(ANALYSIS) Religious movements and figures played a central role in early American history. For example, as I have frequently written, Thanksgiving is linked to Protestant religious dissenters we call Pilgrims and Puritans. American myth tells us that those hearty souls braved an ocean crossing and a contest with the “wilderness,” in the words of the Plymouth colony’s governor, William Bradford.
Read MoreA recent New York Times feature noted that quarterback Fernando Mendoza, before helping change University of Indiana football history, excelled at Belen Jesuit, an all-boys Catholic school in Miami, and then Miami Columbus High, another all-boys Catholic school. Oh, and his mother was a star athlete at Lourdes Academy, an all-girls Catholic school.
Read MoreDuring the Holocaust, concealment was a condition of survival under persecution. Survivors’ testimony illuminates both the ingenuity required to endure such pressure and the emotional costs of erasing parts of oneself. In a moment of rising nationalism, antisemitism and mass displacement, their stories carry renewed urgency.
Read MorePerhaps not surprisingly, in a Bible Belt state such as Oklahoma, religion came up even in prison reporting — from Catholic bishops making appeals at clemency hearings to Allen, the inmate whose death I witnessed, declaring in her final statement, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Read MoreIndia recorded 1,318 in-person hate speech incidents in 2025, averaging more than three each day and overwhelmingly led by Hindu nationalist groups affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The report supports the inference that a political choice is behind the sustained scale of public incitement, which undermines both the rule of law and the idea of equal citizenship.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It’s the most important feature of American religion and politics that I wish more people understood: The God Gap.
Read More(ANALYSIS) When protests began in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar in December, authorities misjudged them as limited economic unrest. Instead, demonstrations spread nationwide, killing thousands and drawing in ethnic minorities. The uprising exposed deep divides over change, revealing that centralized opposition visions failed to address Iran’s ethnic diversity adequately.
Read MoreA Nigerian minister and humanitarian urged the U.S. government to use peaceful methods to address religious persecution during a Jan. 13 USCIRF hearing in Washington. Rebecca Dali said bombing worsened trauma for communities and encouraged intelligence-based cooperation, as witnesses testified about Christian persecution in multiple countries worldwide.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pete Hegseth, the current defense secretary, has stressed what he calls the “warrior ethos,” while other Americans seem to have embraced a renewed interest in “warrior culture.” Debate about these concepts actually traces back for thousands of years. Thinkers have long wrestled with what it means to be a true “warrior,” and the place of honor on the road to becoming one.
Read More(OPINION) Days of protest across Iran left hundreds dead as authorities imposed an unprecedented internet blackout to suppress dissent. Social media nevertheless shaped mobilization, documentation and global awareness through diaspora networks and dissident media, revealing escalating demands for regime change through the use of technology.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Lots. And no expert is better equipped to portray the turbulence than Washington University political scientist Ryan Burge.
Read MoreChristians are bringing light amid the evil, with many treating the wounded at homes to avoid certain arrest at hospitals. Christians are also taking food and water into crowds of protesters amid Iran’s humanitarian crisis. One Christian couple prepared 50 sandwiches, put them in their backpacks along with bottles of water and distributed the food to protesters.
Read More(ANALYSIS) There’s this well-worn phrase you hear in Christian circles: “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.” It’s often used by pastors to remind people that simply showing up on Sunday isn’t enough to be a faithful Christian. The point is that authentic faith is more than just checking a box once a week.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Leo XIV used an annual address to Vatican diplomats to warn that global politics had shifted toward militarism and force. Without naming any political leaders, he criticized war, erosion of international law and weakened human rights, positioning the Holy See as a moral counterweight to rising geopolitical tensions in many places around the world.
Read More(ANALYSIS) One of the things few people discuss about the “Avatar” films is how deeply “faith-based” they are. In fact, their spirituality may be one of the most influential things about the franchise in Hollywood. Since the first film graced theaters in 2009, Hollywood has followed its example in portraying religiosity on film — both for good and ill.
Read MoreRather than answering blood with blood, many residents in one part of India turned to prayer, ritual and mutual care. This response has become as much a political statement as a spiritual one. In the days after deadly clashes took place, monks were visible in the streets. They organized food for families stranded by an imposed curfew, led quiet gatherings — and urged people to avoid retaliation.
Read MoreA federal judge blocked a California policy that barred teachers from informing parents about students’ gender confusion, ruling it unconstitutional. The decision affirms parental rights, religious freedom, and teacher conscience protections, halting parental exclusion rules statewide while leaving similar policies intact in many other states.
Read MoreThe climb to Mar Musa al-Habashi monastery is deliberate and demanding — 340 stone steps wind up a stark, treeless mountain ridge in the Qalamun region. But complete the journey, and you’ll find a community of Muslims and Christians committed to interfaith dialogue and healing their nation.
Read MoreA Hindu businessman was attacked by a mob in Bangladesh’s Shariatpur district on Dec. 31. He was beaten with sharp weapons, doused in petrol and set on fire. This was the third such attack in a month — part of a larger pattern of violence against religious minorities since the fall of the previous government.
Read MorePope Leo XIV urged respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty and human rights on Sunday, saying he had been following events of the last two days with deep concern after the U.S. ousted dictator Nicolas Maduro. The pope called for peace and justice, while Venezuelan bishops expressed solidarity with victims and prayed for national unity.
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