Latter-day Saints’ attitudes toward the word ‘Mormon,’ often used to describe the church, have had highs and lows − like other Americans’ often-tense relationship with the faith.
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Articles on Religious history
Displaying 1 - 20 of 26 articles
The story of how a ‘new Pompeii’ was built is far less well known than that of the ancient city.
Purple was highly valued and associated with royalty, power, and prestige in various ancient cultures, including the Roman and Byzantine Empires. So how did red creep its way in?
Conversion was often a violent affair, but that doesn’t mean it was 100% successful. Colonial Latin America was home to many different spiritual traditions from Indigenous, African and Asian cultures.
Most of the Klan’s victims were African American, but many other groups have been targeted during the hate group’s century and a half of history.
I was drawn to Mary as a saint, an ascetic, a highly sexual individual navigating her own redemption. Is there something edifying about her story – or does it go into the feminist shame file?
Several members were killed March 9, 2023, in Germany. Many people hold stereotypes about Jehovah’s Witnesses but are unfamiliar with their beliefs.
Millions of enslaved Africans were forcefully converted to the Christian faith. The Black church came about when African Americans began to establish their own congregations.
The Utah holiday is a reflection of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ slowly changing identity, a historian of Mormonism and migration writes.
Religion has been a laughing matter since the middle ages.
St. Bernadette’s visions of the Virgin Mary in the 19th century inspired the pilgrimage site millions of Catholics flock to each year.
The Lunar New Year celebrations that start on Feb. 1 will go on for a week. It is the year of the tiger, considered in Chinese culture as the foremost among all beasts.
Did Pope Joan exist? Probably not. But the legend had important resonances for the Catholic Church.
When a shipload of puritan colonisers set sail for the New World, maritime science and navigation were fairly unsophisticated.
In medieval Europe Passover was a touchpoint for violence and libel against Jews.
The age-old practice of priestly celibacy is now under fire, with the suggestion that the rules should be relaxed.
A historian connects the $100 billion reportedly at the church’s disposal with the rocky start Mormons got in finance in the 1830s.
Wherever and whenever ghost stories materialise, they tend to tap into the things we fear most.
Protestant fundamentalism was officially born in the United States in 1919, fueling a culture war that continues today.
In medieval England using magic was a bit like drug use today: against the law and seen as immoral, but still widespread across society.
Top contributors
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Professor of History, University of Dayton
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Assistant Professor of Intellectual Heritage, Temple University
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Ph.D. Candidate in Religious Studies, University of Virginia
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President, Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
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Professor of Medieval and Early Modern History, Queen Mary University of London
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Ph.D. Candidate in U.S. History, University of Utah
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Rohrbaugh Family Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University
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Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Connecticut
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Associate Professor in Environment and Information Studies, Keio University
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PhD Candidate in Modern Greek & Byzantine Studies specialising in Byzantine art and literature, University of Sydney
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Associate Professor in Cultural Evolution, University of Oxford
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Professor and Knight Center Chair in Media & Religion, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
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Head of Engineering, Faculty of Creative Industries, Architecture and Engineering, Solent University
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Professor of Visual & Cultural Studies, Edith Cowan University
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Professor of American Religion, George Mason University
