Menu Close

Articles on Churches

Displaying 1 - 20 of 42 articles

The ruins of a church in Bohorodychne, Donetsk district, Ukraine, on Jan. 27, 2024. Ignacio Marin/Anadolu via Getty Images

The Russia-Ukraine War has caused a staggering amount of cultural destruction – both seen and unseen

In addition to destroyed buildings, there’s an entire underground world – filled with untold numbers of artifacts, bones and ruins – that are exposed and damaged by the digging of trenches.
Who did the honors: clergy, a justice of the peace or just a friend? More and more weddings are performed by someone ordained online. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images

Just about anybody in America can officiate a wedding, thanks to the internet – and one determined preacher

A professor who has researched the Universal Life Church unpacks why many couples now prefer to hand-pick loved ones to perform their ceremonies.
Members of the British royal family follow behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey after her state funeral. Gareth Cattermole/Pool Photo via AP

Westminster Abbey has witnessed nearly a millennium of British history – but many rituals, like those at royal funerals, aren’t so old

A scholar of British history explains how the ornate church and its significance to the monarchy have changed over centuries.
German Bishop Georg Bätzing talks with members of various Catholic youth organizations holding up umbrellas reading “Consecration for All” and “Jesus had two fathers.” Sebastian Gollnow/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

The Catholic Church is increasingly diverse – and so are its controversies

The Catholic Church’s membership numbers are growing fastest outside Europe and the Americas, and Catholics’ priorities look very different across the world.
Christians hold signs as they march on the streets of Abuja in March 2020. Photo by Kola Sulaimon/AFP via Getty Images

What’s behind terrorist attacks on churches in Nigeria

Incidents of terror attack on churches in Nigeria don’t happen in a vacuum. They are driven by jihadism, pastoral conflicts and related criminality.
The temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints along the Capital Beltway in Kensington, Md. Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images

What is a Latter-day Saint temple?

Temples are often open to the public for a period after construction or renovation, but only church members may enter once religious ceremonies begin.
The UNESCO-recognized Pechersk-Lavra monastic complex dating from the 11th century comprises multiple monastic buildings and bell towers, and its 600-metre network of catacombs contains chapels, relics and tombs of the monks. (Shutterstock)

Ukraine: Heritage buildings, if destroyed, can be rebuilt but never replaced

Lviv is an important Renaissance and baroque urban centre in Eastern Europe, and its two remaining synagogues survived mass destruction in the Second World War.
Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill, center, attends a ceremony consecrating the Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces outside Moscow. Andrey Rusov, Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

Holy wars: How a cathedral of guns and glory symbolizes Putin’s Russia

To understand Russia’s war in Ukraine, look to the blend of religious and militaristic nationalism under Putin – on full display in the Church of the Russian Armed Forces.
The relationship between public health and faith is far older than the COVID-19 pandemic. Fred de Noyelle/Godong/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Can churches be protectors of public health?

Responses to COVID-19 health guidelines have been polarized, including in churches. But religious communities have a long history of involvement in public health.

Top contributors

More