Citywide reporter roundup: religion edition

Nashville has been called “The Buckle of the Bible Belt,” and there’s good reason for that: following a Christian faith is an integral part of life for the majority here and religion is historically firmly rooted in local business and political communities as well.

In 2024, many different faith communities are flourishing in Middle Tennessee and local religion reporters, whose work often reaches national audiences, have a lot to cover.

Today we are joined by Liam Adams, Religion Reporter for The Tennessean, Holly Meyer, the Global Religion News Editor for the Associated Press, and WPLN’s own Rachel lacovone, one of the our newsroom leaders who has reported and edited much of WPLN’s religion coverage. They’ll break down the latest news and share what it’s like to report on a topic that is both deeply personal and emphatically public for so many. Join us!

Today’s episode was produced by Katherine Ceicys and Mary Mancini.

GUESTS

• Liam Adams, Religion reporter, Tennessean
• Holly Meyer, Global Religion News Editor, Associated Press
• Rachel Iacovone, Editor and Reporter Religion News; Director of Multiplatform Publishing, WPLN

FURTHER READING AND LISTENING

• The latest stories from Liam Adams include:
  • Tennessee United Methodists seek consensus, chart future after historic church splintering, New First Baptist
  • Capitol Hill pastor on balancing legacy of activism with future vision
  • Southern Baptists addressed women in ministry, IVF and abuse reform: Key takeaways.
• The latest stories from Holly Meyer include:
  • Top US bishop worries Catholic border services for migrants might be imperiled by government action
  • US Catholic bishops approve outreach to Native Americans and acknowledge boarding school ‘traumas’
  • Conservative Christians praise Trump’s anti-abortion record but say he’s stopped short of the goal.
• In April, Rachel Iacovone visited The Horn, a local coffee house, to report on this space that offers food and community to Nashville Muslims during Ramadan nights.
• For more on a community of outspoken individuals who have left the church, you can listen to the This is Nashville episode, Nashville’s exvangelical movement.
• We’ve also covered the celebration of Easter across different Christian traditions in Lent: Traditions and practices.
  
• Nashville has long been a major center for Christian publishing, but the industry’s footprint has changed quite a bit in recent decades. You can find out more about the biggest Nashville industry you may have never heard of by listening to the May 2, 2024 episode of WPLN’s Nashvilliager podcast.