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Religion reporting took center stage again this week, as Americans struggled to sort out why many evangelicals still love Roy Moore. The Republican Senate candidate from Alabama faces numerous allegations of inappropriate pursuit of and sexual misconduct with teenagers while in his 30s, but his campaign is still afloat thanks to white Christians’ close ties to the GOP.

It’s a baffling situation only if you fail to recognize the value of political power to a community that’s quickly losing cultural power. White evangelicals support Moore — and supported Donald Trump — because they feel like they are under attack by members of the opposite party.

I wrote about the dangers of linking religion and politics for the Deseret News, which was one small offering in a vast collection of valuable reporting this week. My faith beat colleagues did a great job asking tough questions and recruiting smart people to reflect on religious ethics in 2017.

FRESH OFF THE PRESS FROM ME

3 religious issues to watch during the tax reform debate

Roy Moore scandal illustrates the risks of close relationship between religion, politics

TOP RELIGION READS

How an American ex-jihadi struggled to rebuild his life in the country he’d once vowed to destroy, New Republic

Mixing scripture into the batter, The New York Times

Why the Met Gala’s fashion and Catholicism theme could be risky, HuffPost

The new Bible museum could change the museum business, The Washington Post

JUST FOR FUN

Inside the First Church of Artificial Intelligence, Backchannel