The Christian tradition says the Antichrist will come before the end of the world as we know it. So it's good to know some background on him ... or her ... or them.
The ancient term 'acedia' describes the paradoxical combination of jangling nerves and vague lack of purpose many of us are feeling now. Reviving the label might help.
Church leaders have raised concerns over a COVID-19 vaccine produced using cells derived from aborted foetuses. But the Vatican has already ruled such vaccines 'morally separate' from the abortions.
What if the being responsible for creating our world wasn’t God, but some far lesser, far more fallible being like a scientist or video game designer?
Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche communities, poses for a photograph after he received the Templeton Prize at St. Martins-in-the-Fields church in London, U.K., in May 2015.
(AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
Jean Vanier, Catholic founder of L'Arche International, allegedly had abusive sexual relationships. Religious tolerance for the veneration of male leaders may be partly to blame.
Ruins of the Tower of St Roch, or Tower of the Patriarch, following the 1755 Lisbon earthquake by Jacques-Philippe Le Bas.
Wikimedia Commons
The big questions don't get much bigger. After the Lisbon earthquake killed thousands, philosopher Voltaire took aim at Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and skewered his view that God is good.
Pietro da Cortona’s fresco The Triumph of Divine Providence (1633-1639)
Wikiart
What is God's plan? Whether the faithful pray harder, accept their fate or feel safe from harm depends on their interpretation of Divine Providence.
Two manuscripts of the visionary, writer and composer St. Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) survived the Dresden bombings after a librarian stashed them in a bank vault.
(Avraham Pisarek/Deutsche Fotothek/Wikimedia)
To some, superhero films are the equivalent of fracking. But they offer audiences transcendence, mystery, a moral compass, and even the hope of salvation.
Many think that violence is central to religion, but some scholars argue it's meaningless to single out religion rather than socio-economic factors when assessing violent acts.
Five hundred years ago, Martin Luther, a professor and preacher, published the 95 Theses, a list of debating points on the Christian religion which sparked the Reformation movement.
(Jonathan Schoeps/Shutterstock)
Historical accounts of Martin Luther skew or ignore debates about religion and make him hardly recognizable as a pastor and preacher. But his theology changed Europe.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu ‘s deep spirituality drove him to fight for freedom and justice.
EPA/Nic Bothma
Archbishop Desmond Tutu is first and foremost, a spiritual leader, a man of deep prayer. This motivated his participation in supporting South Africa's liberation struggle.
People need spaces in which they can speak honestly about their pain and anger.
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Universities are so busy trying to make ends meet that there's no time to listen to their communities' stories. It's crucial to develop safe spaces where tough conversations can happen.
Paris’ famed Notre Dame Cathedral was in lockdown after terrorist attacks across the city killed more than 100 people.
EPA/Ian Langsdon
Professor in Practical Theology, Teaching Fellow at the Center for Teaching and Learning, Coordinator of Master of Divinity Program and Post Graduate Diploma in Christian Ministry, Faculty of Theology, Stellenbosch University