Featured Faiths
Life of prayer: Attitudes and beliefs about prayer evolve in old age
A study shows that the frequency, understanding and expectations of prayer evolve and mature.
The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear a new case on the intersection of religion and government.
The pale, young Christian woman sat handcuffed in the courtroom, accused of insulting Islam
Hungary's prime minister denounces anti-Semitism
Hungary's prime minister told an international assembly of Jews on Sunday that his government has declared "zero tolerance" on anti-Semitism. Read more »
Violence in Bangladesh as Islamic activists demand anti-blasphemy law
Police in Bangladesh's capital fired rubber bullets to disperse stone-throwing Islamic activists Sunday during a protest to demand that the government enact an anti-blasphemy law. Read more »
Drought across the West spurs resurgence of faith
Along the irrigation canal that cuts through this centuries-old New Mexico town, a small group of churchgoers gathers to recite the rosary before tossing rose petals into the water. Read more »
Faith and work: Accommodating religion boosts morale and bottom line
Private enterprise is becoming increasingly aware that accommodating the religious needs of employees can improve morale and the bottom line. Read more »
Muslims worldwide support democracy and religious freedom
Most Muslims around the world would prefer living in a democracy that upholds religioius freedom, according to surveys conducted after the Arab Spring that also found many Muslims want their... Read more »
Observing National Day of Prayer: Six lessons I've learned about speaking to God
How am I deepening and enriching my relationship with God through prayer in the middle-of-life journey toward him? What am I learning, leaning toward cultivating? How will it matter? Reflections on... Read more »
Is new show ‘Preachers’ Daughters’ exploiting religious families?
New reality TV show “Preachers’ Daughters” chronicles the quest of three teenage girls to “stay pure” until marriage. Read more »
Leftist priests: Francis can fix church 'in ruins'
A new pope from Latin America known for ministering to the poor in his country's slums is raising the hopes of advocates of liberation theology, whose leftist social activism had alarmed previous... Read more »
Why Catholic schools are shutting their doors
Padre Pio Academy in Hackensack, N.J., will close its doors this year, following Assumption Academy in Emerson, N.J., which was shuttered in 2012. The Archdiocese of New York alone plans to close... Read more »
Lay ministers share in thepastoral care responsibilities
The Stephen Ministry is looking for compassionate men and women who want to help people who are hurting. Read more »
Catholic church ad calls Jesus Christ 'The Original Hipster'
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn launched a new ad campaign in which it classifies Jesus Christ as "The Original Hipster." Read more »
Muslim-Christian relationship fuels row in Egypt
An alleged romance between an Egyptian Muslim college student and a Coptic Christian man heightened sectarian tension on Friday in a small rural Egyptian town where police fired tear gas to... Read more »
Blue Sunday: Hundreds of churches will pray for the safety of children, rescuers and an end to abuse Sunday
The Rev. Aaron Graham will lead his church in prayer Sunday on behalf of children in harm's way and their rescuers. It's Blue Sunday, when hundreds of churches nationwide pray for an end to child... Read more »
Defending the Faith: The fall of the early Christian church was almost inevitable
Today's means of communication and travel help church leaders, but their ancient equivalents made the task of church leadership virtually impossible. Read more »
New Harmony: Another brush with John Updike
Years ago I sent John Updike, called "The Mozart of American Letters" by one critic, a novel for him to sign. I got a delightful keepsake for my efforts. Read more »
2nd child of Pa. couple dies after only praying
A couple serving probation for the 2009 death of their toddler after they turned to prayer instead of a doctor could face new charges now that another son has died. Read more »
Mormon bishop with Samurai sword runs off attacker
A Samurai sword-wielding Mormon bishop helped a neighbor woman escape a Tuesday morning attack by a man who had been stalking her. Read more »
Muslim leaders denounce violence as focus turns to bombers' faith
As news reports explore the Islamic faith of Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and its possible connections to the Boston Marathon bombings, commentators and religious leaders are divided on the... Read more »
Pope is asked to make priestly celibacy optional
She uses a wheelchair and carries the weight of her 87 years, but Clelia Luro feels powerful enough to make the Roman Catholic Church pay attention to her campaign to end priestly celibacy. Read more »
Heaven on earth: Religion returns to the environment
In anticipation of Earth Day, religious and environmental leaders gathered at the University of Utah Law School's 18th Stegner Symposium to discuss environmental theology and the ways religion is... Read more »
Newsroom religion: Is there a dearth of religious journalists in the nation's newsrooms?
