Posts tagged art and music
What Brandi Carlile Teaches About Repentance, Forgiveness And Changing Your Mind

(OPINION) I have a confession: I’ve tried for years to interview Carlile about the spirituality in her music. It hasn’t happened yet, but I’m holding onto the dream. Brandi, if you’re reading this, it’s OK to change your mind!

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‘Preserving Assisi’: Project Reveals Hidden Treasures Of St. Francis Basilica

A groundbreaking digital project, “Preserving Assisi,” uses gigapixel photography, 3D surveying and immersive technology to document the Basilica of San Francesco. Offering unprecedented access to its celebrated frescoes and architecture, the initiative also creates an invaluable digital record to support future research, conservation and restoration.

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Crossroads Podcast: U2 Has Been Answering Faith Questions For 50 Years

The New York Times feature marking the band’s 50th anniversary — the hook for this week’s “Crossroads” podcast — starts with U2 returning to Mount Temple to celebrate on the stage where the quartet did one of its first gigs. The lengthy interview: “50 Years In, What’s the Point of U2? Bono and the Edge Have Answers.”

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Gaudi: The Humble Catalan Genius Behind Barcelona’s Sacred Masterpiece

(REVIEW) Peter Stanford’s biography explores Antoni Gaudi’s extraordinary architectural vision, deep Catholic faith, and Catalan pride. From colorful private residences to Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia, Gaudi fused organic forms with religious devotion. The book portrays a humble, ascetic genius whose monumental masterpiece transcended his lifetime.

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National Fund Awards Over $9 Million To 30 Congregations For Historic Preservation

The latest grant round drew 466 applicants and includes the program’s first recipient in Arkansas, as historic houses of worship seek funding to preserve their buildings and community services.

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Inside Bangalore: India’s City Of Churches Etched In Faith And Memory

(TRAVEL) We Bangaloreans are just a stone’s throw away from a place of worship. And if one threw a stone, chances are it would probably land on one of the beautiful, iconic places of worship in Bangalore. Or perhaps the stone might get stuck in one of the many traffic jams.

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A Nun And Composer Team Up To Tell St. Francis Of Assisi’s Story: ‘He Continues To Speak’

St. Francis has inspired people for generations — and now, on the 800th anniversary of his death, he will inspire people once more, though a moving composition about his life.

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800 Years After St. Francis Of Assisi’s Death, His Story Gets A Vivid New Restoration

(ANALYSIS) The frescoes, located in the Bardi Chapel of Florence’s Basilica of Santa Croce, take up a major place in Christian art relative to their physical footprint. Giotto is routinely credited as the artist who broke decisively from the flat conventions of medieval painting and introduced something recognizably modern.

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‘Like Christ’s Rebirth’: Forgiveness At The Heart Of Oasis Reunion

(REVIEW) Oasis, the Manchester-born rock n’ roll band who defined the 1990s pop scene, were broken up between 2009 and 2024, when they finally announced a reunion tour for 2025. In “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” a newly-released documentary film accompanying last-year’s tour, one fan says the band’s reunion was “like the rebirth of Christ.”

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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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Halos And Horns: Dolly Parton’s Spiritual Journey

(ANALYSIS) Celebrating the country music legend is an honor “mixed with absolute pride and great sadness,” stressed Bryan Seaver, the son of Parton's sister Cassie Parton, in the family’s announcement of her death.

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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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‘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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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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‘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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