The power of a song in a strange land
Spirituals were created out of the experience of enslaved people in the US. They weren't songs of anger – but of an…
February 13, 2020
4
Ethics
How China does Valentine's Day
China's Qixi Festival is a celebration of love based on the legend of a mortal who married a goddess, causing his furious…
February 11, 2020
5
Women in Arab countries find themselves torn between opportunity and tradition
In countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain, it's now official policy that women should go to college and work…
February 11, 2020
11
How a Native American coming-of-age ritual is making a comeback
Historically, indigenous people celebrated a girl's transition to womanhood with a year-long ritual. Many such ritual…
February 10, 2020
6
Lynching preachers: How black pastors resisted Jim Crow and white pastors incited racial violence
Religion was no barrier for Southern lynch mobs intent on terror. White pastors joined the KKK, incited racial violence…
February 10, 2020
5
National Prayer Breakfast was a moment for leaders to show humility – Trump changed it
The National Prayer Breakfast has been a time to forge friendships. But, as a scholar says, Trump used it to praise his…
February 7, 2020
10
What's a church? That can depend on the eye of the beholder or paperwork filed with the IRS
A growing number of groups you probably wouldn't think are churches are opting to be treated like churches. And the…
February 6, 2020
12
Catholic investigations are still shrouded in secrecy
Early Christians were urged to 'supervise' one another. In the present times, that theology is often used by the…
February 3, 2020
12
As Democratic primaries near, educators can teach hope to a polarized citizenry
Schools and colleges can teach political hope that can help citizens make better choices.
January 31, 2020
13
Why we knock on wood
The curious history of a ritual meant to ward off bad luck.
January 30, 2020
13
Puerto Rico earthquakes imperil island's indigenous heritage
Puerto Rico was once home to about 110,000 Taínos, an indigenous people decimated by the Spanish conquest. Their ancient…
January 28, 2020
15
Gay rights dispute is pulling apart the United Methodist Church, after decades of argument
After half a century of ambiguous policy regarding LGBTQ inclusion, the United Methodist Church may well split up in May.
January 27, 2020
16
Study finds ethics can be taught – in finance, at least
Investment advisers who passed a licensing exam with more ethics questions were one-fourth less likely to engage in misconduct…
January 27, 2020
23
Silicon Valley's latest fad is dopamine fasting – and that may not be as crazy as it sounds
Dopamine fasting has fast become a fad in the Silicon Valley, as a way to reset the brain's feel-good chemical. Many…
January 23, 2020
14
Is it ethical to show Holocaust images?
On Holocaust Remembrance Day, a scholar of mass atrocities explains the power of Holocaust images and why these images,…
January 21, 2020
18
How a heritage of black preaching shaped MLK's voice in calling for justice
A long heritage of black preachers who played an important role for enslaved people shaped Martin Luther King Jr.'s…
January 17, 2020
15
What is a bar mitzvah?
The Jewish coming-of-age ritual of bar mitzvah evolved to its current form during the time of Enlightenment, when Jewish…
January 17, 2020
18
An old debate over religion in school is opening up again
At least six states have permitted the study of the Bible in classrooms, which could reignite a 19th-century debate that…
January 15, 2020
29
Think twice before shouting your virtues online – moral grandstanding is toxic
People who act holier than thou aren't necessarily better than the rest of us. In fact, their moral grandstanding may…
January 14, 2020
21
What Trump's tweet threatening Iran's cultural sites could mean for Shiite Muslims
Trump recently warned Iran that the US could target its cultural sites. Many of Iran's cultural sites carry deep religious…
January 9, 2020
25