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July 2023

July 31, 2023

Just about anybody in America can officiate a wedding, thanks to the internet – and one determined preacher

Who did the honors: clergy, a justice of the peace or just a friend? More...

January 2023

January 04, 2023

On New Year’s Day, Buddhist god Hotei brings gifts and good fortune in Japan

The Seven Lucky Gods usher in good fortune in the new year in Japan. Among...

August 2022

August 30, 2022

Religions have long known that getting away from it all is good for the mind, body and spirit

Rituals of rest and contemplation are woven into many religious traditions around the world.

August 29, 2022

We praise people as ‘Good Samaritans,’ but there’s a complex history behind the phrase

Samaritans still live in Israel, where they are often caught between Israeli and Palestinian identities.

August 28, 2022

Terrifying dragons have long been a part of many religions, and there is a reason for their appeal

Enormous, scaly, fire-breathing dragons have fascinated civilizations for centuries. A scholar who studies monsters explains...

July 2022

July 24, 2022

The patriotic Virgin: How Mary’s been marshaled for religious nationalism and military campaigns

Many religions have been used to prop up nationalism, and Catholicism is no exception, as...

July 23, 2022

There is no one Islamic interpretation on ethics of abortion, but the belief in God’s mercy and compassion is a crucial part of any consideration

Islamic views on abortion are based on diverse interpretations of what’s right and wrong when...

July 22, 2022

Monsters are everywhere in the Bible – and some are even human

The field of ‘monster studies’ looks at how texts reflect ideas about what’s evil, weird...

July 22, 2022

Religious liberty has a long and messy history – and there is a reason Americans feel strongly about it

Historians of American religious history explain why the Supreme Court’s recent religious liberty rulings are...

July 21, 2022

What the Bible actually says about abortion may surprise you

Faith can inform opinions about abortion on both sides of the political debate, but the...

April 2022

April 21, 2022

Why the future of the world’s largest religion is female – and African

Women’s contributions to global Christianity are immense, but scholars’ understanding is hampered by limited data.

April 20, 2022

Who are the Jesuits?

The Jesuits are among the Catholic Church’s most influential religious orders but no strangers to...

April 16, 2022

Christians hold many views on Jesus’ resurrection – a theologian explains the differing views among Baptists

Christians have engaged in passionate debates over the meaning of the resurrection. Baptists may be...

April 15, 2022

Two Orthodox Christian countries at war – here’s an explanation of the faith tradition shared by Russia and Ukraine

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put a spotlight on the views of the Russian Orthodox...

April 13, 2022

War in Ukraine is testing some American evangelicals’ support for Putin as a leader of conservative values

Vladimir Putin has long been a favorite with many American evangelicals who praised his support...

April 12, 2022

When Putin says Russia and Ukraine share one faith, he’s leaving out a lot of the story

A Ukrainian service member takes a photograph of a damaged church after shelling in a...

April 11, 2022

Pope Francis apologized for the harm done to First Nations peoples, but what does a pope’s apology mean?

A Catholic theologian writes about why papal apologies can be meaningful, even when some may...

February 2022

February 22, 2022

How Lourdes became a byword for hope

St. Bernadette’s visions of the Virgin Mary in the 19th century inspired the pilgrimage site...

February 21, 2022

Japan’s Shinto religion is going global and attracting online followers

An anthropologist of Japanese religion met followers of Shinto religion online and found how they...

February 21, 2022

Why are some Roman Catholic saints called doctors of the church

Saints are recognized for exceptional virtue and faith. But some also are commemorated for their...

February 20, 2022

Why church conflict in Ukraine reflects historic Russian-Ukrainian tensions

The current split in Ukrainian Orthodoxy reflects a fundamental question: Are Ukrainians and Russians one...

January 2022

January 29, 2022

Pope Benedict faulted over sex abuse claims: New report is just one chapter in his – and Catholic Church’s – fraught record

Pope Benedict XVI’s many years of wrestling with the abuse crisis highlight the Catholic Church’s...

January 27, 2022

What St. Thomas Aquinas can teach us about hope in times of despair

A scholar of democratic virtues explains why Dominican monk Thomas Aquinas’ thoughts on hope are...

January 26, 2022

As spiritualism’s popularity grows, photographer Shannon Taggart takes viewers inside the world of séances, mediums and orbs

Alternative beliefs like spiritualism seem to experience resurgences in times of crisis. Taggart has spent...

January 25, 2022

Buddhist nuns and female scholars are gaining new leadership roles, in a tradition that began with the ordination of Buddha’s foster mother

Traditionally, Buddhism has been opposed to women taking on leadership roles. However, nuns in many...

January 24, 2022

Pope Benedict accused of mishandling sex abuse cases: 4 essential reads

A German report accused retired Pope Benedict XVI of mishandling several cases of sexual abuse...

January 23, 2022

Thich Nhat Hanh, who worked for decades to teach mindfulness, approached death in that same spirit

Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, which earned him a global following, gave simple instructions on mindfulness...

October 2021

October 17, 2021

What is the Synod of Bishops? A Catholic priest and theologian explains

The Catholic Church’s two-year synodal process formally opened Oct. 10 at the Vatican. AP Photo

October 14, 2021

Caring for the environment has a long Catholic lineage – hundreds of years before Pope Francis

Environmentalism may seem like a new mindset, especially in the Church. But care for creation...

October 11, 2021

Cherry-picking the Bible and using verses out of context isn’t a practice confined to those opposed to vaccines – it has been done for centuries

A historian of the Bible in American life explains how Bible verses are being picked...