Posts in Culture
Iceland's bestselling book on the woman who escaped pirates

The Travels of Guðríður Símonardóttir tells the little-known story of an Icelandic woman in the 17th century who was captured by North African pirates. She was enslaved at a harem in Algiers until ransomed, then married Iceland’s most famous poet. His hymns, inspired by the couple’s suffering, are still sung in churches and at funerals.

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Politics may stop Catholics in South India from building Asia's tallest Jesus statue

Hindu nationalists are trying to stop a Catholic parish’s proposed 114-feet-high granite Jesus statue atop a hill in rural South India, sparked by a large Christmas land donation from a Hindu politician. The archbishop of Bangalore sought the state chief minister’s intervention this week to continue the $1.5 million project.

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The Buddhist Book You Should Read, Even If You’re Not Buddhist

(REVIEW) In the new book Welcoming the Unwelcome, 83-year-old American Tibetan Buddhist nun Pema Chödrön moves past her usual style of writing in poetry and strict spiritual guidance and instead into a vulnerable teaching about how to overcome the pain of the world by explaining how she was led to do exactly that. 

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The story behind the Nativity creche at New York’s Met Museum

The museum’s famed nativity creche, currently on display through January 6, features the baby Jesus with a radiant halo surrounded by figures that range in size from 12 to 15 inches in height.

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'VeggieTales' creator's new book makes biblical literacy accessible to kids

(OPINION) Bible stories aren’t enough to convey to children what the biblical narrative is really about. They need to be able to see their place in it, argues Phil Vischer.

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Memoir of a Missionary Kid: Being Lesslie Newbigin's Daughter

(REVIEW) A new book about Bishop Lesslie Newbigin’s family – by his feminist daughter – exposes the collateral damage of ministry and questions Christian duty to the church over one’s family.

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'The Two Popes' is a film in need of a reality check

(REVIEW) What happens when you get a pope and a cardinal together? In real life, you’d get some interesting discussion. In the movie “The Two Popes,” you get lots of made-up conversation cloaked as a behind-the-scenes look at the current state of the Catholic church.

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All the pope's PR men: What's happened to the Vatican press office?

(OPINION) Let’s start with a loaded question. But it’s a questions that journalists really need to ask, because of trends during recent events in Catholic life. Is the Vatican’s press office helping to push a progressive agenda that could forever change the Catholic church?

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Collection of essays aim to explore the philosophy behind Francis' papacy

(BOOK REVIEW) Discovering Pope Francis is in a way an opportunity for fans of this papacy to defend him. It also tries to lay out common ground between those who may be liberal or conservative politically, but also Roman Catholic.

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Graham Kerr to have a movie made about his life as a Christian and climate change activist

The 85-year-old celebrity chef is releasing a documentary about his life in the spring that includes his conversion to Christianity after a car accident and his changed lifestyle of simple food, living on less and leaving a smaller carbon footprint.

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Singer Jaci Velasquez Talks About Her New Book 'When God Rescripts Your Life'

Multi Platinum Christian artist and actress Jaci Velasquez talked to Religion Unplugged about her struggles of family and faith in her new book, “When God Rescripts Your Life,” released Oct. 8.

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TED Talks For The Religiously Minded

Out of more than 3,200 talks listed on the TED website, less than 80 center on religion, and the ones that do often approach the topic from a secular humanist perspective. We rounded up our top seven picks focused on religion and faith.

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Cardinal Robert Sarah’s new book puts the spotlight on what ails the modern world

(BOOK REVIEW) Cardinal Robert Sarah’s new book examines the spiritual decline of the West amid scandals in the Catholic Church and secularization. He’s hopeful prayer can reverse the trend.

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New TV series 'Evil' grapples with mysteries of faith and science

(TV REVIEW) The new detective show on CBS follows a science-minded psychologist and a Catholic priest-in-training who consider both the human and supernatural possibilities behind crimes.

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Maradona documentary packs plenty of Catholic imagery to go with its soccer

(FILM REVIEW) A new documentary illustrates the magnitude with which the Argentine-born star impacted the game throughout the 1980s and how soccer’s biggest deity went from heaven to a dramatic fall from grace.

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