Joseph Hartropp

• Hurricane Harvey and the Twitter mob: Why the hate for pastor Joel Osteen?

  There's a fine line between calling out injustice and just being judgmental. Mass tragedy probably shouldn't have us at each other's throats. So what's going on with the hate for Joel Osteen?

• Joel Osteen opens Houston megachurch as shelter for Hurricane Harvey victims following online outrage

  In the wake of Hurricane Harvey and the ongoing flooding in Houston, Texas, Joel Osteen has officially opened his megachurch as a refuge for the thousands who are now homeless. It comes after the pastor faced a barrage of criticism online when it was implied that the prosperous Osteen was withholding shelter from the needy in a time of crisis.

• Conviction costs: Sinister Salome and the brutal beheading of St John the Baptist

  Today, across several church traditions, is the feast day of the beheading of Saint John the Baptist. John's bloody demise remains a timeless icon of martyrdom, capricious violence and twisted family drama.

• 'Racism is America's original sin': 3,000 pastors march in Washington to protest white supremacy

  Thousands of pastors and religious leaders marched in Washington, DC yesterday in politically charged protest against white supremacy.

• 'The flock have made up their mind': Most Australian Christians back gay marriage ahead of national vote

  Most Australian Christians, including Catholics – alongside other religious groups – are expected to back gay marriage in the upcoming referendum, according to a new survey.

• Bible belonging to WWII Scottish war-hero 'The Tartan Pimpernel' makes historic homecoming

  A Bible belonging to a heroic Scottish Christian minister of the Second World War has been returned to his former church.

• International Strange Music Day: 5 quirky Christian tunes you need to hear

  Today is International Strange Music Day. In that spirit, here are five alternative Christian songs you need to hear.

• 'Slay the mad dogs': How Luther betrayed the peasants' revolt that he inspired

  On this day in 1524 a gathering of radical evangelical Germans united, determined to liberate the nation's peasants from the oppression of the ruling classes. This was a key moment in the ill-fated Peasants' Revolt of 1524-25, a movement inspired by the reforms of Martin Luther – but Luther utterly opposed the serfs' rebellion.

• Couple terrorised by KKK wizard-turned-priest refuse to meet unless he names accomplices

  An African-American couple who were once terrorised by a KKK leader – and since turned Catholic priest – have said the man's actions were 'almost unforgivable' and will not meet with the priest unless he names more KKK associates.

• 'King Trump'? Paula White says president was 'raised up' by God – but that could be bad news

  US evangelical leader and advisor to the president Paula White has defended Trump from his critics, comparing him to a 'king' and saying he 'has been raised up by God'. But if Trump has been 'chosen', it might not be good news.

• Falwell Jr applauds Trump because he 'says what's in his heart' – but that's exactly the problem

  Notorious Trump ally and evangelical leader Jerry Falwell Jr last week explained his controversial and long-running support for the US president. Trump's virtue, Falwell said, is that he 'says what's in his heart'. This sadly betrays a vanilla, Disney-ified and narcissistic philosophy that elevates 'being true to yourself' above all else. It also, ironically, underlines the problem so many have with Mr Trump – they don't like what's in his heart.

• Legends collide: the day Christian Saint Columba met Scotland's Loch Ness Monster

  On this day, a millennium-and-a-half ago, the famed Christian Saint Columba encountered the legendary Loch Ness Monster of Scotland. At least, so the story goes.