Pope Francis celebrates mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia on September 26, 2015. Photo courtesy of REUTERS / Tony Gentile* Editors: This photo may only be republished with RNS-POPE-PHILLY, originally submitted September 26, 2015. Pope Francis came to the New World, and spoke inRead More →
Dressed in distinctive purple clothing and black military boots, a group of about 10 men marched down Marin Street during the Vallejo Farmer’s Market on Saturday. Set up near the intersection of Marin and Georgia streets, the men – calling themselves Israel united in Christ – began reading the BibleRead More →
People who are not affiliated with a religion – sometimes referred to as the “noes” – make up 16% of the world’s population and are the largest “religious group” in seven countries and territories. More remarkably perhaps, these are also the second biggest group in about half (48%) of theRead More →
Who can predict what the world will look like in 55 years? If there is one group willing to venture boldly into the statistical unknown, it is demographers. Armed with regressions, data stacks, and plenty of graphs, the Pew researchers predicted that after 2070, the world’s Muslims will outnumber theRead More →
Spiritualism is rooted in the heritage of India. Indian saints and Greek sages had intellectual and spiritual exchanges thousands of years ago. India’s openness to new ideas is evident in the Rig Veda: “Aano bhadraha kratvo yantu vishvataha (Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides)”. This philosophy hasRead More →
“The Baptism of Christ” by Cima de Conegliano © Bridgeman Art Library For many years, I lived a few minutes from the Church of San Giovanni in Bragora in the Castello district of Venice. Nothing in its humble brick facade foreshadowed the presence inside of a magnificent altarpiece: “The BaptismRead More →
Harry Potter fans know that Hogwarts is a diverse place, but have you ever wondered if it’s religiously diverse? JK Rowling confirmed this week that this is indeed the case, but that at least one religious group has been excluded. Some readers, however, might be surprised to know which beliefRead More →
April in a book illustrating the months of the year, illuminated by Claude de France’s master.Graham S. Haber / Morgan Library and Museum What Wieck sees in the master Claude is a marvelous painter “who worked in the form of a book”. While “The Trinity adored by the choirs ofRead More →
New book says yes, but CAS expert disagrees CAS religion specialist David Frankfurter says many religious groups face persecution today. Photo by Vernon Doucette From the massacre of 60 Catholic priests by Iraqi Islamists four years ago to what one historian calls the “hellish concentration camps for Christians” in Eritrea,Read More →
1 / 11 “Chanting the Holy Book” is an artwork by Fahimeh Amiri that is displayed at the Springville Museum of Art as part of Utah’s annual Spiritual and Religious Art Exhibition. Photographed Tuesday November 20, 2012. JAMES ROH/Daily Herald James Roh 2 / 11 Vance Mellen, Trenton Mellen andRead More →
Thangka paintings by Chudri and Tashi Gyatso Thangka paintings by Chudri and Tashi Gyatso Chudri working on a Thangka painting Religious art transcends borders Once sacred, Thangka paintings invade the secularized market Although a favorite for collectors today, Thangka remains an obscure art beyond the Tibetan regions, not palpable toRead More →
Fabrizio Boschi’s “Miracle of the Manna” is part of the “Angel’s Offering: Treasures of the Uffizi” exhibit at the James A. Michener Art Museum in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Botticelli paintings in Bucks County? Surprising! And what a wonderful surprise it is! Forty-five paintings and tapestries from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence,Read More →
Chained by an arranged marriage and religious customs, a New Jersey woman regains her freedom and tries to help others too. But she’s not a Muslim, she’s an Orthodox Jew. By Fraidy Reiss. (RNS) Where I come from, girls are married as teenagers to men they barely know and areRead More →
The idea that Paleolithic art is based on religious beliefs is not new. But for years, anthropologists, archaeologists and art historians have understood these artistic manifestations as purely aesthetic and decorative motifs. Eduardo Palacio-Pérez, researcher at the University of Cantabria (UC), now reveals the origins of the theory. “This theoryRead More →
image: A horse was painted on the polychrome ceiling of the cave of Altamira. It is from the Magdalenian period. see Following Credit: Paleolithic arts of northern Spain: VR 2003 photo database. This claim is not new, but for years anthropologists, archaeologists and art historians have understood these artistic manifestationsRead More →
PRINCETON, NJ — Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons, are the most conservative major religious group in the nation, with 59% identifying as conservative, 31% as moderate and 8% as liberals. The ideological leanings of Mormons have become more interesting in recent years dueRead More →
Pam Pierce finds it in a collection of religious art. As an interior designer, Pierce works with color and pattern. When it’s time to go home, she wants somewhere neutral and quiet. She started collecting religious art after her husband gave her a santo, a statue of a saint, whichRead More →