(ANALYSIS) Year after year, Juan Diego's tilma is viewed by an estimated 20 million pilgrims, with more than 10 million visiting the basilica close to Dec. 12 — the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico and the Americas. Around the world, throngs march in parades and sacred processions behind copies of this iconic Marian image.
Read More(REVIEW) Yishai Sarid’s novel “The Third Temple” was prescient when it debuted in Israel in 2015. Nearly 10 years later, Yardenne Greenspan’s English translation warns of the danger of the right-wing messianic movement and its ambition redraw the map of Israel and resume the biblical rhythms of life in the land.
Read MoreMuch of France is focused on the trial of eight people stemming from the 2020 beheading of French schoolteacher Samuel Paty by Abdoullah Anzorov, an 18-year-old Muslim immigrant from Chechnya. Anzorov is not on trial since he was shot dead by police after his butchery. The focus now is on those who encouraged and enabled him. This raises difficult questions about legal limits on speech, especially where religion is concerned.
Read MoreThe autopsy reports reveal that each of the deceased sustained multiple gunshot wounds from behind. This pattern of injury indicates that the young men were either fleeing or not directly engaging at the time they were fatally shot.
Read More(TRAVEL) Barring some extraordinary archeological findings (I'm not ruling that out), we will never know for sure. But the Bible and Judea provide some clues. Today's visitors to Israel have the chance to learn more about the Bible-wine connection through the new “Wines of the Bible Route.” The route journeys through Judea and traces the viticultural history of the area. Judea lies between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and includes two wine regions.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Whatever their partisan preferences, Americans can agree that the coming four years under President Donald Trump will bring major disruptions and contentions in politics. How might that affect religion?
Read MoreDespite fears of persecution, the asylum claims of Iranian Christians have consistently been refused by Georgian authorities, a new report says. The claim, in a 24-page joint report by Article18, CSW, Open Doors and Middle East Concern, is based on interviews with the asylum-seekers and their lawyers. The report found that one-fifth of asylum-seekers in Georgia are Iranian, but few have gained entry.
Read More(OPINION) And so, friends, we find ourselves again amid the season when we’re called to give thanks, to celebrate joy unspeakable and full of glory, to count our blessings. Of course we might give thanks and be filled with joy the whole year. But we forget. We get distracted. We grow tired, cross and hard-bitten. Irritations grind us down.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Cornelius Van Til was a distinguished theologian who left liberal Princeton Seminary in 1929 to join the faculty of newly-formed Westminster Theological Seminary, where he taught for the next half-century. We are approaching the golden anniversary of what to me is his most readable book, “Christian Apologetics.” My Christmas present to readers is a quick look at it and six other Van Til books all published by P&R.
Read MorePolitics is the topic Americans are least interested in hearing ministers address and is among the top three topics pastors feel least equipped to handle, Barna and Gloo found in a study conducted in advance of the contentious 2024 U.S. elections.
Read MoreGiving Tuesday that takes place this year on Dec. 2. Thanks to our NewsMatch campaign, we have the opportunity to make your donation go even further this holiday season. Through Dec. 31, our partnership with INN will match your monthly, tax-deductible donation 12 times or double your one-time gift — all up to $1,000.
Read More(ANALYSIS) It’s crucial for readers to understand that while Islamic radicals have killed Christian believers by the thousands, they also attack and murder Muslims who do not share their warped version of Islam. This includes persecuting Muslims who dare to assist organizations — such as the Red Cross — that seek peace in the midst of Nigeria’s ongoing civil strife.
Read MoreAnimals such as cows, sheep and goats play different roles in the traditional culture and religion of millions of South Africans. Nonetheless, there is growing controversy regarding how different faiths handle animal sacrifice.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I’ve got some pretty fun data to work with today — it’s got a great name: “The Many-Analysts Religion Project,” and it asks a battery of religion questions from folks in 25 countries around the world. Although it was fielded in 2019, it was just added to the Association of Religion Data Archives (the ARDA) in the last couple of weeks.
Read More(EXPLAINER) Thanksgiving Day isn’t just about parades, crowded airports, football games and a turkey dinner. The U.S. holiday also has roots in the Christianity of 16th century Europe. The celebration has been linked to the Pilgrims of 1621 and the harvest festival since the late 19th century. As the name implies, the theme of the holiday revolves around giving thanks.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For decades, Catholics recited this prayer after Mass, a practice continued by some Catholics and opposed by others. Thus, former President Donald Trump triggered debates by posting this prayer on social-media platforms on Sept. 29, the Catholic feast day of the archangels, in the ledad-up to Election Day.
Read More(ANALYSIS) As a Catholic philosopher and avid student of Thomas Aquinas, I am always fielding questions about whether this medieval saint is “still worth” reading today, nearly 800 years after his birth. Aquinas is a giant of Western philosophy and theology. As a Catholic philosopher and avid student of Aquinas, I am always fielding questions about whether this saint is “still worth” reading today.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Earlier this month, 45 Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders were sentenced to years in jail for “subversion” following a controversial National Security Law trial. The group of human rights defenders, scholars and lawmakers were charged with conspiracy to commit subversion for taking part in an unofficial primary to select opposition candidates in July 2020.
Read More(ANALYSIS) For Indigenous activists, walking the land can take on powerful spiritual and political significance. It has been, and continues to be, an important way Indigenous nations pursue healing, environmental stewardship and diplomacy across Turtle Island, the name many Indigenous groups use to refer to North America.
Read More(OPINION) On a certain level, things just got a lot more simple. That’s because it will become increasingly difficult for the church to look to Trump to lead the way on key moral and cultural issues. To be sure, he has chosen his battles carefully, highlighting the destructive extremes of radical transgender activism while distancing himself from Project 2025.
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