Research carried out by the Bat Conservation Trust has revealed that over 8,000 churches provide bats with a home. They are messy houseguests, and churchgoers must coexist with them. At the same time, a U.K. law prohibits removing or disturbing the winged creatures that have scared people for centuries.
Read More“I’m based in Africa, where a lot of stories are underreported, so my articles help readers make sense of the world from an African point of view.”
Read MoreIn a small Santa Clara classroom at Mission City Church in Northern California, a group of students huddle together, their voices rising in harmony. Leading them stands Makayla Hannah, their vocal coach for Youth Utilizing Power and Praise. Hannah is teaching more than pitch and breath control. She believes hope is not lost in a generation often dismissed.
Read MoreAt a Delhi temple, Afghan Sikhs gather in prayer, their voices rising in unison, yet their hearts weighed down with longing for a homeland they were forced to leave. Among them is Daya Singh. He fled Afghanistan twice — first in 1992 when the Taliban seized control, and again in 2006 after facing persecution for being Sikh.
Read MoreFor more than a decade, Hindu businessman Balwant Rathore and his Muslim partner Mohammad Harun have run their shop together. Then, without warning, they were told to vacate their shop. Blaming “Love Jihad”, a Hindu nationalist leader’s son ordered Muslims to leave the market.
Read MoreHundreds of Christians from various churches in South Africa came together recently to march to the Union Buildings, the seat of the national government, to protest the establishment of a statutory regulatory body that they say is a violation of their right to freedom of religion. It came after the government passed a law regulating the activities of churches.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Around me, bodies pressed together. Sweat mixed with tears as the chant intensified: “Allah ... Allah ...” What I experienced that evening mirrors a broader phenomenon in Morocco: Some young, educated urbanites are returning to Sufism, Islam's mystical tradition, seeking spiritual depth in an age of digital distraction and ideological exhaustion.
Read MoreWhen other boys his age were trading Pokémon or Yu-Gi-Oh trading cards, Eric Lavin was collecting saints’ relics. In seventh grade, Lavin began writing to other dioceses to request relics, and now, more than 16 years later, Lavin has grown one New Jersey church’s collection from 20 to more than 600 relics.
Read MoreWhen she began wearing the hijab, critics accused Wafaa Al-Khudari of abandoning her sect, but now she and other Syrian women are leading the charge to ease religious tensions in their communities. The country, which recently ousted a regime, regularly experiences violent conflicts among the political and religious sects.
Read More(REVIEW) Visitors to Canterbury Cathedral in the U.K. have been surprised to find that parts of the building’s majestic architecture are currently daubed with eye-catching graffiti. But this is not the work of vandals. The colorful graphics are part of a thought-provoking art installation centered on the idea of asking questions to God.
Read MoreThe authors propose a revised, even countercultural way of relating to one another despite our differing views on controversial issues. Based on more than 100 interviews, the book proposes that LGBTQ Christians have something to teach us about Christian faith, and they, in turn, might learn something from conservative Christians.
Read MoreIn 2006, I was able to travel to Israel for the first time. Even as a child, I had learned from my father about the spiritual legacy of the Jewish people, the land God had given them, and how He had protected them. And, best of all, during that amazing year, I was able to set foot on the land myself. There I began to meet and come to know Israelis as friends and allies, and to see with my own eyes the biblical heritage I had inherited as a Christian believer.
Read MoreDiwali — the annual Hindu fall “Festival of Lights” — is gaining mainstream popularity in places with large Indian and Southeast Asian immigrant populations — and businesses of all shapes and sizes are taking notice, modifying existing products or services or launching new ones to tap into the group’s sizable buying power.
Read MoreNext year, a new feature-length presentation of the Crucifixion will hit the big screen. It’ll mark the culmination of the much-anticipated Season 6 of the worldwide phenomenon “The Chosen.” What should viewers expect? Will it be similar to — or different from — “The Passion” version?
Read More(ANALYSIS) In his first major interview as pope, Leo XIV offers a glimpse into a papacy shaped by his American identity and a diplomatic, morally grounded approach. Speaking to Crux for an upcoming biography, the first U.S.-born pontiff addressed global issues including President Trump, artificial intelligence, and the crisis in Gaza.
Read MoreRoughly two-thirds of the way through his new book, “Good Soil: the Education of an Accidental Farmhand,” Jeff Chu, then a student at Princeton Theological Seminary and a worker at the school “Farminary” (working farm), reflects on the New Testament parable of the seed sower. What was its significance for him, a gay child of immigrants from Hong Kong raised in a conservative Christian family teeming with preachers and Sunday school teachers?
Read MoreIn the wake of his daughter’s death “I learned to live with unknowingness.” Those were the words of Ken Druck, a clinical psychiatrist who has his doctorate in that discipline. Druck said he’s had as much training in grief and loss as the average graduate school student.
Read MoreThe Rev. Dr. Fran Tilton Shelton’s ministry as a Presbyterian (PCUSA) pastor has always been focused on pastoral care and grieving — so much so that her late husband Bob humorously called her “Funeral Fran.” Now a parish associate at the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, Shelton is also a spiritual director and the co-founder of Faith & Grief Ministries.
Read MoreBocelli is often referred to as the most world-famous Italian national alive, which is not surprising if you think that he has managed to sell more than 90 million albums worldwide in a career that spans over 25 years. Motivated by his Christian faith, Bocelli's ability to connect with audiences worldwide has made him an international star.
Read MoreDuring the Cold War, an oft overlooked battle for minds unfolded on the vast stage of Africa. As colonial powers withdrew and new African nations emerged, both the United States and the Soviet Union scrambled for alliances. Author Phil Dow’s new book, “Accidental Diplomats,” catalogs the influence of American evangelical missionaries in Ethiopia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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