Buddhism is experiencing a revival in northern Bangladesh as thousands of Indigenous Oraon people have embraced the faith since the mid-1990s. Supporters see it as a return to an ancient religious heritage, though the movement faces challenges, including a shortage of monks and criticism from some religious leaders.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Hundreds of pilgrims traveling to Mount Kailash were among those affected by devastating floods that struck the Nepal–Tibet border on Aug. 26. The floods destroyed the border crossing most commonly used to reach what is arguably the most revered holy mountain in the world, which sits in the Tibet autonomous region of China.
Read MoreWhat happens in this New Jersey town can have ramifications for the whole country: The Fellowship of Christian Athletes has filed a federal lawsuit against a district, alleging the district unlawfully barred outside volunteers from attending religious student clubs.
Read MoreProtestant pastors register the greatest distrust in artificial intelligence interpreting “contested” Scriptures, Barna said in its latest State of the Church release in partnership with Gloo, but few pastors would abandon the technology altogether. Only 5 percent of pastors reject AI as a tool to interpret difficult passages, researchers said, and only 10 percent want AI to proclaim which interpretation is correct.
Read More(ESSAY) It is one of Hinduism's oldest and most sacred symbols, representing peace, prosperity, good fortune and well-being. But Hitler hijacked it, turning it into a universal symbol of hate. My Hindu classmates and I advocated for our history classes to accurately teach the difference.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has brought Homer’s epic tale back to the big screen. The film is the latest retelling of a story that is almost 3,000 years old. But why do these ancient Greek stories continue to captivate new generations? Nolan aside, Stephen Fry’s retelling of Greek myths in 2017 and Disney’s “Hercules” film, for example, are part of a much longer tradition of repackaging the ancient world for contemporary audiences.
Read MoreChristian yoga classes in Colorado, are giving women a unique space for exercise, fellowship and spiritual reflection. Led by Charity Morine, the sessions combine movement, prayer, worship music and Scripture, helping participants release stress, confront personal struggles and deepen their relationship with God.
Read More(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.
Read MoreAs many dioceses in Europe and North America continue to contend with declining numbers of priests, church leaders in Kenya face the opposite problem. So many young men want to become priests that seminaries have to waitlist applicants, build more dorms and look for spots at seminaries in neighboring countries.
Read MoreThe Manchester City striker — long one the game’s most recognizable figures — went for a new look ahead of Sunday’s Premier League opening game against Bournemouth. Gone were his long blond locks. Instead, Haaland chopped off his hair for a buzz cut.
Read MoreIn times of unrest, our impulse is to seek solutions in painfully precise increments. But what if the only way to bring lasting change is to shoot for the stars?
Read MoreDozens of Christians connected to Iran Alive Ministries have been killed and hundreds arrested amid escalating persecution in Iran, ministry leaders report. Despite imprisonment, surveillance and criminalization of Christian broadcasts, the underground church continues growing, with thousands reportedly converting to Christianity and imprisoned believers sharing the Gospel.
Read MoreSince the Hamas attack on Israel, the actor has frequently called out Israel’s military action in Gaza, notably wearing an Artists4Ceasefire pin to the 2024 Oscars. In 2024, he was among more than 700 SAG-AFTRA members who signed a letter demanding the actors’ union publicly call for a Gaza ceasefire and protect pro-Palestinian members from what they described as industry blacklisting.
Read More(ESSAY) Taiwanese religious culture is a unique mix of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism and other Southeast Asian influences — and this blending is especially apparent at Taiwanese funerals. Now, as fewer Taiwanese folks have kids, raising pets instead, we can get a new perspective on these rites by observing the relatively new phenomenon of traditional pet funerals.
Read MoreChinaAid is seeking 100,000 signatures petitioning President Donald Trump to urge Pastor John Cao’s safe passage to the U.S. when President Xi Jinping visits Washington in September.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The earliest reference to Muslims in America is the account of an enslaved African Mustafa Zemourri. He arrived in 1527 on the coast of Florida as part of a disastrous Spanish expedition.
Read More(ANALYSIS) (ANALYSIS) The Iranian government seized control of the historic St. Peter Evangelical Church earlier this month in Tehran, despite repeated warnings from U.N. human rights experts and international Christian organizations, revealing a broader pattern of violence against religious minorities in Iran.
Read MoreFor thousands of years, the Jews have walked. Dispatched by God to the promised land of Canaan, Abraham walked. When the Israelites became a nation in the desert, they camped, kvetched, warred, and worshiped, but mostly walked. And on Shabbat, when the Torah forbids riding horses, carriages, trains or cars, observant Jews have walked — but not anymore.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Nepal underwent major political upheaval just a year ago, toppling the government in a fashion few could have imagined. An even more dramatic development followed. Voters handed a near-supermajority to the Rastriya Swatantra Party, which was founded only four years earlier. Its senior leader, Balendra Shah, became the youngest prime minister in Nepal’s history.
Read More(ANALYSIS) This Sept. 15 marks the anniversary of an infamous terror attack: The 1963 bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. On that Sunday morning, members of the Ku Klux Klan, a white supremacist group, planted dynamite on the east side of the brown brick building. The bomb went off in the midst of Sunday school, at 10:22 a.m., murdering four girls.
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