The death of a newsman drew some unlikely praise from those whom he mentored. McCandlish Phillips was not just a top-tier journalist, but also a religious man who left The New York Times at the top... Read more »
Evangelical leaders’ hard push on immigration reform belies divided membership
Hundreds of evangelical pastors gathered in Washington to pray and lobby for immigration reform Wednesday. Their actions come on the heels of a new poll indicating that evangelicals, at large, are... Read more »
Iraqis go to polls for first time since US pullout
Iraq carried out its first election since the U.S. military withdrawal without major bloodshed Saturday in a major test for Iraqi security forces as they face a reviving al-Qaida insurgency. But... Read more »
Hamblin & Peterson: Reading other people's scriptures requires sympathy, not just facts
Reading scriptural texts, whether our own or from elsewhere, merely as literature strips them of precisely what causes people to regard them as scripture. They are, in the eyes and hearts of believers, far more than mere poetry or... Read more »
Fierce battles in Syria; US to raise aid to rebels
An artillery shell slammed into a pickup truck, killing nine members of a family during fierce fighting on Friday in Syria as U.S. officials said the Obama administration is poised to send millions more in non-lethal military aid to... Read more »
Older stories can be found in the story archives
Muslim leaders in U.S. facing challenges inside and outside the faith
Muslim advocacy groups have focused their efforts on fighting Islamaphobia. But some are saying leaders should turn more attention internally to eradicating a strain of extremism that exploits the... Read more »
Community of Christ recommends marriage, ordination for same-sex couples
Last month, the Community of Christ’s USA National Conference made the recommendation to allow the sacrament of marriage available to same-sex couples, as well as ordination to the church's... Read more »
'The Office' star Rainn Wilson campaigns for imprisoned members of his faith
Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight Schrute on NBC’s “The Office”, spoke in Washington, D.C., last week to raise awareness of injustices toward fellow members of his Baha'i faith. Read more »
Supreme Court to weigh in on legislative prayers
The Supreme Court said Monday it will hear a new case on the intersection of religion and government in a dispute over prayers used to open public meetings. Read more »
Life of prayer: Attitudes and beliefs about prayer evolve in old age
A recent study shows that the frequency, understanding and expectations of prayer evolve and mature not just between youth and old age, but also during the later years of life. Read more »
Pope Francis leads pep rally at Vatican, meets with German Chancellor Merkel
Pope Francis toured St. Peter's Square to greet tens of thousands of people attending a rally of prayer, music and speeches Saturday, and he embraced the brother of a Pakistani politician who was... Read more »
Egyptians targeted with blasphemy charges
The pale, young Christian woman sat handcuffed in the courtroom, accused of insulting Islam while teaching history of religions to fourth-graders. A team of Islamist lawyers with long beards sang... Read more »
Hamblin & Peterson: Henry VIII's war against the monasteries of England
King Henry VIII of England is notorious for his many wives and for the horrible fates some of them met. But his historical impact, and the damage he did, transcends his colorful marital history. Read more »
Spiritual leaders use Facebook, YouTube, hashtags to spread messages (+video)
Religious messages come through different mediums, and they are gaining greater traction in the social media arena. Read more »
Jerusalem family tattoos pilgrims for centuries
Orthodox Christians visiting the Holy Land often return home with more than just spiritual memories. Many drop by a centuries-old tattoo parlor in Jerusalem's Old City, inking themselves with a... Read more »
Bombs targeting Sunnis kill at least 76 in Iraq
Bombs ripped through Sunni areas in Baghdad and surrounding areas Friday, killing at least 76 people in the deadliest day in Iraq in more than eight months. The major spike in sectarian bloodshed... Read more »
Baby boomers turn to religious careers after finding former jobs to be lucrative but unfulfilling
Many of today's national conversations about religion center around the increasing number of young adults who say they do not belong to a faith . However, alongside the rise of the "nones" (a... Read more »
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