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History and Religion

2026-09-10T02:30:46-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

I Watched the Towers Fall. Here’s What You Missed

Last updated on: September 10, 2026 at 2:30 am By Barbara O'Brien

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What You May Not Know About September 11 It’s a struggle to describe the enormity of the September 11 attacks with words, or even with video. The enormity didn’t come across on television, either. In the weeks and months that followed the attacks a thousand conspiracy theories bloomed, especially about what happened to the World Trade Center. And what struck me, over and over, is that those who came up with the theories obviously weren’t there that day and probably... Read more

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2026-08-21T13:10:09-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Barring Mamdani From 9/11 Lets the Enemy Win

Last updated on: August 21, 2026 at 1:10 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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Mayor Mamdani Belongs at the 9/11 Commemoration You may have seen headlines saying that “9/11 families” have petitioned to exclude Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim, from New York City’s annual September 11 memorial service. I want to clarify what is actually happening and explain why this petition is a very sad mistake. First, let’s be clear that the petitioners represent only some September 11 families, not all of them. The petition was begun by a man named Giovanni Galante,... Read more

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2026-07-29T10:50:59-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Sarvastivada: An Extinct Buddhist Sect That’s Still With Us

Last updated on: July 29, 2026 at 10:50 am By Barbara O'Brien

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Sarvastivada was a very early school of Buddhism whose precise origins are lost to history. Many of its teachings will seem odd to today’s Buddhists. Yet at its peak Sarvastivada was the most widespread and influential of all the Buddhist schools of its time. It was the mainstream of the mainstream, so to speak. And then it was gone. But traces of it linger in today’s Buddhism, often in surprising places. First, here’s a quickie intro to early Buddhism: The... Read more

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2026-07-05T08:53:15-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is ‘Separation of Church and State’ Really a Myth?

Last updated on: July 5, 2026 at 8:53 am By Barbara O'Brien

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Beware the Religious Liberty Commission Recently, President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission issued a report that declared that “separation of church and state” is not in the Constitution. But I’m sure James Madison would beg to differ. Madison was the chief author of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. He left us a wealth of writing that made it clear he most certainly intended church and state to be kept separate. “Religion and Government will both exist in greater purity... Read more

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2026-06-29T14:27:05-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is Zen really Daoism?

Last updated on: June 29, 2026 at 2:27 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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There has long been a popular belief that Zen Buddhism is as much Daoist as Buddhist. Sometimes one hears that Zen came into existence when Daoism and Buddhism mingled in China. This was a view popularized by Alan Watts several decades ago. A recent book by a well-known translator (David Hinton, China Root: Taoism, Ch’an, and Original Zen) argues that Zen is really a reinterpretation of Daoism and not a school of Buddhism at all. I am not going to... Read more

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2026-04-15T07:39:35-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The President and the Pope: An Unprecedented Rift

Last updated on: April 15, 2026 at 7:39 am By Barbara O'Brien

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U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed open hostility to Pope Leo XIV. Trump was angered by the Pope’s criticism of his bombing of Iran. You can read the complete Truth Social Post here. When asked to apologize to Pope Leo, Trump refused. The pontiff’s response was far more measured and subdued. “I have no fear of the Trump administration or speaking out loudly of the message of the gospel, which is what I believe I am here to do, what... Read more

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2026-04-09T18:10:00-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What Was the Avignon Papacy and Why Is It in the News?

Last updated on: April 9, 2026 at 6:10 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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The Avignon Papacy refers to a period from 1309 to 1376, when the Papacy was, in effect, forcibly captured by France. And it’s in the news because of a shocking account of threats made to Pope Leo XIV by U.S. officials. What is claimed to have happened: In January 2026, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby summoned Cardinal Christophe Pierre to a meeting in the Pentagon. The Cardinal was serving as Apostolic Nuncio — the Pope’s ambassador —... Read more

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2026-04-08T09:01:26-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Thomas Aquinas on the Morality of War

Last updated on: April 8, 2026 at 9:01 am By Barbara O'Brien

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Saint Thomas Aquinas (Tommaso d’Aquino, 1224/25-1275) developed precepts about the morality of war that influence international law to this day. Now the saint’s writings on war are relevant to current events, as Christian views on war have been in the news, Recently U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth led a prayer service in the Pentagon that drew what appeared to be a rebuke from Pope Leo XIV. Invoking the war in Iran, the Secretary prayed for every round to find... Read more

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2026-03-27T09:10:22-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Goddess Who Swapped Bodies to Prove Gender Is an Illusion

Last updated on: March 27, 2026 at 9:10 am By Barbara O'Brien

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The Feminist Goddess of the Vimalakirti Sutra The goddess appears about halfway through the Vimalakirti Sutra, a Buddhist scripture. Her story seems simple but does a lot of doctrinal heavy lifting. Among other things, she tells us that male and female are empty designations that are not as real as we think they are. The goddess demonstrates this by causing a disciple of the Buddha to appear in her shape, while she assumes his male body. “The Buddha teaches that... Read more

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2026-03-12T14:01:03-05:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Saint Augustine’s Just War

Last updated on: March 12, 2026 at 2:01 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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What is a “just war”? Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430 CE) is credited with formulating a just war theory that remains embedded in western philosophy. Augustine drew upon Christian teachings as well as Greek and Roman philosophy to propose a set of principles that defined a just versus an unjust war. Generations of theologians and philosophers have refined and expanded Augustine’s ideas about war. Today much of Augustine’s work is reflected in the international humanitarian law that were codified in... Read more

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