Baptists believe that each person can have a personal relationship with God. This theology, a scholar writes, has also contributed to disagreements within the denomination since the 17th century.
Should people be compelled to take the vaccine? Should you feel guilty for skipping the line? And what about parts of the world where vaccines aren’t readably available? Ethicists have it covered.
In both ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, reflected images were thought to hold mysterious powers. Damaging a mirror was believed to invite the wrath of the gods.
Biden is not the first public figure to whom the Catholic Church wants to deny Communion. Over the centuries, the Church has often come under criticism for either denying or giving Communion.
Kentucky lawmakers are trying to make the state the 21st to enact a ban on conversion therapy. In states that are ‘silent’ on the issue, nonprofessionals are allowed to continue the harmful practice.
Around 100,000 LGBTQ US students study at religious institutions that can legally discriminate against them. A lawsuit seeks to end that religious exemption but faces an uphill struggle.
Growing numbers of young evangelicals and ‘Exvangelicals’ are pro-LGBTQ, support #BlackLivesMatter – or are fed up altogether with mixing faith and politics.
Mandaeans are followers of ancient Gnostic religion, whose traditional homeland was the region of Iraq and Iran. Today, this small minority lives in many parts of the world, including the US.
Brendan Szendro, Binghamton University, State University of New York
Governed by a changeable body of ‘basic laws,’ Israel never settled basic questions like the rights of religious minorities. These destabilizing issues will continue to fester under a new government.
A debate over whether President Biden’s views on abortion disqualify him from taking Communion serves to expose a rift between US bishops and the pope, and is a threat to the church itself.
On Father’s Day, a scholar of ancient Greek poetry explains how he came to understand the father-son relationship and his journey of loss and yearning through reading the epics.
A recent Title IX lawsuit alleges discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation at religious schools. Two scholars argue that this might be a pivotal moment.
The SBC is meeting amid divisions, controversy and dwindling numbers. But in pushing rhetoric over its theological mission, the denomination is tapping into a history of white supremacy.
The plight of residents in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of east Jerusalem highlights a history of Palestinians’ claims to land being ignored, argues a scholar of the Ottoman Empire.
A PBS documentary has reinitiated conversations about the influence of Billy Graham. Here are three articles that describe the impact and the enduring legacy of the famed preacher.
In a Japanese tree burial, cremated remains are placed in the ground and a tree is planted over the ashes to mark the gravesite. Environmental responsibility is part of Buddhism.
Thailand’s Buddhist temples, important centers of culture and commerce, rely on donations from international visitors. Because of a steep drop in tourism, these temples have been hit hard.