(REVIEW) The Baroque painter Francisco de Zurbarán is celebrated today as one of the greatest masters of the Spanish Golden Age. His many paintings of friars, nuns and saints for the churches and religious orders earned him the sobriquet “painter of monks.” A favorite subject was Saint Francis of Assisi and nearly 50 paintings of the 13th-century friar by Zurbarán or his assistants are known to have survived.
Read MoreIn a day punctuated by prayer and references to God, Donald Trump was sworn in on Monday as the 47th president of the United States. “I was saved by God to make America great again,” Trump said in his inaugural speech, alluding to the failed assassination attempt against him last July during a Pennsylvania rally.
Read More(OPINION) Some of historian Tom Holland’s insights are surprising, including his contention that modern developments — including the transgender rights movement and a recent spike in atheism — probably wouldn’t exist were it not for the West’s Christian philosophical and moral foundations.
Read MoreChristians in Iran were sentenced to a combined total of over 250 years in prison last year — a sixfold increase compared to 2023, according to a new report. In all, 96 Christians were sentenced to a combined 263 years behind bars in 2024. That’s compared to 22 Christians sentenced to 43½ years in 2023.
Read MoreAmerican churches are finding new ways to adapt and rebuild after facing crises like political polarization, the pandemic and even natural disasters. While some congregations struggle to stay afloat, others are embracing diversity, tough conversations and community engagement in an effort to become more resilient in the age of Trump.
Read More(ANALYSIS) MLK Day volunteers typically perform community service that continues King’s fight to end racial discrimination and economic injustice — to build the “beloved community,” as he often said. But King does not fully explain the phrase’s meaning in his sermons and writings.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Italy expects 35 million pilgrims to visit Rome during the Catholic Church’s current “Holy Year” or “Jubilee” that runs through January 6, 2026. In modern times, Holy Years usually occur in 25-year intervals, though Pope Francis called an “extraordinary” one in 2015 and has announced a 2033 Jubilee to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the redemption won in the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the U.S. State Department determined the atrocities in Darfur as amounting to genocide. The statement refers to the atrocities following the conflict unleashed by the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023.
Read MoreOur recent column on whether all dogs go to heaven generated some precious responses and a few emails that reminded us why dogs — and not some grumpy humans — are considered man’s best friend.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The date was October 4, 1997, and the MSNBC producers on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., had a problem. Actually, they had several problems. The main problem was that the million or so Promise Keepers men (D.C. crowd estimates were already a highly politicized affair) gathered for the Stand in the Gap rally keep singing, praying, reading their Bibles, listening to sermons and confessing their sins.
Read More(REVIEW) “Brave the Dark” is easily the best movie the faith-based film industry has released about the struggles of young men. It’s by far the best Angel Studios movie to date. There’s a major gender shift happening in American Christianity. Church pews have largely been filled by women, even as the pulpits were dominated by men. Women are abandoning church and men are starting to flock to it.
Read MoreIn one Kenyan church, most of the congregants were deaf, as were the choristers and choirmaster. The singing was muted — only lips moved, while bodies swayed with swan-like grace — while hands waved to the delightful rhythm of the drum beats. Even the minister, the Rev. George Obonyo, is deaf.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Israel and Hamas’ new ceasefire deal promises to bring much-needed relief to the region after 15 months of brutal conflict. But a series of uncertainties continues to loom large. Many pivotal questions remain unanswered, and their resolution will determine whether this ceasefire is a genuine step towards lasting peace or merely a temporary reprieve.
Read More(REVIEW) Born to Jewish parents who converted to Catholicism, Tamara Rosa Hurwitz married prominent lawyer Tadeusz Łempicki and adopted the feminine version of his last name, Łempicka. They lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, until the Russian Revolution of 1917 forced them to flee the country. The couple moved to Paris, where Łempicka studied under Maurice Denis and André Lhote, both important figures of cubism and fauvism.
Read MoreBy mid-January, the Palisades, Eaton, Kenneth and Hurst fires in the Los Angeles area destroyed thousands of homes and other buildings — including many churches — in an area of greater than 62 square miles, killing at least 24. But Christians outpoured support and supplies.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Catholic Church was one of the social and ideological pillars of Francoism from the moment of the coup, as evidenced by the ‘Collective letter of all Spanish bishops’, made public July 1, 1937 to support a movement that “has strengthened the sense of homeland” and “has guaranteed order in the territory.” The same regime that was born out of a “crusade” with the purpose of shielding the power and traditional privileges of the church, ended up creating a prison to imprison priests critical of power.
Read MoreThe Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday in a case involving a Texas law requiring adult websites to verify the age of their users. Known as Texas House Bill (H.B.) 1181, the legislation requires websites to verify their users are at least 18 years old if at least one-third of their hosted content is considered “harmful to minors,” such as pornography.
Read MoreIsrael and Hamas agreed on Wednesday to a ceasefire deal — pausing a brutal 15-month war in the hard-hit Gaza Strip with an eye towards ending one of the deadliest Middle Eastern conflicts in modern history. The provisional deal came weeks after negotiations in the Qatari capital Doha involving mediators from Qatar and Egypt, working with Israeli and U.S. officials.
Read MoreAfrica, with more Christians than any other continent, has in Nigeria the deadliest nation for believers at the hands of Islamic terrorists and suffers persistently high violence in a dozen countries in its sub-Saharan region. Add to that the civil war in Sudan that has created the largest displacement crisis in the world, as well as lingering civil wars elsewhere, and it’s no wonder that an additional 15 million Christians are suffering high levels of persecution.
Read More(ANALYSIS) When describing his life, Denzel Washington often notes a mysterious encounter on March 27, 1975, offering it as a parable about his Christian faith and his acting career.. The young Washington was in his mother's Mount Vernon, N.Y., beauty parlor, after horrible grades forced a leave of absence from Fordham University. An elderly woman, Ruth Green, who many believed had unique spiritual gifts, looked him in the eye and asked for a piece of paper.
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