Latest Articles
Study shows steady levels of religious practice
The number of nonreligious people in America is increasing, but the faithful remain observant, according to the second part of the 2014 U.S....
Turkish religious movement secretly funded travels for lawmakers and staff
A Turkish religious movement has secretly funded as many as 200 trips to Turkey for members of Congress and staff since 2008, apparently repeatedly violating House rules and possibly federal law, a...
November 15, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time: Mark 13:1-8
The unnamed disciple in Mark 13:1 would have been impressed not only by the temple’s splendor, but by what it represented: God’s presence with Israel. Jesus’ reply must have astounded him.
How wide is God’s mercy? The Holy Spirit in other religions
Could the Spirit's love be poured into the hearts of people untouched by the incarnation? Could non-Christians be lovers of the only God there is?
Did God send that grounder to punish Daniel Murphy?
The Mets second baseman's error is no one’s favorite moment of the World Series. Well, almost no one's.
What's your story?
I carried one book with me across the country on a recent trip, Phyllis Tickle’s The Shaping of a Life: A Spiritual Landscape.&nb...
Prayer at school: Religious freedom on the 50-yard line?
(The Christian Science Monitor) At the 50-yard line of a high school football field, a battle is brewing over the meaning of the First...
Buddhists unite on climate change
(The Christian Science Monitor) The Dalai Lama and 14 other leaders representing roughly 1 billion Buddhists signed a statement expres...
Bible camp in the street: Ministry on a troubled corner
First church members reclaimed the corner as a peaceful space. Then, as it got colder, they began talking about expanding their ministry.
Episode 8: Lizzi Heydemann
Matt talks to the founder of Mishkan Chicago about Protestant vs. Jewish preaching, how to avoid a cult of personality, and what churches can learn from a Jewish faith community’s success.
How do we get people to church?
Attendance is down at church. At most places, there is a lag at Sunday morning services, Sunday school, or mid-week programs. It’s not just your church. It’s most churches.
Black souls matter
What does it mean to observe All Souls Day in the year of #BlackLivesMatter?
What does it mean to commemorate the dead in a year in which 957 were shot and killed by police?
Neighboring Faiths, by David Nirenberg
Plenty of scholars have discussed interfaith relations in medieval Spain. What makes David Nirenberg's book distinctive is his emphasis on how each religion's self-image was shaped by its portrayal of the others.
Learning to give thanks
How is thankfulness engendered? By giving thanks in all circumstances.
If you had been here
I was a little girl, sitting near the front row of the church. My legs could not touch the floor, and I had to hold my hands laced in my lap so that I could remain still. I stared at the coffin before me.
Unbound saints of God
What's your favorite part of the Lazarus story? Is it the strange comfort Jesus offers Mary and Martha in their moment of grief: "Your brother will rise again"?...
Advent in Narnia, by Heidi Haverkamp
C. S. Lewis placed the Christian story in the fantasy world of Narnia so that readers could encounter the story in a fresh way....
Iraqi artists lead efforts to preserve musical past damaged by war
(The Christian Science Monitor) In an antique stall near al-Mutanabbi Street, the shop owner wipes the dust off a brittle black disc, ...