Culture
This Indonesian province has a rich history of a matrilineal society that’s shifting from its indigenous culture toward a more austere form of Islam. Cultural and theological divides are widening with less openness to discussion.
Seventh Day Adventists advocate vegetarian lifestyles for a healthy body and spiritual life, countering the mainstream food culture of meat that Brazil is known for.
(OPINION) The United Nations has established for the first time ever on Aug. 22 a day to draw attention to people groups around the world violently persecuted for their religious beliefs: Yazidis in Syria and Iraq, Christians in Nigeria, faith minorities in Pakistan, Rohingya in Myanmar, Uighur Muslims in China and others.
(Opinion) To strategize effectively against terrorism, we must listen to people directly hurt by it.
After India’s unilateral decision to rid the Muslim-majority region Kashmir’s special autonomy from the constitution, some are angry and fear a rise in Hindu settlement, while others cheer the move as a way to help Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan and Kashmir.
(OPINION) Critiques of purity culture have come back into Christian media after “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” author Joshua Harris announced his separation from his wife and “deconstruction” of his Christian faith.
A group of village councils in North India decided to tackle caste discrimination by changing their names — stripping their postal addresses, name plates, social media accounts and vehicle windshields of caste markers.
(OPINION) What we learned this month is that polls, survey and studies involving politics and health — despite their polarizing natures — are fair game. The ones around faith — and those around a specific belief — are not. The latest example? The Catholic belief in transubstantiation.
The 22-year-old Catholic woman has been one of the faces of the pro-democracy movement against Chinese repression in Hong Kong since 2012.
As the Indian government’s communication ban reaches two weeks, it announced that 50,000 landline connections have been restored for calls after crowds surged last week to the few phones available from government offices. Internet and mobile networks remain shut.
(REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK) When Joy Notoma attended a workshop for spiritual abuse recovery, she stumbled upon a story bigger than she imagined and left acting for journalism school.
(COMMENTARY) Many Bible reference works favored by conservative Protestants question whether Israelite King David’s love interest Bathsheba participated in the sexual affair while other scholars conclude she was a victim of rape.
(COMMENTARY) The Democratic Socialists of America held their convention last week in Atlanta. By coincidence, the Knights of Columbus held their annual convention in Minneapolis. It’s no coincidence whatsoever that the Democratic socialists received plenty — and perhaps more favorable — coverage compared to the Catholic group.
These New York immigration activists are inspired by Joshua of the Bible to destroy “walls of injustice.”
(OPINION) The lack of swift justice for Yazidis sends the outrageous message that it is possible to get away with genocide.
Skeptics believe that the Sri Lankan president’s move is aimed at increasing his support in the approaching elections. After the Easter bombings that killed more than 250 people, President Maithripala Sirisena’s leadership has come under sharp attack.
A statement by the grassroots coalition Christians Against Christian Nationalism and then recent mass shootings have renewed debate over the term “Christian nationalism” and what that means for American politics.
(OPINION) There is a new terror threat that faces our nation. The rise of domestic terrorists with easy access to guns have made even a routine weekend trip to the mall something to fear. Those memories of covering vigils and funerals — many involving children and teens shot and killed in senseless gang violence — came flooding back to my mind this past weekend.
The Hindu nationalist-led Indian government has stripped Muslim-majority Kashmir of its agreed-upon terms of accession, a special status granting autonomy under the Indian constitution, and sent in more than 40,000 troops to the already heavily militarized region. Kashmiris there are living under curfews without access to phones, Internet or cable TV channels while elected representatives are under house arrest.
Gonzalez immigrated with her family to Los Angeles from her native Guatemala and tells her story of being an immigrant and a Christian in a new book called The God Who Sees: Immigrants, the Bible, and the Journey to Belong.
We talked to human rights activist Dr. Widad Akreyi about the Yazidi community’s wait for justice on the international stage after the start of a genocide on Aug. 3, 2014. Thousands captured by Islamic State fighters remain missing.
A 2013 mural of a breakdancing Jesus in street artist Banksy’s Bristol, England neighborhood was defaced with blue paint last week.
(COMMENTARY) "I have had sex and, like, Jesus still loves me,” contestant Hannah Brown recently said.
(COMMENTARY) There are still hotspots of Daesh support, and a territorial defeat of Daesh does not mean the defeat of their perverted ideology, which is still threatening religious minorities like the Yazidis.
(COMMENTARY) Jeremy Hunt’s resignation puts his plan for an international overhaul of asylum requests, from persecuted Christians especially, in limbo with the UK’s new foreign secretary Dominic Raab.
(COMMENTARY) In Maluku, two villages — one Christian and one Muslim — follow a unique tradition they say dates back to 1506 to live in harmony without diluting either of their faiths.
We break down each candidate’s faith affiliation and how their religion could inform their chosen policy issues. Some might surprise you.
The nine-day conference featuring senior Catholic leaders from across Africa was an opportunity for the church to examine the many societal challenges currently facing the continent.
(NEWS ANALYSIS) The Vatican press office may be second only to the White House communications department when it comes to ranking the world’s busiest public relations operation. The upcoming Synod for the Pan-Amazon Region will be their first real test.
(OPINION) Italy’s government has been plunged into chaos after the nationalist-populist coalition that had struck fear across the European establishment collapsed. It means that Italians could potentially be going to the ballot box once again this fall. It’s also a reminder of how powerful the Catholic church remains in determining the country’s politics.