Smithsonian
Smithsonian Folklife Festival on National Mall explores often-unfamiliar spirituality
By Adelle M. Banks — June 30, 2023
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The lead curator of the 'Creative Encounters' program hopes it will give the public a chance to 'pull back the curtain' on spiritual practices.
PHOTO GALLERY: The history and diversity of African American religious rituals
By Adelle M. Banks — January 10, 2023
(RNS) — A new photo book from the National Museum of African American History and Culture explores Black history through its range of spiritual traditions.
Black museum religion exhibit features Little Richard’s Bible, Rev. Ike’s suit
By Adelle M. Banks — November 18, 2022
WASHINGTON (RNS) — The first special exhibition to focus specifically on religion since the museum opened includes photos and artifacts accompanied by quotations of famous African Americans.
Let’s Talk, a new racial unity initiative, takes evangelical leaders on tour of Black history
By Adelle M. Banks — September 15, 2022
WASHINGTON (RNS) — ‘Most people did not realize the economic impact slavery had on the founding of the United States of America,’ said Let’s Talk founder.
A new novel explores a post-pandemic religious world — in the 14th century
By Jana Riess — May 11, 2022
(RNS) — Peter Manseau’s latest book examines the Black Death for clues to our cultural moment.
Exhibit showcases the earliest stirrings of American religious diversity
By Adelle M. Banks — June 28, 2017
WASHINGTON (RNS) On display are a 1654 Torah scroll, a page from the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon and a text written by a slave who wanted to pass on the essentials of his Muslim heritage.
A 3-D digital scan throws a Buddha statue’s carvings into sharp relief
By Madeleine Buckley — June 22, 2017
(RNS) For years, museums ignored the religious teachings that form a large part of their art collections. Thanks to technology like 3-D scanning, they are beginning to explore it once more.
Smithsonian’s Quran exhibit aims to dazzle the eyes and may soften the heart
By Lauren Markoe — October 25, 2016
(RNS) The first major American exhibit of Islam's holy book has just opened on the National Mall.
State of the art: A Q&A with the Smithsonian’s new religion curator
By guest — October 17, 2016
(RNS) With a major new initiative recently announced at the Smithsonian Institution, Americans will now be able to more clearly see the role of religion in the history of the United States.
New Smithsonian museum features stories of African-American faith
By Adelle M. Banks — September 1, 2016
(RNS) 'There is no way you can ... understand the African-American journey without understanding the very real role faith played in its history,' said a museum official.
GUEST COMMENTARY: Thomas Jefferson, our least Christian president
By Stephen Prothero — July 2, 2012
(RNS) This Fourth of July, after the parades are over, I propose we all devote a few minutes to remembering our least Christian president. Instead of reading David Barton, go straight to Thomas Jefferson himself and to the words he chose to deliver on his first day as president. By Stephen Prothero.
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