(ANALYSIS) Metropolitan Saba Esper, leader of the Antiochian Orthodox archdiocese of North America, was searching for a rare book by Oliver Clement of Paris — the translation of a complex work written in French. While in Wichita two years ago, he went to Eighth Day Books to consult with owner Warren Farha.
Read More(REVIEW) While the show’s theological justification is surprisingly in line with the pope’s new AI principles, the execution proves that — as always — the devil is in the details.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Ten years after “Hillbilly Elegy” catapulted its author into public view, JD Vance is publishing a new memoir, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.” The vice president explains the book as a sort of self-help guide for the spiritually lost: “… by sharing my journey I might be helpful to others — Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise — who are seeking reconciliation with God.”
Read MoreYorktown has a landscape layered with meaning. It’s where cannon fire once settled an empire’s fate and the birth of a new nation. It’s also the place where the “Hand of Providence” prevailed.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This World Cup held in the United States, Canada and Mexico — with its unprecedented global outreach — offers a unique opportunity to observe the values, beliefs and relationships that soccer players choose to display on their bodies. In some ways, tattoos can be seen as a small window into the players’ souls.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Across the nation, “teen takeovers” — large gatherings of young people that often erupt into fights and vandalism — have become a growing concern for cities struggling to balance public safety with youth engagement. While lawmakers and police dominate headlines about crackdowns, faith leaders have emerged at the center of the response.
Read MoreAfrican American religious practice is so much more complex than Christianity. Matthew Peterson spoke with Harvard Prof. Ahmad Greene-Hayes about his recent book, “Underworld Work,” which explores Black spirituality following the Civil War through to the Jim Crow era in the South.
Read MoreChristians and Muslims used to fight over food at this internally displaced refugee camp in Nigeria. Following a key change by the camp’s leadership more than a decade ago, the families now live peacefully, befriending each other, eating meals together and raising their kids as a single community.
Read MoreArgentine soccer icon Diego Maradona’s magic goal in the June 22, 1986, quarterfinal match against England in Mexico, which he attributed to the “Hand of God” as it was secured by his fist, has been the subject of intense debate whenever and wherever soccer fans are gathered.
Read MoreWhile the rest of the world was in and out of lockdown during the not-so-roaring pandemic of the early 2020s, a small enclave in Beijing had folks sweating, holding strangers’ hands and dancing to jazz that crackled in the stagnant air of bars and basements like lightning.
Read MoreThe St. Paul city attorney declined to file state charges against protesters who disrupted a Southern Baptist church service in January, citing insufficient evidence. Pastor Jonathan Parnell and legal advocates criticized the decision as a failure to protect religious freedom.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The trend in Spain is also a reflection of a pan-European phenomenon. According to various surveys such as the European Social Survey, in southern European countries, including Spain, younger generations exhibit less attachment to religious institutions but maintain nuanced and pluralistic spiritual orientations.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A new national survey finds that nearly 76% of Americans support public education for all children regardless of immigration status and religion, despite partisan differences. The findings come as some state lawmakers and conservative groups seek to challenge longstanding legal protections for undocumented students.
Read More(ANALYSIS) On July 5, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is encouraging its American members to participate in a special fast: a day to “express gratitude for religious liberty and to pray that it be strengthened throughout the world,” in the words of its top three leaders.
Read MoreFemale. Conservative. Young. Pope Leo XIV’s appointment of Maria Montserrat “Montse” Alvarado to lead the Vatican’s communications office stands out for three major reasons.
Read MoreOn Jan. 18, a cell of anti-ICE demonstrators crashed a Sunday service at the Cities Church, a Southern Baptist congregation in St. Paul, Minnesota. Debates about the legality of this protest have been defined by the Red vs. Blue divide in American politics, which has dominated the Donald Trump era. On the cultural right, this protest was seen as a violation of the First Amendment religious-liberty rights of the worshippers. On the left, efforts to prosecute the activists were seen as a violation of their First Amendment free-speech rights.
Read MoreWhile many Christian colleges face financial challenges and closures, Biola University is expanding by acquiring Phoenix Seminary’s assets and establishing a Phoenix branch of Talbot School of Theology. The move will create one of the nation’s largest interdenominational seminaries and broaden Biola’s regional reach.
Read MoreDuring the American Revolution, women like Abigail Adams asserted moral and spiritual authority despite lacking legal rights. Through religion, household leadership and revival movements, they shaped communities and laid groundwork for later reforms in abolition, education and women’s rights.
Read MorePhysical health and religious practice can help you live longer. Research points to religious involvement being positively correlated with longer life spans. Frequent religious attendance is associated with an average reduction in mortality risk of approximately 34%. In a nationwide BYU study, frequent religious attendees lived seven years longer than non-attenders.
Read MoreA low-budget movie, cheesy horror that is literally just “The Exorcist” meets “Speed” and whose theology is as thin as a communion wafer. In theory, this can be an opportunity for an actually really fun campy horror experience. Unfortunately, it’s far more interested in stale religious deconstruction than it is in classic scares.
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