In our fifth global discussion about religion and politics, IARJ members from North America discuss common misconceptions about the complex influence of religion in shaping community life and national policies.

In our fourth global discussion about religion and politics, IARJ members from Europe discuss current challenges journalists face in navigating political and religious forces in their countries. Joining moderator Jelena Jorgacevic are Georgia Geleoudi, a religion blogger covering Greece and Cyprus; Hendro Munsterman, Vatican and Rome Correspondent for the Dutch daily newspaper Nederlands Dagblad; and Jonah Mandel, an IARJ founding member and a correspondent in Israel for the French news agency AFP.

In our third global discussion about religion and politics, IARJ members from Africa discuss current challenges journalists face in navigating political and religious forces in their countries.

Please, watch our IARJ dialogue about the role of religion in the turbulent U.S. election. Do you have suggestions for our planning team about future dialogues? Click on the “Contact” link in the upper-right corner of our front page and send us a note.

Members of the IARJ in North America held a dialogue on August 26, 2020. Please help us spread this news about this video, which was streamed real-time by dozens of men and women around the world.

Journalists who cover religion will find a wealth of story ideas and powerful quotes in a new project launched by the Elijah Interfaith Institute in Jerusalem called Coronaspection. Some 40 religious leaders—including Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury, leading imams, chief rabbis, swamis, cardinals and teachers—offer their perspectives on the pandemic.

U.S.-based religion writer Niraj Warikoo dialogues with Algeria-based journalist Larbi Megari, one of the long-time leaders of the IARJ, about story ideas that they hope will spark the attention of their colleagues in 2020.

A VIEW OF RACIAL DIVERSITY FROM THE U.S. and ITALY—The photo at left shows the Rev. Dr. France A. Davis, pastor emeritus of Utah’s largest predominantly black church. As a young man, Dr. Davis marched twice with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Davis also has played a major role in groundbreaking relations with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which dominates life in Utah. Recently, two founding members of the International Association of Religion Journalists were involved in lifting up Dr. Davis’s prophetic voice to a global audience. In 2020, regular readers of the IARJ website will be able to enjoy occasional columns featuring stories that connect religion writers on different continents.