Actor Ricardo Darín, left, and director Santiago Mitre pose at the Golden Globe Awards after “Argentina, 1985” won Best Motion Picture in a Non-English Language.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Several films have portrayed violence and fear under Argentina’s most recent dictatorship, but the Oscar-nominated ‘Argentina, 1985’ is the first to explore the trial that brought junta leaders to justice.
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
An expert in military decision-making explains the real-life consequences of war and the long-term psychological toll that endures.
Welcoming the Year of the Rabbit in Taiwan in 2011.
Jimmy Yao/flickr
In most parts of East Asia, the new year that begins on Jan. 22 corresponds to the rabbit. In Vietnam though it will usher in the Year of the Cat.
Anti-abortion protesters demonstrate in front of the Supreme Court in 1985, the 12th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.
Bettmann/Bettmann via Getty Images
Looking at the underlying philosophical and moral questions involved in abortion debates can help explain why it’s such an intensely divisive issue.
A painting showing Odysseus recognizing Achilles, who is disguised as a woman.
Paris, Musée Du Louvre. DeAgostini/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.
An art historian describes the two historical representations of Prophet Muhammad that led to a controversy at Hamline University.
People wait at a bus stop at the Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem.
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
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
Pentecostals agree on the importance of the Holy Spirit – but not necessarily on what it empowers them to do.
A studio set up for a SoulCycle event in New York City.
Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
Fitness and religion make a potent combination, one people have explored for centuries.
Hotei hands out gifts to children.
Detail of print by Kuniyoshi Utagawa, 1798-1861, via Wikimedia Commons
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
Mindfulness can teach us to be more present – not just for ourselves, but also for our colleagues, friends and loved ones.
Pope Benedict XVI waves as he is driven through a crowd during his weekly general audience, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, on June 2, 2010.
AP Photo/Andrew Medichini
Pope Benedict XVI led the Catholic Church at a crucial time and had to confront a growing sexual abuse scandal.
Argentina’s Lionel Messi is honored with a cloak prior to receiving the World Cup trophy at Lusail Stadium in Lusail, Qatar, on Dec. 18, 2022.
AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis
A scholar of Middle Eastern cultural traditions explains the history and significance of the bisht.
‘Joy to the World’ may be one of the most famous hymns, but the Yuletide season isn’t always cheery.
Ben Birchall/PA Images via Getty Images
Songs of the season – sacred and secular music alike – sometimes acknowledge that Christmas isn’t all joy.
Women have been at the forefront of protests in Iran.
Hawar News Agency via AP via AP
Iranian women have often used images of actions such as singing and dancing unveiled to show what freedom means to them and to protest the Islamic Republic’s gender oppression.
A handmade Nativity from Kyrgyzstan by an unknown artisan. Instead of a stable, it features a yurt, the traditional home of nomadic Kyrgyz people.
The Marian Library, University of Dayton
The Christmas story is about Jesus coming to mankind. As holiday decorations show, Christians around the world often picture him in their own cultures.
‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ didn’t begin life as a song, but being set to music helped it find fame.
starryvoyage/iStock via Getty Images Plus
‘In the Bleak Midwinter’ is now a treasured Christmas classic, but it didn’t start life that way – not in the UK, at least.
Stonehenge has long been the site of some of the most famous solstice celebrations.
Chris Gorman/Getty Images News
The dead of winter, when the longest night of the year takes place, has also traditionally been celebrated as a time of renewal and reverence.
Hanukkah creates opportunities for families to celebrate their heritage – especially in the kitchen.
zilber42/iStock via Getty Images
Multicultural Jewish families and Jews of color are innovating food-centered holidays to bring their whole selves to the table.
Members of the Muslim Brotherhood protest at a rally in 2013.
Carsten Koall/Getty Images
The Muslim Brotherhood once held the reins of power in Egypt. Now it faces internal splits, government repression and dwindling support.
‘The Nativity,’ circa 1406-10, by Lorenzo Monaco.
Heritage Images/Hulton Archive via Getty Images
The idea of virgin birth has been part of Christianity since the start, but its significance has shifted over time.
The National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini in Chicago recently offered indulgences.
Myriam Renaud
The Catholic Church practice of granting indulgences, criticized by Martin Luther in the 16th century, still exists, as part of the doctrine – but in a different form.
A woman prays in front of a statue of the martyred Catholic archbishop of El Salvador, Oscar Romero, known for his embrace of liberation theology.
Vlady Chicas/picture alliance via Getty Images
The influential movement, which is still controversial both inside and outside Catholicism, must be understood in the context of Latin American history.
In Japan, children look forward to a visit from Hotei, a jolly Japanese god with a rotund frame.
Ganref
Hotei, a Japanese god who carries a large sack, has come to be identified with Santa Claus – except that he brings the goodies on New Year’s Day instead of Christmas.