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Articles on Religion and society

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From Reconstructionism to ultra-Orthodoxy, Judaism is richly diverse. MendyHechtman/iStock via Getty Images

Jewish denominations: A brief guide for the perplexed

Jewish communities have always followed some different customs in different parts of the world, but the 19th and 20th centuries brought much more dramatic divisions.
Members of children’s rights organizations protest against cases of clerical child abuse in Cochabamba, Bolivia, on May 25, 2023. Fernando Cartagena/AFP via Getty Images

Events in Bolivia and Brazil may signal a turning point for the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse crisis in Latin America

Public outrage over alleged abuse has been muted in much of Latin America for years, partly because the church remains one of the region’s most powerful institutions – but that may be changing.
People pray over the body of Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster at the abbey of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, near Gower, Mo., in April 2023. AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

What is incorruptibility? A scholar of Catholic worship explains

People are congregating in Missouri after news spread that the exhumed body of a nun had not decayed four years after her death. There is a long history to these claims.
Puerto Rican singer Residente performs in Havana in 2010. His back reads, ‘We receive flowers and bullets in the very same heart.’ STR/AFP via Getty Images

Street scrolls: The beats, rhymes and spirituality of Latin hip-hop

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. Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

What is Theravada Buddhism? A scholar of Asian religions explains

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.
The shrine at Lourdes, France, where the Virgin Mary is venerated as ‘Our Lady of Lourdes,’ following several apparitions reported in 1858. LandFoto/iStock / Getty Images Plus

Vatican centralizes investigations on claims of Virgin Mary apparitions – but local Catholics have always had a say

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 confirmation class in 1924 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest/Wikimedia Commons

Shavuot: The Jewish holiday that became all about children

Shavuot, which was originally an ancient pilgrimage festival, has gone through many changes over the years – as has Judaism itself.
Aristotle (center), wearing a blue robe, seen in a discourse with Plato in a 16th century fresco, ‘The School of Athens’ by Raphael. Pascal Deloche/Stone via Getty Images

Three lessons from Aristotle on friendship

A scholar of ancient Greek philosophy writes about Aristotle’s timeless advice on how to nurture and keep friendships.

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