Posts in Arts & Culture
Keep An Eye Out For London’s ‘Church Watchers’: ‘Beautiful Spaces And Interesting People’

The Church Watchers — all of whom are volunteers — are responsible for maintaining the openings of these small sanctuaries throughout the week. They take the job very seriously.

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25 Years After 9/11, St. Nicholas Church Stands as a Place of Peace

A church in New York City offers visitors a place to find peace as they mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11. St. Nicholas is a small Greek Orthodox parish that was destroyed when the South Tower collapsed. More than two decades later, the church has been completely rebuilt and is now a national shrine. 

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‘The Queen Of East Tennessee’: Who Was Dolly Parton To You?

(ANALYSIS) I learned she had died while gazing around inside an airplane approaching the Rocky Mountains. Someone with the funds to buy on-board WiFi had a news program playing on his tablet and I saw the headline. I was stunned, even though I have been following her health struggles for several months. She managed to hide any information that pointed to cancer.

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Why French Officials Placed A Muslim War Memorial In The Heart Of Paris

(ANALYSIS) The Paris Grand Mosque — a cultural landmark located in the heart of the city — is celebrating its centenary. Built as a war memorial to honor Muslim soldiers killed during World War I, it was the first permanent mosque in the French capital and remains its only mosque built with a minaret and a dome.

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‘Bad Counselors’ An Unfunny Christian Satire About Frat Boys Who Learn Nothing About Faith

(REVIEW) When a wild night ends in handcuffs and a campus police escort, two best friends (named Grayson and Tyler are slapped with 120 hours of community service due in two weeks — or they’re expelled. Their genius plan? Pose as counselors at a local Christian youth camp.

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Dolly Parton’s Greatest Legacy: The Christian Faith Behind Her Good Works

(ANALYSIS) Parton died Tuesday at 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Her death has prompted the expected celebration of an extraordinary musical career, but it also offers the chance to understand something deeper about the woman behind the rhinestones: Her generosity was not simply celebrity philanthropy. It was an expression of the Christian idea of stewardship.

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Generating Good Karma: Why Buddhist Life Looks Different In Thai Temples

(TRAVEL) I recently returned from leading an educational program in Thailand focusing on how Buddhists practice the religion in their day-to-day lives. The participants — Buddhist practitioners from North America and Europe — wanted to deepen their understanding and practice of the religion.

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Dolly Parton, Country Music Icon Who Celebrated Her Christian Faith, Dies at 80

The legendary country singer, songwriter and entertainer died on Tuesday at 80. Raised in a deeply Christian family in Tennessee, she credited her faith in God for guiding her life, music and philanthropy. Her enduring legacy includes countless hit songs, films, charitable work and a message of hope.

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‘Elijah Peel’ Review: Faith-Based Films Are Still Shackled By Inspirational Formula

(REVIEW) “Elijah Peel” follows a world-famous rock musician whose life of success and addiction comes crashing down after suffering a life-threatening heart attack. But the film still wears the inspirational Christian movie formula like a straitjacket, instead of using it as a sturdy foundation.

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The ‘Visual Commentary On Scripture’ Is Changing How We Read The Bible

The Visual Commentary on Scripture is an online resource from King’s College London, which combines theology, art history and Biblical scholarship to pair artwork from all across the stylistic and historical map with Judeo-Christian texts.

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‘Impulse Towards Reform’: How Jewish Women Helped Shape Modern Design In Vienna

(REVIEW) The Jewish Museum’s exhibition “Modernity and Opulence: Women of the Wiener Werkstätte” highlights the pivotal role Jewish women played in Vienna’s influential design collective. Featuring nearly 200 works, the show explores how artists and patrons transformed modern art, fashion and women’s professional opportunities in the early 20th century.

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‘In the Hand of Dante’ May Be Entertaining, But Ultimately Not So Divine

(REVIEW) Nick is on an adventure to secure an original manuscript of the famous poem. Unfortunately, the film’s engagement with the “Divine Comedy’s” ideas and themes turns out to be depressingly trivial.

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Beyond Prayer: Why These UK Cathedrals Matter Now More Than Ever

Cathedrals are now increasingly seen as multi-dimensional organizations: Community hubs, centers of civic life, cultural venues and as a center of spiritual life. Their role has become far wider than any church building. In 2025, approximately 10 million people entered English cathedrals — far in excess of the numbers visiting sporting events like Wembley Stadium.

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Christian Artist Languishes In Chinese Prison As Friends Rally For His Release

A 70-year-old Christian artist is facing another day apart from his family and without necessary medical care after almost two years in a Chinese prison, his friends and advocates said. Gao Zhen, part of the famous artistic duo called the Gao brothers, was detained in mid-2024 for “slandering heroes and martyrs,” according to the International Federation for Human Rights.

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‘Love Your Country And Keep Christ First’: Chosen Road Celebrates Jesus And America

Amid celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, bluegrass band Chosen Road released what they believe is one of the most unique recordings in the band’s 18-year history. The 13-song album American Morning dropped July 3, featuring more than 50 minutes of new music from the band.

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Polygamy Debate Reignited In Kenya After Viral Widow’s Confession

Akinyi Kaula postponed the “American Dream,” dropped out of her nursing degree studies and flew back to her homeland of Kenya — only to end up in a polygamous marriage. Now, her story is igniting online debate in Africa. The debate over polygamy, Christianity and Western values continues as many men ponder whether to wed multiple wives.

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Taking On a Post-Oct. 11 World: 2 Plays Stage 3 Years Of Infighting Over Israel

The Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, proved to be just the first bloodletting in a renewed cycle of violence and recrimination. Israel responded with its destructive campaign in Gaza. Far from the theater of war, American Jews reckoned with renewed fears of antisemitism and fractures within their own communities and families.

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Amazon’s Second Season Of ‘Hazbin Hotel’ Reinvents Christian Redemption

(REVIEW) To understand post-Christian Western culture, watch “Hazbin Hotel.” As America continues to secularize and divide along religious and political lines, our culture is rewriting how we think about human nature and redemption. With its second season, the series encapsulates our evolving post-Christian imagination — and the ways we’re worse off for it.

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Welcome To Lima: The Tourist Destination Full Of Historic Religious Charm

Tourists used to just stop in Lima on their way to Cuzco and Machu Picchu. These days, it has become a destination with trendy restaurants and restored historic buildings that tell the story of “The City Of Kings.” Founded in 1535 by Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro, Lima was once the most important city in South America.

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Bienvenidos A Lima: El Destino Turístico Lleno De Encanto Religioso E Histórico

Los turistas solían detenerse en Lima únicamente de camino a Cuzco y Machu Picchu. Hoy en día, se ha convertido en un destino con restaurantes de moda y edificios históricos restaurados que cuentan la historia de la “Ciudad de los Reyes”. Fundada en 1535 por el conquistador español Francisco Pizarro, Lima fue en su día la ciudad más importante de Sudamérica.

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