Travis Goldtooth, a member of the Navajo Nation, was the reigning Miss Montana Two-Spirit in 2019.
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An Indigenous scholar writes that Indigenous peoples have historically recognized multiple gender identities, which they believe are a result of divine intervention.
Demonstrators lift Israeli flags and LGBTQ pride flags during a protest against the proposed judicial overhaul in Tel Aviv in May 2023.
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LGBTQ rights are not the main issue bringing Israeli protesters to the streets, but they do symbolize the country’s stark divide.
Puerto Rican singer Residente performs in Havana in 2010. His back reads, ‘We receive flowers and bullets in the very same heart.’
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Latino artists have been forging their own paths in hip-hop for decades, giving voice to young peoples’ pain, faith and demands for change.
A prayer altar in the main gathering hall at the temple Wat Ratchapradit in Bangkok, Thailand.
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Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religious system in several parts of South and Southeast Asia, but there is a rich diversity of beliefs and practices in this tradition.
Tina Turner performs onstage during the 50th annual Grammy Awards held at the Staples Center on Feb. 10, 2008, in Los Angeles.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
Turner was introduced to Nichiren Buddhism in 1973, and its teachings provided inspiration for some of the final projects of her career.
The shrine at Lourdes, France, where the Virgin Mary is venerated as ‘Our Lady of Lourdes,’ following several apparitions reported in 1858.
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The Vatican plans to set up an ‘observatory’ to investigate apparitions of the Virgin Mary. A scholar of global Christianity explains why this is a major shift in how apparitions are authenticated.
A devotee bathes a Buddha statue during celebrations of the Buddha’s birthday in Malaysia.
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Buddha’s birthday has not always been a major holiday for Buddhists, but is now celebrated in diverse ways throughout Asia.
A close up of the sculpture ‘Medusa with the head of Perseus,’ by Luciano Garbati. Image courtesy of the artist.
Luciano Garbati
Female characters in Greek mythology lived under strict patriarchal rules, but they spoke truth to power and resisted injustice.
A confirmation class in 1924 in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest/Wikimedia Commons
Shavuot, which was originally an ancient pilgrimage festival, has gone through many changes over the years – as has Judaism itself.
Migrants are welcomed to a Methodist church in New Mexico after being released by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2019.
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As governments crack down at their borders, religious groups’ teachings to help the stranger remain unchanged.
Aristotle (center), wearing a blue robe, seen in a discourse with Plato in a 16th century fresco, ‘The School of Athens’ by Raphael.
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A scholar of ancient Greek philosophy writes about Aristotle’s timeless advice on how to nurture and keep friendships.
A copy of the ‘Art of War’ from a collection at the University of California, Riverside.
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The ancient Chinese text is considered a military classic, but Western readers often overlook its philosophical roots.
Malcolm X helped lead the Nation of Islam until 1964.
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The civil rights leader Malcolm X was famously part of the Nation of Islam until his break from the group in 1964. What is the history behind this small but influential religious movement?
Buddhism prizes both compassion and undivided focus – which can be hard to combine.
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The lines between family life and Buddhist monasticism are not so ‘either/or’ as they might seem.
People admire a massive statue of the Hindu goddess Kali.
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Mother figures from faith traditions around the world reflect many different ways of thinking about the divine.
Jewish mothers have created ways to celebrate childbirth with rituals old and new.
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Recent generations of Jewish women have looked to reinvent rituals marking the most meaningful moments in their lives, especially childbirth and motherhood.
An ancient Greek relief depicting a baby with its mother and grandmother.
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Greek epic poetry often uses mothers and wives to humanize its heroes, reminding listeners of the meaning of sacrifice.
Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, photographed in New York circa 1874.
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Theosophy and its founders had an outsize impact on Americans’ ideas about spirituality and Asian religions.
A still from the film ‘The Pope’s Exorcist’ showing Russell Crowe as the real-life Vatican exorcist.
Sony Pictures
How did blockbuster horror films such as ‘The Exorcist’ help the church warm to the controversial ritual?
A protest for Mahsa Amini, who died after being arrested by Iran’s morality police for allegedly not complying with dress code laws, in Tehran on Sept. 19, 2022.
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Religious freedom has grown more important in US foreign policy – but does that come at the expense of promoting other human rights?