Meet the Greek Orthodox wood carver chiseling sacred artifacts for a living

For a man who has encountered hardship from his youth in Greece to dealing with the loss of his wife in 2012, Papadakis says the craft of carving is more than just a job or hobby. It relates to his own Orthodox Christian faith. “I love my God,” he says in between taps on a gouge. “I have to do something best. If I give something, it needs to be as godly as God is. It has to be worthy.”

NFL turns 100: Lombardi's faith and the story of the Hail Mary pass

(OPINION) It’s the NFL’s birthday. Looking back at great plays and memorable Super Bowl performances are a given. What about what players and coaches believed? What about their motivations? How about religion and the impact it left on the game?

What role should pastors play in mental health struggles?

(OPINION) Pastors aren’t mental health professionals, but they still have an important role to play when members of their flock are suffering serious mental ills. They shouldn’t shy away from it.

The Hong Kong Protests Are Inspiring Tibetan Refugees in India

Many young Tibetan exiles feel solidarity with Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and want a free Tibet independent from China, a more radical view than the Dalai Lama’s Middle Way approach. But living in India under asylum means they have to be cautious about protesting against China.

The BBC predicts religion will fade from importance. The numbers say otherwise.

(OPINION) Projections about the future of religious beliefs vary depending by prediction method, and perhaps bias. A recent BBC article saw a coming decline in favor of science and legal systems. Other statistics tell a different story.

Kashmiris talk business losses amid India's shutdown

Taxi drivers, hotel managers, and a musician working wedding gigs share how the shutdown in Kashmir is affecting their bottom lines.

Meet the Catholics who practice Voodoo in New Orleans

For many, the thought of Voodoo conjures images of witchcraft and nefarious supernatural forces. But for these Catholics who grew up around it, it’s a part of their city’s heritage and inseparable from the practices they were raised with.

Why many evangelicals believe climate change is a hoax

Greta Thunberg, a 16-year-old from Sweden, received widespread support for her recent actions to combat climate change — except from those who believe it’s a hoax. Among them: evangelical Christians. Here’s why so many of them oppose the politics of climate change.

The U.S. must speak directly with Iran's religious and ethnic minorities

(OPINION) President Trump announced Sept. 23 that the U.S. would devote $25 million to religious freedom issues and continue pressuring countries to end religious persecution, but in Iran, the U.S. is neglecting ethnic and religious minorities. Baha’is, numbering 300,000 in Iran, are particularly persecuted.

Jewish pilgrimage to a Ukrainian rabbi’s grave is growing

Pilgrimages to Rabbi Nachman’s grave site resumed at a trickle under communism. Now, more than 70 years after the devastation of World War II and communism, Jews of all kinds are visiting Uman and moving back.

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.

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.

How the oldest surviving Latin Bible was scribed in England

(TRAVEL) A recent trip to Northumbria, England and Florence, Italy had an unexpected connection — a text of the Bible that’s arguably shaped Christianity more than any other, revitalizing Roman Christianity for Anglo-Saxons.

U.N. Warns About Ethno-Religious Tensions In Sri Lanka

(NEWS ANALYSIS) The U.N.’s appointed expert on freedom of religion or belief gave recommendations for how Sri Lanka should address underlying tensions that predate the April 2019 Easter bombings that killed more than 200 people.

'Notre Dame is our church’: Why famed cathedral must be rebuilt to its past glory

Despite Europe’s increased secularization, traditionalists argue Notre Dame’s renovation should include no contemporary flair as part of a larger effort by Christians to protect their religious heritage wherever it may be located around the world,

Is there really a truce in the bitter Protestant 'worship wars'?

(OPINION) Tensions over worship styles seem to be easing. Congregations may have settled on contemporary pop rock or traditional hymns, but genres — and attitudes — are evolving as they merge.

Fear and Confusion Grips India’s Northeast as 1.9 Million People Face Statelessness

The Indian government is building detention camps for those left off the citizenship list, many of whom have lived in India for generations, fueled by suspicions of Bengali Muslims migrating illegally.

Are the missing Yazidi women and girls in Iran?

(OPINION) A report that two Yazidi girls abducted by Daesh may be in Iran has prompted a British politician to take some action. The situation should be investigated thoroughly. The report raises questions about the fates of many others.

Opinion, Middle EastEwelina U. OchabSeptember 18, 2019Yazidi, Iran, Daesh, ISIS, abducted, Islam, Ewelina U. OchabComment

How do today's woes on the mainstream religion beat compare with 1983 and 1994?

(OPINION) Coverage today suffers partly because religion news has been deemed low-priority by uninterested editors. That mistake is still being made.

Kenyans are debating whether cremation is anti-Christian and un-African

As funeral costs rise, the deaths and cremations of three high-profile Kenyans have sparked a nationwide discussion over the spiritual merits and harms of non-traditional burial methods.

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