Egypt’s holiest monastery is now also home to one of the largest statues of Mary in the world. Located at the Virgin Mary Monastery in the village of Durunka, some 250 miles from the capital, Cairo, the statue stands at 28 feet in height atop a 46-foot pedestal.
Read MoreMany U.S. churches are rebounding from the pandemic, but many challenges remain, a new report reveals. The study, funded by the Lilly Endowment and led by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at Hartford International University for Religion and Peace, offered a snapshot of this evolving landscape.
Read More(OPINION) How should we pray for the 2024 elections? Should we pray for a particular candidate (or, in the case of the nonpresidential elections, candidates) to win? Should we pray for specific issues and ask God to raise up those who will do the best job on those particular issues? Or should we simply pray, “Your will be done, Lord”?
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in highlights the return of a high school football coach who won a U.S. Supreme Court case, allowing him to pray on the field. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(OPINION) Many Islamic leaders were surprised that some officials in Maryland and elsewhere now assume that Muslims concerned about “parental rights” and religious liberty have embraced the religious right or white supremacy.
Read MoreOn the morning of Aug. 7, 1998, two powerful explosions ripped apart the U.S. embassy in Nairobi, sending debris and glass shrapnel across the central business district and beyond. In the end, some 200 Kenyans lay dead and another 4,000 people injured as a result of the attack. At the same time, another attack at the U.S. embassy in Dar es Salaam in neighboring Tanzania killed 11.
Read MoreThe growth of Christianity in China has stagnated over the past decade, while one-third of the country’s adult population identifies as Buddhist. A new Pew Research Center report found that only 10% of Chinese adults identified with any religious group — but the number rose significantly when survey questions focused on spirituality, customs and superstitions.
Read More(OPINION) We never hear things exactly as they are. We hear thing as we are, through the presumptions and biases residing in our heads. We’re inclined to make others responsible for our angers, our hurts and our grudges. How do we become better listeners, really hearing instead of simply confirming our own preexisting blind spots and wounds?
Read More(OPINION) The uncomfortable problem is that so many faith-based “true story films” turn out to be either totally made up or highly deceptive. For Christians, however, this poses some problems. The Bible is explicitly against lying and repeatedly warns against being deceived.
Read MoreCases such as the one involving Pastor Joseph Sserubiri have garnered attention, both in Uganda and internationally, due to their heinous nature. The government and law enforcement agencies have made efforts to combat these crimes, but addressing the issue has proven to be complex due to a combination of factors.
Read MoreEl pueblo argentino tiene una serie de figuras notables a las que más admiran y veneran. Estas incluyen a los ídolos del fútbol Diego Maradona y Lionel Messi, la activista y política Eva Perón y la estrella del tango Carlos Gardel. Una notable ausencia en esa lista en estos días es la del papa Francisco.
Read MoreMosques will no longer need a permit to publicly broadcast the Muslim call to prayer under a new rule announced by New York City Mayor Eric Adams as part of an effort to foster inclusivity. Adams said the guidelines make it easier for mosques to broadcast on Fridays, a traditional Islamic holy day, and at sundown during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Read MoreOrthodox Christianity is gradually gaining interest among diverse ethnic groups around the world, including African Americans. Mother Katherine Weston, for example, became Orthodox in the late 1980s. She is an abbess and also the president of the Fellowship of St. Moses the Black, a nonprofit committed to training Orthodox Christians for the ministry of racial reconciliation.
Read MoreMore than 150 individuals have lost their lives in confrontations between the Meitei and Kuki ethnic groups that have swept through Manipur, a northeastern state of India situated on the border with Myanmar. The unrest originated in Churachandpur, a town located just south of the state capital, Imphal, on May 3.
Read MoreWhen people think of the most influential rappers of all time, Kendrick Lamar is definitely on the list. The hip-hop artist made history in 2018 by winning a Pulitzer Prize in songwriting for his album “DAMN.” His lyrical genius and socially conscious rap resonate with millions. To many, he is considered the greatest rapper of all time. This is why we were curious when an anonymous package labeled “Kendrick Lamar's diss track” showed up in our mailbox.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I was talking to someone who works in the nursing home industry a couple of weeks ago, and she said a term that I had never heard: “the silver tsunami.” It’s the demographic reality facing the United States and most other industrialized countries — that the population is getting a heck of a lot older.
Read More(REVIEW) In less than 40 pages, Margaret Sayers outlines a few helpful remedies for a host of challenges that come with old age, frailty and conditions such as dementia. The recommendations are meant primarily for caregivers or those who often interact with a family member in such conditions, for instance.
Read More(EXPLAINER) French officials said they will bar children in public schools across the country from wearing the “abaya,” a full-length robe used by some Muslim women to convey modesty. The rationale for the ban, they said, was to stem a growing number of disputes in its secular schools.
Read More(OPINION) If you, like me, think faith in God and religious affiliation are generally good things for people, then you, like me, ought to feel unsettled by the findings of political scientist Ryan Burge. He argues that religious participation in the United States is now largely the domain of the educated and comfortable, rather than a buttress for those on the margins of society, who historically were the core audience for Christianity.
Read MoreThe chaos at the end of a long war. The frenzy to leave a troubled homeland. The challenge of a new and different culture. Hong Kluver identifies closely with the Afghan refugees she has worked so hard to help. In their experiences, she sees herself.
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