The Grammys, held this year on Feb. 4, are the largest annual awards ceremony held for music. This year, there are no real surprises in the five categories dedicated to Christian and gospel music. Instead, two notable Christian artists with great music have been nominated for some of the top awards of the night.
Read More“Underground,” the Kansas City ballet that tells the story of slaves escaping to freedom through the Underground Railroad, is “not a story of Black versus white, but good versus evil.” The show, which first premiered in 2008 at the Störling Dance Theater, is a beautiful ballet with a strong mission — something this shared sentiment can attest to.
Read MoreFor centuries, the Bible has been central to the spread of Christianity. In the West, Bibles have been a symbol of faith and very often also art. It’s the reason why J. Pierpont Morgan collected these sacred texts in the form of illuminated manuscripts, drawings and early printed books.
Read MoreA church in the West Bank city of Bethlehem has politicized its annual nativity scene, laying a figure of baby Jesus amid the rubble of a destroyed masonry building to represent the Gaza Strip this Christmas season.
Read More“Treasures from Kings: Masterpieces from the Terra Sancta Museum” will be on exhibit at Portugal’s most famous art museum through Feb. 26, then travels to Santiago de Compostela, Spain, and to the Frick Collection in New York. From there, the international tour may include other key European cultural institutions before returning to Jerusalem.
Read MoreThe work of five Ukrainian artists, whose art varies across artistic tradition and highlight the beauty of Ukraine and its people, is currently on view at the Sheen Center’s Janet Hennessey Dilenschneider Gallery. The exhibition, “Beauty During Wartime and Before,” is particularly meant to honor resilience and faith during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The name Sabrina Carpenter may not mean anything to anyone over 25, but she was at the center of a major religion story involving the Catholic church. A new video shows Carpenter in an outfit not suitable for church as several men fight over her. It also shows her attending their funerals at a New York church with candy-colored coffins.
Read MoreThe journey of Kashmiri rappers began with a desire to be heard. With each rhyme, they found solace and empowerment, creating a path for future generations to follow. The verses of Kashmiri rappers unmask the harsh realities of their homeland, shedding light on the pain and resilience of its people. Their lyrics become a mirror, reflecting the struggles and aspirations of a generation yearning for peace.
Read MoreLa Catrina is a ubiquitous character associated with Day of the Dead, known in Spanish as Día de los Muertos, both in Mexico and around the world. Additionally, it has also become an icon of Mexican identity throughout the world.
Read More(ESSAY) Amid the pain and suffering in the Middle East, it is good to be reminded that beautiful things also happen there. One such remembrance came on Oct. 11 with the funeral of Father Simaan Ibrahim in Muqattam, in the southeast of Cairo. It was a funeral, with much lament, but was also a joyous occasion that drew 30,000 people to worship in the of the monastery of St. Simaan the Tanner Church, which he founded and led for 50 years.
Read More(OPINION) As an artist and as a person of faith, Clara Maria Goldstein is difficult to pigeonhole. Raised as a Roman Catholic in her native Nicaragua, she moved to the United States with a 1 year-old daughter, Alejandra, in the 1980s at age 21.
Read MoreDuring a recent small-ship cruise up Alaska’s Inland Passage from Sitka to Juneau, my wife and I saw many totem poles, both old and fairly new. Since we were voyaging through Tlingit territory, we paid special attention to those witnessing to Tlingit culture. Fortunately, we had a Tlingit as our guide.
Read MoreThe Faith Museum will explore how religion has shaped lives and communities across Britain throughout history. Religion Unplugged contributor Dr. Jenny Taylor meets the wealthy financier who is turning a semi-derelict English mining town into an international showcase of art and faith. Part of the outcome of all this investment is the opening of the museum on Oct. 6.
Read More(PERSONAL ESSAY) How did I — a child raised into that organization — break free? How can anyone break free of misguided, fundamentalist religious movements or cult-like organizations and, yet, still retain any kind of religious belief?
Read More(OPINION) Many religious traditions value silence as a space where a supreme power might be experienced. “I will come to you in the silence,” promises God at the outset of David Hass’ hymn, “You Are Mine,” sung in both Catholic and Protestant churches. Some religious folk might agree with Beckett that nothing is the ultimate reality.
Read MoreTourists and pilgrims despairing about finding a genuine souvenir of their visit to the Holy Land that wasn’t mass-manufactured in China, India, Turkey or Egypt might wish to consider visiting the Bethlehem Icon Centre — perhaps the only school in the Middle East that teaches the ancient Christian tradition of iconography.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Besides being close in age, Gioia (born 1950) and La Rocca (born 1951) are both half Italian on their fathers’ side, and both are from working class families. Gioia’s ethnic heritage on his mother’s side is Mexican. La Rocca’s ethnic heritage on his mother’s side is Ukrainian. Both poet and composer are roughly of the same generation as Archbishop Cordileone, who was born in 1956.
Read More(REVIEW) “Flamin’ Hot” portrays faith as a central part of Richard Montanez’s life and depicts his faith as real and important. Whether it’s his abusive father clinging to faith to cover up his previous alcoholism, or the strength that his wife gains from her faith, or Richard eventually acknowledging God’s hand in the good that has happened to them and praying together with his wife, Richard’s faith matters.
Read More(REVIEW) “The Secrets of Hillsong” uncovers Hillsong culture, abuse and Carl Lentz. The four-part documentary dropped on May 19th. Since Carl Lentz’s fall from grace due to his affair with Ranin Karim, many celebrity gossip and media voices have chimed in to tell Lentz’s story. For the first time since the scandals, both Carl and Laura Lentz tell their own stories in the documentary.
Read MoreOne of the most majestic displays of religious art a visitor can find in Naples — if not anywhere in the Catholic world — is known as the “Treasure of San Gennaro.” Located in Naples’ historic city center (which is also famous for artisans and nativity scenes), the area has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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