People gather around the body of a man who was killed when an enraged mob stoned him to death for allegedly desecrating the Quran, in eastern Pakistan in February 2022.
AP Photo/Asim Tanveer
A political scientist explains the history of blasphemy laws in Muslim-majority nations and how they play a role in silencing dissent.
The exterior view of the Bethel African American Methodist Episcopal Church at 125 S. 6th St. in Philadelphia.
Breton, William L., circa 1773-1855 Artist via the Library of Congress, World Digital Library
Millions of enslaved Africans were forcefully converted to the Christian faith. The Black church came about when African Americans began to establish their own congregations.
The cultural significance of Tu BiShvat has taken on new meaning in modern Israel.
Teddy Brauner/National Photo Collection, Government Press Office (Israel)
It was in the 1990s that the idea of Christian environmental stewardship disappeared from the rhetoric of the religious right, paving the way for the anti-environmental position it holds today.
Pope Francis leads the second vespers service at St. Paul’s Basilica on Jan. 25, 2023, in Rome.
Alessandra Benedetti/Corbis via Getty Images
Catholic leaders’ attitudes toward LGBTQ people have shifted dramatically – but the actual theology behind them, not so much.
The depiction of Prophet Muhammad at Hamline University has opened up a debate about what sacred images can or cannot be shown in a classroom.
Friscocali via Flickr
Fierce debates about visual depictions of the sacred have existed for centuries. An art historian explains the controversies in the Byzantine Empire over images of Christ.
People pray in front of the tomb of the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI inside the grottos of St. Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican, on Jan. 8, 2023.
AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia
A specialist in Catholic liturgy and rituals explains that while several popes have been canonized, it is a long process that may take several years to examine and uncover any hidden flaws.
Technology is increasingly important in Holocaust education – seen here in ‘The Journey Back’ within The Richard and Jill Chaifetz Family Virtual Reality Gallery at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center.
Courtesy of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center
Constituents’ willingness to overlook deception may depend, in part, on whether politicians lie well and with a good purpose.
Prince Harry sits on an Apache helicopter at the British-controlled flight line in Afghanistan on Dec. 12, 2012.
John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty Images
A classics scholar reflects on Greek myths and what they can help us understand about recreating relationships – as a bridge from our past to present selves.
Views on guns are intertwined with views on God for many Americans.
RichLegg/E+ via Getty Images
Support for strong gun ownership rights is often associated with conservative Christian views, but religion and self-defense have a much longer history in the United States.
A painting showing the Prophet Muhammad raising his hands in prayer while standing on the Mountain of Light in Mecca.
Siyer-i Nebi (Biography of the Prophet), Istanbul, Ottoman lands, 1595-96. Topkapı Palace Library, Istanbul, H. 1222, fol. 158v. Photograph by Hadiye Cangökçe.
Two religiously observant groups of Jews in Israel, the ultra-Orthodox and Religious Zionists, are increasingly acting as political allies. The consequences could be profound.
Pentecostal televangelist Paula White, center, prays before giving a sermon in Maryland in 2017.
Mary F. Calvert For The Washington Post via Getty Images
The Seven Lucky Gods usher in good fortune in the new year in Japan. Among them, Hotei plays the most prominent role, for he is considered not just a lucky god, but also a buddha.
The late Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh leading a meditation walk.
Steve Cray/South China Morning Post via Getty Images