(OPINION) Because a key tenet of Quakerism is continuing revelation, Quakerism has become a safe place to explore spiritual journeys and learn what your own Inner Light is saying to you. It was the echo I saw between the early Quakers and the current seekers and the need I saw for an in-flesh community that led me to advocate for a workshop to explore those ideas.
Read More(REVIEW) More books have been written about St. Francis of Assisi than virtually any other historical figure after Jesus Christ. In the Italian town of his birth, he is even the subject of an entire bookstore. As this enthralling exhibition at The National Gallery demonstrates, the revered saint also captured the imaginations of artists who have for generations told his remarkable story without the need for words.
Read More(OPINION) Many years ago as a consultant, I joked with colleagues about our tongue-in-cheek disclaimer for final reports: “We have not succeeded in solving your problem. We are still confused, but we are confused at a much higher level.” Generative artificial intelligence (the kind behind chatbots) has the ability to confuse us all at much higher levels!
Read More(REVIEW) The summer is synonymous with reading on the beach or near the pool. So here are three new books to consider adding to your list. While many seek mindless books to indulge in during this time of year, these will make you think and reflect about yourself and the world around you.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the ongoing battles over who’s in — and who’s out — among Southern Baptists and United Methodists. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) There’s nothing like walking down Via della Conciliazione in Rome. It’s a very long street, bustling with cars and tourists, that feeds into St. Peter’s Square. It’s a reminder of how imposing the Vatican can be, at least physically, in an increasingly secular West. Italy, however, remains a Catholic nation, at least culturally, with reminders everywhere.
Read More(OPINION) Referring to the “wedding banquet at Cana,” when Jesus turned water into wine, the Jesuit theologian called for a changed church in which “people of all races, genders and sexualities rejoice at the presence of love” and a world in which “spiritual wounds will be healed, where faith-based violence will be no more, where fear and intolerance are relics of history.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) Since 2008, the PTA has repeatedly banned or taken steps to ban online Ahmadi content inside Pakistan. However, the PTA has now extended its efforts to block or remove content that is hosted outside of Pakistan in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Singapore and Switzerland.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Every year, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) releases a report on religious oppression around the world, recommending that the State Department designate specific countries as especially severe violators. In this year’s report, released May 1, 2023, Iran came in for particular criticism after months of protests and arrests sparked by headscarf laws. Sri Lanka, Cuba and Nicaragua were also singled out as areas of concern; Nicaragua is specifically accused of persecution against Catholics.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Motherhood and nurturing are not celebrated only on particular days, however. Many religions include goddess-centered traditions that embrace many forms of the divine feminine as central to their belief systems. As a religious studies professor who travels with students around the world to explore different cultures and practices, I have often noticed the interest students have in the variety of goddess traditions we encounter.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in covers God, guns and other faith angles after the mass shooting at a shopping mall in Allen, Texas. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Pope Francis’ recent apostolic journey to Hungary (my home) was at once exciting and disconcerting. A papal visit is always exciting, and like other Christians in Hungary (Catholic and not), I was encouraged by the Holy Father’s presence among us. Conversely it was hard not to be worried about the apparent imprimatur that might be given to the “political Christianity” championed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz government.
Read More(OPINION) During the recent Global Anglican Future Conference held in Kigali, Rwanda, Raffel was one of several bishops — 315 attended, from 52 nations — who stressed that traditionalists now need to look forward. It's time to focus on life in their rapidly growing churches while dedicating less time and energy to clashes with declining churches in England, America, Canada and elsewhere.
Read More(OPINION) Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are good things. But DEI is like trying to change the world through law. There’s a better way: love. I think love is UEE: unity, equality and exclusions.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It is vital to recognize the broad scope of religion itself and hence of religious freedom. Religion is not a separate, isolated segment of human existence. It is not merely what people do with their solitude. It is not only acts of worship on a Sunday, Sabbath or Friday. It is not simply adherence to creeds or doctrines. Religion is one of the fundamental shapers of human life.
Read More(OPINION) If the Anglican Communion did not suffer schism on April 21, it’s the next best thing. A declaration issued that day at the conclusion of an international church assembly in Kigali, Rwanda, means the media and other religion-watchers should gird loins for years of maneuvers, legalities, confusion and acrimony.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the role of faith in the coronation of King Charles III. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Above all else, the coronation of this King is a worship service, held in Westminster Abbey and presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is an explicitly Christian worship service, though it will have participants from many religions. Rishi Sunak, the U.K. prime minister and a serious Hindu, will read from the first chapter of Paul’s letter to the Colossians
Read More(ANALYSIS) There is no doubt in my mind that politics is one of the main culprits for the emptying out of American religion. That was my starting point for this piece. What follows is a peek inside how I think through a problem like that.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The current and 14th dalai lama, Tenzin Gyatso, will be 88 in July 2023, and the Khalkha Jetsun Dhampa in Mongolia is traditionally one of the Buddhist leaders who recognizes the dalai lama’s successor.
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