The U.S. Supreme Court isn’t only the highest court in the land, its judges have the responsibility to rule on cases that have a lasting impact on American politics, culture and religion. Driving those changes going forward will be a Catholic majority of justices who have become increasingly conservative, shifting the balance of the court for years to come.
Read MoreNestled between flashy carnival games, noisy food vendors and large, sweaty crowds, the small shrine of St. Gennaro glows and quietly blends in with the party atmosphere along Mulberry Street in New York’s Little Italy
Read MoreSabelo Mlangeni is an award-winning photographer featured in galleries from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts to San Francisco’s MOMA. He’s been awarded residencies from Germany to France. Featured once in The New Yorker, he was described as South Africa’s “Flâneur,” a term used to describe his ability to capture intimate moments wherever he travels. But while he is known around the world, his home is close to heart. His most recent gallery is Umlindelo Wamakhlowa (Night Vigil of the Believers) at Wits Art Museum (WAM), located at the University of Witswatersrand in Joburg. His series of photos in the exhibit document the Church of Zion and his own experience.
Read MoreA whistleblower says the Vatican – and specifically Pope Francis – was aware of immoral sexual abuse behavior years ago. When it was revealed that two Catholic journalists helped him to edit and distribute the letter making those claims, it shed a light on the increasingly polarized Catholic Church and the growth and influence of conservative news and opinion websites that oppose Pope Francis and what they believe is the pontiff’s assault on orthodoxy.
Read MoreThe Kenyan media is fighting back against politicians who are determined to restrict them from exposing corrupt deals. This comes after President Uhuru Kenyatta approached the church seeking divine intervention and comfort after he lost friends who were unhappy with his stance against theft of public land.
Read MoreHorrific reports have circulated via social media of late regarding bloodthirsty jihadi attacks on Nigerian Christians. So far in 2018, 6,000 innocent victims have been maimed or murdered. The news comes from devastated church leaders in Nigeria’s Plateau State, declaring that thousands of children, women, and the elderly have been brutalized — with many killed — in night raids by armed herdsmen.
Read MoreDespite one of the most severe crackdowns on North Korean refugees in China in recent years, Steven Kim and his team actively search in villages for North Korean women to support them through Christian counseling and provide humanitarian support.
Read MoreIn Kashmir, the Amarnath Pilgrimage showcases the perfect symbol of unity and bonding between Hindus and Muslims.
Read MoreThe biggest star at this World Cup wasn't Messi, Ronaldo, or Neymar. How St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow’s Red Square became the symbol of #Russia2018
Read MoreA number of religious gurus in India have been recently convicted of sexual crimes. But what explains their continued influence over millions of followers?
Read MoreThanks to the organizing efforts of Muslim and Christian community leaders, living conditions are slowly improving for some of the poorest people in Indonesia.
Read MoreAmid large increases in religious persecution, Muslims in Indonesia are organizing massive defensive measures to protect Indonesian religious groups.
Read MoreHistorically, Indonesian Muslims have worn loosely wrapped, somewhat transparent, colorful scarves. Now, the most common covering is the jilbab, an opaque square scarf which is tightly wrapped and pinned under the chin, and typically does not show any hair. For Muslims who do not wear one, it is enough to “cover their hearts.” But for *Aya and many other Muslim women, the ritual of physically covering her body is also important, as it puts the religious principle into practice — an external expression of an internal disposition.
Read MoreWearing a full and graying beard, khaki trousers and a woolen vest, 66-year-old Ya’cub ibn Yusuf, puttered around his little shop. Sufi-inspired sounds played by an Israeli musician piped from the speakers above. “Spiritual Books for Sale,” read the sign outside the door.
Read MoreThirty-four Chilean bishops are waiting Pope Francis' decision regarding their future after the recent scandal of concealment of sexual abuse. Many parishioners and church leaders in the region say the Chilean church is at its worst.
Read MoreWhy has a letter by the Archbishop of Delhi to all the Parish priests and religious institutions in the Archdiocese of Delhi with the subject ‘Prayer for our nation’ created a firestorm in India? The media suddenly is abuzz after several different voices across the political spectrum cry foul that the letter is meant to divide the nation on communal lines. Notably, the right wing Hindu organization’s ideologue called it a "direct attack on secularism and democracy."
Read MoreCan a broadcaster be a saint? Can a priest also be a broadcaster? These are just two of the many fascinating questions that come to the fore when the name Patrick Peyton comes up. Peyton coined the now-famous slogan: “The family that prays together stays together!” Before fake news, there indeed was faith news.
Read MoreIf Jesus were to suddenly appear at one of the Israeli checkpoints that separates this Palestinian area from Israel, what would He think? That is a question that bedeviled the Reverend Munther Isaac, a Palestinian Christian who is the academic dean at Bethlehem Bible College.
Read MoreThere’s a ladder in the Old City of Jerusalem that’s perched on a stone ledge beneath the second floor window at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified and resurrected. Known as the “immovable ladder”, it symbolizes the complications that arise when six different Christian denominations occupy one of the holiest sites in their theology. No one knows who left it there in the mid-19th century but it sits there, on a ledge above the sturdy wooden doors, a reminder of the contested ground beneath it.
Read MoreTall, built and gangly, Mazen Kenan, a 46-year-old Palestinian, towers above everyone in just about any setting. But his height is particularly commanding in the tightly packed streets of Jerusalem’s Old City, where he maneuvers easily despite the five foot-long, 50-pound wooden cross he bears on his shoulder.
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