A new Catholic diocese in Bangladesh is creating a place of hope for people of all faith, especially in the fields of education and health. Bishop Paul Gomes was consecrated this month as the first bishop of the new diocese of Joypurhat in northern Bangladesh, which is largely inhabited by indigenous people. Joypurhat is the ninth Catholic diocese in Bangladesh with more than 24,000 Catholics.
Read More(ANALYSIS) A delegation of 12 Buddhist monks recently walked across Sri Lanka along with their adopted dog Aloka. People of all faiths in Sri Lanka, who have witnessed riots and bloodbaths in the past decade, welcomed them. Apart from Buddhist monks, Christian, Muslim and Hindu leaders joined the U.S.-based delegation during their week-long peace walk across the island nation.
Read MoreThe Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in Orlando, Florida, this week, moved forward on banning churches with women pastors and elected a right-wing president concerned the denomination has become too woke and liberal.
Read More(REVIEW) While the show’s theological justification is surprisingly in line with the pope’s new AI principles, the execution proves that — as always — the devil is in the details.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Ten years after “Hillbilly Elegy” catapulted its author into public view, JD Vance is publishing a new memoir, “Communion: Finding My Way Back to Faith.” The vice president explains the book as a sort of self-help guide for the spiritually lost: “… by sharing my journey I might be helpful to others — Catholic, Protestant, or otherwise — who are seeking reconciliation with God.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) This World Cup held in the United States, Canada and Mexico — with its unprecedented global outreach — offers a unique opportunity to observe the values, beliefs and relationships that soccer players choose to display on their bodies. In some ways, tattoos can be seen as a small window into the players’ souls.
Read MoreAfrican American religious practice is so much more complex than Christianity. Matthew Peterson spoke with Harvard Prof. Ahmad Greene-Hayes about his recent book, “Underworld Work,” which explores Black spirituality following the Civil War through to the Jim Crow era in the South.
Read MoreChristians and Muslims used to fight over food at this internally displaced refugee camp in Nigeria. Following a key change by the camp’s leadership more than a decade ago, the families now live peacefully, befriending each other, eating meals together and raising their kids as a single community.
Read MoreArgentine soccer icon Diego Maradona’s magic goal in the June 22, 1986, quarterfinal match against England in Mexico, which he attributed to the “Hand of God” as it was secured by his fist, has been the subject of intense debate whenever and wherever soccer fans are gathered.
Read MoreWhile the rest of the world was in and out of lockdown during the not-so-roaring pandemic of the early 2020s, a small enclave in Beijing had folks sweating, holding strangers’ hands and dancing to jazz that crackled in the stagnant air of bars and basements like lightning.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The trend in Spain is also a reflection of a pan-European phenomenon. According to various surveys such as the European Social Survey, in southern European countries, including Spain, younger generations exhibit less attachment to religious institutions but maintain nuanced and pluralistic spiritual orientations.
Read MoreWho is AI for and who is it leaving behind? Those were the central questions of Pope Leo’s first encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” (“Magnificent Humanity”). By addressing the challenge and comparing it to the Industrial Revolution, the pope positioned the Catholic Church not as a casual observer of the tech age change, but an active participant in shaping its future.
Read MoreLand of Milk and Honey Farms in Deep Gap, North Carolina — nestled in a mountainous region called the High Country — has found a niche: Faith-based agritourism, offering visitors nature, serenity and even cuddle sessions with lambs. The farm’s name was inspired by a Bible passage in which God promises his people “a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Read More(ANALYSIS) It seemed inevitable that the first encyclical from the first American pope, the forward-looking and worldly-wise Leo XIV, would focus on the growing furor over artificial intelligence. The pope’s encyclical comes as the culmination of various articles during recent weeks about the implications of AI on faith, ethics and morals.
Read MoreIn the heart of Budapest lies a theater unlike any other. Founded 20 years ago, Gólem Theater stands as the only professional Jewish theater in Hungary. By blending humor with questions of identity, the theater seeks to engage audiences with a different side of Jewish culture.
Read MoreSoccer’s global reach and emotional intensity have long invited comparisons to religion. Both scholars and fans testify that the analogy is more than just a metaphor. From local club loyalties to the sweeping unity of the World Cup, the game functions in ways that closely resemble systems of shared belief, ritual and identity.
Read MoreAt the 40th anniversary of his 1986 high school graduation, our Weekend Plug-in columnist reflects on the journalism lessons he learned as a student — and which still resonate with him four decades later.
Read More(REVIEW) How did Christianity shape North Korea? A new 745-page book argues the regime built by Kim Il Sung resembles a national religion that borrows some ideas from Christianity — complete with myths, rituals and a central, quasi-divine figure — rather than a typical authoritarian state.
Read MoreThe new State of Theology in Canada Study surveyed more than 3,000 Canadians on 35 questions. Conducted by Lifeway Research and sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, the study sought to gauge the theological and cultural beliefs prominent in Canada.
Read MoreJoseph Holmes speaks with the director of “Cast Aside The Clouds” about why she wanted to make a film about a Bahá'í/Muslim love story, her own journey with the Bahá’í faith, and the unity and conversations she hopes will come about as a result of its release.
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