Graham, son of the Rev. Billy Graham and president of his evangelistic association, gave an update on the minister's health to The Christian Post this week, stating that while the elder Graham was not in any immediate danger, a simple cold could turn the tide. Meanwhile, Will Graham, the elder evangelist's grandson, has said he believes the 95-year-old Southern Baptist preacher was ready to "go home" to be with the Lord.
Franklin Graham, president of nonprofit Samaritan's Purse, joined project organizers, local families and survivors of Hurricane Sandy at one of New York City's major airports this week to personally send off more than 60,000 gifts to some of Typhoon Haiyan's most vulnerable victims in the Philippines.
The Guardian newspaper has issued a clarification and apology for a September 2013 report on a documentary titled "Mission Congo" that revisited allegations of fraud against Pat Robertson. The British publication admits that its inaccurate report failed to cite that the allegations against Robertson and his Operation Blessing charity had been declared unsubstantiated years ago.
Dr. William Lane Craig, philosophy professor and a leading Christian apologist, believes there is an urgent need for the church to equip its members to give good responses to tough questions about their faith, especially in light of a cultural climate that has made it easier for atheists to be more outspoken, sometimes aggressively so, in their attacks on religious beliefs.
Perhaps she was upset she wasn't included in the shot, or maybe she thought taking a self-portrait during a tribute to an iconic world leader in his home country was tasteless. Whatever the case, Michelle Obama's notably tight jaw and icy glare will likely go down as one of the most memorable images from an event meant to pay tribute to South Africa's anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.
