In reconverting Hagia Sophia to a mosque, Turkish officials have emphasized veiling of Christian icons to create a Muslim prayer space. Experts explain why the veiling is in fact a Byzantine practice.
Mosaic in San Vitale Basilica, Ravenna, Italy.
nimu1956/Collection E+ via Getty images
Coronavirus is causing religious communities to rethink ways of expressing their faith. In the spirit of finding innovative ways to continue rituals, the pilgrimage to Lourdes was conducted online.
Painting depicting transfiguration of Jesus, a story in the New Testament when Jesus becomes radiant upon a mountain.
Artist Raphael /Collections Hallwyl Museum
Recent protests on racial justice have also questioned the portrayal of Jesus as a white man. An art historian explains how this image appeared and came to be marketed worldwide.
Protesters smash the window of a Chase bank during protests in Oakland.
AP Photo/Philip Pacheco
Understanding how unrest informed both early Christianity and the foundational stories of the United States can serve as a guide in this current period of turmoil.
A 14th-century Last Judgment relief from a facade of Orvieto cathedral in Umbria. Italy.
De Agostini via Getty Images
Some people are comparing current times with the apocalypse. In ancient texts, apocalyptic messages cultivated endurance and encouragement through dire circumstances.
Manger Square with Bethlehem Peace Centre and Christmas tree, December 2019.
Dorina Buda
'Solidarity tourism' has made Christmas a very busy time of year in Palestine.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden speaks at a town hall in Florence, South Carolina. He was denied communion by a priest in South Carolina.
Sarah Blake Morgan
Joe Biden was denied communion for pro-choice views. Catholics with 'unforgiven' sins can't receive communion. A theologian says many Catholics would question if Biden was indeed in a 'sinful' state.
The life-sized wooden statue of the Black Christ in St. Philip Church in Panama.
Dan Lundberg/Flickr
Sept. 14 is the the Feast of the Holy Cross celebrated by many Catholics and some Christians. A scholar revisits the history of the cross, how it became a symbol of divine love, but also of violence.
Warner Sallman painted Jesus in oil after people raved about his black and white sketch. It has been reproduced millions of times.
Warner Sallman/collage by The Conversation
April 30 is the birthday of one of the most famous artists you never heard of: Warner Sallman painted the famous "Head of Christ," circulated in the millions on postcards, portraits and nightlights.
Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks.
National Gallery London
On Good Friday, Christians give thanks for their salvation, which they believe was made possible by the suffering of Jesus. But for Jews, it was common in the Middle Ages to be attacked with stones.
Ash Wednesday ritual at the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota on March 6, 2019.
P Photo/Jim Mone)
When it was released 15 years ago, Mel Gibson's 'Passion of the Christ,' was a box-office success. The theme of Jesus has been a successful one that many filmmakers around the globe have cashed in on.
A painting showing Saint Francis Borgia, a 16th century saint,, performing an exorcism.
Francisco Goya
Forty-five years ago, 'The Exorcist' terrified viewers with its portrayal of a practice that goes back several centuries and continues today in Christianity.
What might have motivated the young missionary killed on a remote island in India?
AP Photo/Sarah Prince
In their zeal to evangelize the world, at the end of 19th century, young families were sent overseas with little to no training in anything beyond the Bible and no promise of funding.