The Vistula, Poland’s longest river, snakes 650 miles north from the Tatras Mountains past Krakow and Warsaw to the Gulf of Gdańsk, where it empties into the Baltic Sea. Upstream from the capital, the river flows past Góra Kalwaria, a place the country’s Catholics revere as Nowa Jerozolima (or “New Jerusalem”).
Read More(ANALYSIS) A young J.R.R. Tolkien wrote: “The fume of the burning, and the steam of the fair fountains of Gondolin withering in the flame of the dragons of the north, fell upon the vale of Tumladen in mournful mists.” The battlefields were “cold and terrible.”
Read MoreThe roots of Ferragosto date back over 2,000 years to ancient Rome. The name itself is derived from the Latin phrase Feriae Augusti, meaning “Festivals of Augustus” — a holiday instituted in 18 BCE by Emperor Augustus. It later became a Christian holiday and is celebrated throughout Italy to this day.
Read MoreYou wouldn’t usually think of going to a pub for a church service — especially for a baptism — but this is all in a day’s work for the Rev. Ben Woodfield. He has been holding services at The Mosley Arms for three years when parishioner Mike McGarry asked to reaffirm the promises made at his childhood baptism. The reverend simply arranged a time and date and brought along a portable baptistery.
Read MoreReligious demand for wildlife products can be just as relentless as demand for items used in traditional medicine, status symbols or investments. From African elephant ivory carved into crucifixes for Catholics to Islamic prayer beads and Coptic crosses to amulets and carvings for Buddhists and Taoists in Thailand, the list is very long.
Read MoreIn the second installment of “And So It Goes,” HBO’s new two-part documentary about Billy Joel, the Piano Man explains why he wore a yellow Star of David in August 2017, during his residency at Madison Square Garden, in his most extensive filmed account of his family’s experience in the Holocaust. “No matter what, I will always be a Jew,” he said.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Although he remains little known beyond the country of his birth, Rinus Israël, who died July 1 in the Netherlands at age 83, was one of history’s great Jewish soccer players. In 1970, as captain of Feyenoord, Israël was the first Dutchman — and the first Jew — to lift the European Cup (the equivalent of today’s Champions League trophy).
Read More(ANALYSIS) July 11, 2025, marks the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, the worst atrocity on European soil since World War II. In July 1995, the Bosnian Serb army overran Srebrenica, brutally murdered thousands of men and teenagers, and expelled between 20,000 and 30,000 people (women, children and older persons) from the town.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Bible Society recently published a report claiming that church attendance in England and Wales increased by more than half between 2018 and 2024. The revival was especially striking among young men, with reported church attendance jumping from 4% to 21% over this short period.
Read MoreTapio Luoma’s words were the latest in a series of apologies through which the former state churches in Scandinavia have sought to reset their relations with the Indigenous population of Sápmi, the natural and cultural area of Sámi people. Today, the region is divided between Finland, Norway, Sweden and Russia.
Read MoreOver 6,000 years old and still a site for worship, Stonehenge remains a unique place. As the first rays of the sun shine into the Stone Circle at the recent summer solstice, thousands of worshippers gathered to celebrate, just as people have done throughout history. Druids, Wiccans and other pagan groups gathered to watch the sun’s arrival following a long winter.
Read MoreRussia continued to persecute pastors and shutter churches within its borders and in territories it occupies in Ukraine, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom said in an updated report. The government has imprisoned, tortured and levied monetary fines against many religious leaders, including Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox Church of Ukraine and others.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Bono has never been backwards in coming forward, especially when it comes to God. He doesn’t mumble about “spiritual energy” or dodge the name of Jesus. He says it straight: “The Son of God.” He talks about Christ carrying his shame, not because it sounds poetic, but because he believes it. His faith isn’t necessarily neat or polished, but it's real.
Read MoreIf Jim Henson and Fred Rogers could connect with kids through puppets, why couldn’t Shlomit Tripp? “It’s really important that these kids understand that being Jewish is also fun,” Tripp said. “It’s not only the Shoah or this dry religion sitting in a synagogue and being bored.” Regardless of background, all appeared enthralled before Tripp’s colorful creations and exaggerated voices.
Read More(REVIEW) When it comes to U2, perhaps the only thing harder to find than a nuanced opinion of them is an accurate portrayal of their faith. It was a shock to some that the Dublin-based band — who became big in the 1980s — refused to be pigeonholed as apologists for Irish nationalism. Anyone who looks at their religious makeup shouldn’t have been surprised.
Read MoreFinding chaplains on-site at a National Trust heritage property is not something visitors usually expect. But at Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, in the north of England, it has become a regular occurrence. The Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII marked the end of Fountains Abbey as a Cistercian monastery.
Read More“Christ Preaching at Cookham Regatta” is on display at the Stanley Spencer Gallery, in the former Wesleyan chapel on Cookham High Street, where the artist worshipped as a child. But, for the first time, this exhibition brings together drawings, studies and related paintings from his Regatta series that give insight into how he planned and painted it.
Read MoreAs African migration — driven largely by economic hardship and the search for better opportunities — continues to grow, churches are becoming more than just places of worship. In fact, churches have evolved into spiritual lifelines and vital community hubs that help preserve cultural identity, reinforce moral values and provide a sense of belonging far from home.
Read MoreFor the first time in centuries, public access to the Knock has been denied. Although the hill is widely acknowledged to be used publicly, it’s technically private land. After a group went to the summit for a winter solstice ceremony last year — honoring what many believe to be the hill’s ancient role in sun worship — they received a letter from the landowner warning they were trespassing.
Read MoreBetween 2010 and 2020, global religious affiliation shifted significantly, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis. While Christianity remains the world’s largest religion, its growth lagged behind overall population growth. Christians increased by 122 million to 2.3 billion, but their share of the global population fell. At the same time, Islam saw a global surge.
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