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History and Religion

2024-09-19T08:04:24-05:00

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 Philadelphia Bible Riots of 1844

Last updated on: September 19, 2024 at 8:04 am By Barbara O'Brien

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The Philadelphia Bible Riots of 1844 are also sometimes called the Philadelphia Nativist Riots. By whatever name, the Philadelphia Bible Riots were deadly and destructive. It’s estimated 20 people were killed in the violence and many more injured. Two Catholic churches, a seminary, and several private homes were set on fire and destroyed. The reason? A false rumor that Catholics were scheming to have the King James Bible removed from public schools. The Catholics in this case were recent immigrants... Read more

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Wall of separation

2024-11-20T15:55:28-06:00

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.

Civil Religion: A Short History

Last updated on: November 20, 2024 at 3:55 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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Civil religion — sometimes calleed “civic religion” — is a term that is defined many ways. Most broadly, civil religion refers to the symbols and rituals that express patriotism, such as singing national anthems, and which work to bond the people of a nation together. In a way, civil religion sanctifies the values, aspirations, and spirit of a nation. In the U.S. we don’t talk about civil religion much, but it’s certainly part of our lives, especially when an important... Read more

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Wall of separation

2024-08-21T19:13:37-05:00

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.

Zen and the Martial Arts: A Short History

Last updated on: August 21, 2024 at 7:13 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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Everyone knows that Zen and the martial arts go together, right? Well, sorta kinda. In some places. But not as much as you might think. This is not to say that there is no connection at all between Zen and the martial arts. Zen is the Japanese name of a school of Buddhism that originated in China, where it is called Chan. According to legend if not well-documented history, Chan began in the fabled Shaolin Temple of China at the... Read more

Buddhism

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Buddhism

Buddhism in China

Buddhism in Japan

2024-08-01T15:49:27-05:00

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 Marathon Monks of Japan

Last updated on: August 1, 2024 at 3:49 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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The marathon monks of Enryakuji, a historic Buddhist temple complex in Japan, are famous for a grueling physical and spiritual challenge that’s been called the world’s toughest ultramarathon. Enryakuji was built on Mount Hiei, overlooking Kyoto. Mount Hiei is covered by lush forests and winding trails. It is the headquarters of the Tendai school of Japanese Buddhism. And for centuries the monks of Enryakuji have walked, jogged, and run those trails as part of a tradition called kaihogyo, the “practice... Read more

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2024-07-11T06:17:09-05:00

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.

Religious Liberty and Josh Hawley

Last updated on: July 11, 2024 at 6:17 am By Barbara O'Brien

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Religious Liberty and Josh Hawley don’t mix. The Republican U.S. Senator from Missouri has made it clear in speeches and in writing that he is opposed to the free exercise of religion if that religion isn’t Christianity. In fact, he has said that the freedom to think for ourselves is dangerous. And he thinks there is a “crisis” in America that’s been caused by a heretical 5th century monk. Senator Josh Hawley recently came out as a Christian Nationalist. Monday... Read more

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2024-07-07T19:35:03-05:00

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.

What Does “Teaching the Bible” Really Mean?

Last updated on: July 7, 2024 at 7:35 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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“Teaching the Bible” — what does that mean? Now that the state of Oklahoma had decided that the Bible must be taught in all schools — and not just as literature — we may want to think very specifically about what “teaching the Bible” entails. And we also need to discuss whether it should be taught to all American children, both Christian and non-Christian. This policy is likely to spread to many other states, so if you live in the... Read more

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2024-07-03T17:22:36-05:00

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.

God and the Declaration of Independence

Last updated on: July 3, 2024 at 5:22 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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The Declaration of Independence mentions God three times, in three different ways. Near the beginning there is “Nature’s God,” then later there is “Creator,” and toward the end “Divine Providence.” For this reason the Declaration is often cited by Christian nationalists in their arguments that the United States was founded to be a “Christian nation.” But the Declaration of Independence was written primarily by Thomas Jefferson, who also is closely associated with the metaphorical wall of separation between church and... Read more

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Wall of separation

2024-06-27T07:36:08-05:00

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’s Wrong With the Louisiana Ten Commandments Law

Last updated on: June 27, 2024 at 7:36 am By Barbara O'Brien

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The Louisiana Ten Commandments bill I wrote about last month has been signed into law and has become a major news story in the U.S. The Ten Commandments law mandates that the Ten Commandment will be prominently displayed in all Lousiana classrooms, public and private. It dictates the wording of the Commandments to be displayed, which appears to be a very abridged version of Exodus 20:1-17 from the King James Bible, with all the “thees” and “thous” intact but a... Read more

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2025-05-22T16:14:57-05:00

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 Quest for Original Buddhism

Last updated on: May 22, 2025 at 4:14 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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There are multiple views about “original Buddhism.” The historical Buddha lived, we believe, about 26 centuries ago. He lived in what is now northeastern India, and in time his disciples spread his teachings throughout the Indus Peninsula and beyond. Today, Buddhism is a global religion made up of many schools, denominations, sects, sub-sects, or whatever you want to call them. And these can be very different from one another, in doctrine and practice. So it’s natural to wonder how much... Read more

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2024-05-30T14:26:23-05:00

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.

Florida Embeds Christian Nationalism in School

Last updated on: May 30, 2024 at 2:26 pm By Barbara O'Brien

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The Florida Department of Education has been directing middle school and high school teachers to work Christian nationalism into their lessons. This is according to journalist Judd Legum in his substack column Popular Information, “Florida educators trained to teach students Christian nationalism.” The aim, it appears, is to teach children that only Christians are real Americans. It is also part of a larger plan to sidestep the Constitution and allow conservative Christianity to dictate U.S. laws and policies. Judd Legum... Read more

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