The religion stories I’ll remember from 2023

This article was first published in the State of Faith newsletter. Sign up to receive the newsletter in your inbox each Monday night.

As another busy year of religion journalism draws to a close, it’s only natural to reflect on which faith-related storylines dominated 2023.

Religion News Association recently formalized those reflections by having its members, including me, vote on, among other things, the top religion stories of the year in the United States.

Here are the topics that claimed spots 1-5:

1. The surge in hate incidents against Jews and Muslims after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s counterattack in Gaza.

2. The legislative and legal battles over abortion rights that played out across the country in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

3. The ongoing departure of more conservative congregations from the United Methodist Church, as the denomination debates LGBTQ rights.

4. Conflict over sex ed curricula and transgender rights, including clashes over what books should be available in school libraries.

5. Former President Donald Trump’s continuing success among white evangelical voters, and his GOP opponents’ efforts to connect with religious communities along the campaign trail.

While I agree that these five stories were a big part of religion journalism in 2023, my own ballot looked pretty different.

Here’s my list of the top 5 faith-related stories from the past year, along with a brief explanation of why I ranked them the way that I did:

1. The surge in hate incidents against Jews and Muslims after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s counterattack in Gaza. (My pick for the top spot matched RNA results.)

2. The March 2023 shooting at a Christian school in Nashville. (I put this school shooting story in the No. 2 spot because the event was not only huge — and heartbreaking — news when it happened but also prompted a fascinating debate over gun rights within conservative Christian circles that is ongoing.)

3. The two-week long, student-led revival at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, in February 2023. (I thought this revival deserved to be named in the top 5 because it was perhaps the most unique religion-related event I’ve covered in the past 10 years. I had so many random people ask me to help them understand what was happening at Asbury when the revival was going on.)

4. Federal officials’ financial settlement with First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, which stemmed from the government’s failure to keep the shooter from accessing a gun. (OK, I admit that I probably put this story too high on my ballot. It didn’t even make the top 10 when votes from other RNA members were tallied. But I found the settlement announcement very memorable and it prompted me to reflect on what can be done to prevent future gun violence in churches.)

5. The legislative and legal battles over abortion rights that played out across the country in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. (I didn’t rank this story as high as other RNA members because I did not see much reader engagement with my abortion-related stories over the course of the year. It feels to me like a small group of Americans is very invested in these legislative and legal battles, while others aren’t really paying attention.)

What stories would you have liked to see on the list? You can read more about the voting on the RNA website.

Fresh off the press

The top Bible verses of 2023, according to YouVersion

Hulk Hogan was just baptized

Term of the week: Yule

Yule is a holiday observed by many Pagans in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s celebrated on Dec. 21, which is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year.

Yule happens on a day when many people, including non-Pagans, breathe a sigh of relief since they know the long process of the sun setting earlier and earlier each day has finally come to an end. The holiday is a “celebration of light,” according to Helen Berger, an affiliated scholar at Brandeis University’s Women’s Studies Research Center.

“At Yule there is always a fire or lights to symbolize the returning sun,” Berger recently wrote for The Conversation.

What I’m reading...

New research from Neighborly Faith addresses a question that I’ve addressed in this very newsletter: Does the scholarly conversation about Christian nationalism really capture what’s going on? The new study attempts to draw a clearer distinction between Christian nationalism and theologically conservative Christianity, according to Religion News Service.

In a recent segment on declining church attendance, NPR affiliate WVXU news in Cincinnati discussed where people find social connections if going to church is off the table.

The Associated Press religion team recently released a list of its most compelling images from 2023.

Odds and ends

Religion News Association members also voted on the top religion newsmakers of the year. Pope Francis won for what feels like the millionth time and then justified the honor by making waves yet again with the Catholic Church’s announcement on blessings for same-sex couples.