When Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by Islamist rebels in Syria in December after 14 years of civil war, there were concerns as to what this might mean for the Christian community in the troubled state.
LA Jews are all mourners now — experiencing both the grief and hope our tradition understands
As the wildfires devoured our neighborhoods and people’s homes, schools, businesses, sanctuaries, and lives went up in flames, we celebrated our eldest’s bat mitzvah. Amidst unimaginable and horrific destruction and tragedy befalling our beloved city and the community we care…
Rejected elsewhere, these LGBTQ+ Jews find love and acceptance in the Connecticut woods
One day into a three-day retreat for Orthodox Jews who identify as LGBTQ+, Zippy Spanjer looked around and liked what she saw.
What Really Happened to Religion in the 1990s?
I’ve got a lot of data visualizations in the post today, and I don’t want to make it overly long. So, let me just get right to the graph that started me down this rabbit hole. It’s from the General…
Maryland’s highest court upholds ending statute of limitations on child sex abuse lawsuits
Maryland’s Supreme Court on Monday upheld the constitutionality of a state law that ended the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse lawsuits following a report that exposed widespread wrongdoing within the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ skull just went on tour − here’s what the medieval saint himself would have said about its veneration
Once, on a road trip in Greece, I stopped with my husband and dad at a centuries-old Orthodox monastery to view its famous frescoes. We were in luck, the porter said: It was a feast day. The relics of the…
Louisville School Shooter’s Social Media Presence Reveals Online Right’s Fascination with Nation of Islam Lore
According to police, a 17-year-old student fired 10 shots into the cafeteria of his Louisville, KY, high school last week, killing 16-year-old Josselin Escalante and injuring an unnamed student before turning the gun on himself.
Ceasefires in the Middle East: A Beginning, Not the End
As the first month of 2025 passes, the geo-political shape of the Middle East continues to change and develop.
New biography of late Cardinal Pell underscores leadership vacuum on Catholic right
The sudden death two years ago of Cardinal George Pell, the Australian prelate Pope Francis had enlisted to clean up the Vatican’s finances, left the Catholic conservative cohort in Rome without an identifiable leader. A new biography takes a look…
A Lebanese School Brought Christmas Cheer. Then Came the War.
Anglican priest Calvin Robinson defrocked over Nazi-like salute
It’s still a matter of debate whether the salute performed by Elon Musk at an Inauguration Day speech in Washington — a chest thump followed by a straight-armed gesture — was intended to evoke a Nazi salute. But on Wednesday…
Are Young Nones Further From Religion Compared to Older Nones?
What does the future of American religion look like? It’s a question that I don’t think about that much – I’m more focused on describing what it looks like right now. But I can understand the urge, especially for folks…