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Black churches were hit hardest by the pandemic but did more to promote vaccines, according to a new study cited by ReligionUnplugged.com’s Clemente Lisi and Religion News Service’s Adelle M. Banks.

The Israel-Hamas war “has exposed a generational rift among U.S. Christians and their perceptions about the conflict.” Lifeway Research’s Aaron Earls details the differing views of young and old believers.

Also, a new national poll explores why most Republicans think former President Donald Trump is a person of faith. The Deseret News’ Samuel Benson delves into the findings.

This is our weekly roundup of the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith. We start by looking ahead to the (expected) major news of 2024.

What To Know: The Big Story

Campaign 2024: Hey, guess what? It’s a presidential election year.

ReligionUnplugged editor Clemente Lisi rounded up what you need to know about the faith-angles when discussing the candidates. The Catholic-beat scribe here at GetReligion also offered five Catholic news stories and trends to watch in 2024.

At The Conversation, Tobin Miller Shearer predicts how politics and religion will mix in 2024. He suggests three trends to track.

What will make news?: It’s impossible to know — in advance — what stories will dominate our attention in 2024.

But members of the Religion News Service team share the headlines they anticipate — from papal “reforms” to psychedelics to the aforementioned presidential voting.

More prognostication:The Houston Chronicle’s Eric Killelea and The Oklahoman’s Carla Hinton assess the potential big religion news in their regions. And the Deseret News’ Kelsey Dallas has a suggestion for 2024: “Make a new friend of a different faith and then commit to actually talking to them about what they believe.”

Power Up: The Week’s Best Reads

1. Leonard Leo’s influence: If that name doesn’t ring a bell, he’s seen as the architect of the conservative Supreme Court — and he’s poised to take on the wider culture, the National Catholic Reporter’s Heidi Schlumpf writes.

At Politico, Heidi Przybyla reports that Leo’s allies are advancing a new cause, “public Christian schools,” starting with a Catholic charter school in Oklahoma.

A podcast series, “We Don’t Talk About Leonard,” was produced last year by ProPublica and WNYC’s “On The Media.”

2. How a Sikh Marine made history: A 30-year-old religious freedom law helped as Private 1st Class Jaskirat Singh “completed boot camp with a turban and beard — two essential parts of his Sikh faith.”

As illustrated by Singh’s case, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act serves as “an essential tool for lesser-known faith groups,” the Deseret News’ Kelsey Dallas notes.

3. Sign dispute at NBA game: A Utah rabbi claims the Jazz made him put down his “I’m a Jew and I’m proud” sign after a complaint by the Dallas Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving, but Irving says he didn’t complain.

The Salt Lake Tribune’s Eric Walden details the controversy, which also drew coverage by the Dallas Morning News’ Joy Ashford.

CONTINUE READING: “What Will Be The Big Religion Stories In 2024?” by Bobby Ross at Religion Unplugged.