Forty-nine employees of the Vatican Museums have filed a class-action complaint with the Vatican administration demanding better seniority, leave and overtime benefits in an unusual, public challenge to Pope Francis’ governance.
Exclusion of Jewish Jurors Prompts Review of California Death Row Cases
A jury was being chosen for a murder trial nearly three decades ago in California. The state was seeking a death sentence for Ernest Dykes, who had been charged with killing a 9-year-old boy during a robbery in Oakland.
Mississippi governor signs law restricting transgender people’s use of bathrooms and locker rooms
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday that he has signed a new law regulating transgender people’s use of bathrooms, locker rooms and dormitories in public education buildings, making Mississippi at least the 12th state to restrict transgender students from using facilities that align…
Justice Alito Warns of Threats to Freedom of Speech and Religion
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. warned on Saturday that freedom of speech was under threat at universities and that freedom of religion was in peril in society at large.
After making deals with protesters, universities are granting hearings on Israel divestment
Before a student presentation at Friday’s board meeting of the University of Minnesota regents, the chair reminded the crowd, “Our role as a university is to educate, support and create forums for constructive dialogue and mutual understanding.”
Sports gambling creates a windfall, but raises questions of integrity – here are three lessons from historic sports-betting scandals
Sports betting is having a big moment across the United States. While gambling on sports has been legal for decades in countries such as the U.K., it wasn’t until 2018 that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could legalize sports…
Is There a Post-Religious Right?
During the 2016 Republican campaign, watching Donald Trump shoulder his way past his more pious rivals for the nomination, I remarked on the platform then known as Twitter: “If you dislike the religious right, wait till you meet the post-religious…
Can Donald Trump swear on the Bible to tell the truth?
The swearing-in of witnesses in court with an oath to tell the truth is usually a perfunctory ritual. No one really pays attention. But if Donald Trump testifies in the case accusing him of hiding a hush payment to a…
Artists created images of Christ that focused not on historical accuracy but on reflecting different communities − a scholar of religious history explains
In 1915, Norwegian artist Emanuel Vigeland, one of the most respected Scandinavian artists of his time, created an image of Christ with golden hair and fair skin.
Marilynne Robinson Reads Genesis Without Anxiety
In her latest book, Reading Genesis, Marilynne Robinson insists that modern readers have largely misunderstood the literary and theological significance of the Bible.
Holy Year or holy mess, Vatican and Rome begin dash to 2025 Jubilee with papal bull, construction
The Vatican crossed a key milestone Thursday in the runup to its 2025 Jubilee with the promulgation of the official decree establishing the Holy Year. It’s a once-every-quarter-century event that is expected to bring some 32 million pilgrims to Rome…
Harvard Pluralism Project’s Diana Eck retires after decades of research, promoting dialogue
Diana Eck, for decades, has been the academician-activist who has delved into the world’s religions and encouraged others to discover and learn about the faiths of their neighbors.