IZMIR, Turkey (RNS)  — The American missionary, imprisoned nearly two years on terrorism-related charges, had been the subject of a diplomatic standoff between the United States and Turkey.

IZMIR, Turkey (RNS) — The Turkish government isn’t Brunson’s only foe. He’s also battling former members of his congregation who were expelled in part for harboring racist views toward ethnic Kurdish refugees, according to one pastor at the church.

ISTANBUL, Turkey (RNS) — For many in Turkey, Brunson’s case has little to do with his faith or his work as a missionary, and everything to do with how Washington addresses the concerns of Ankara.

ISTANBUL (RNS) — Religious rulings call bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies haram, or prohibited in Islam. But some people worry religious scholars do not have all the facts about how the currencies work, which might be closer to the Quranic conception of money than they realize.

ATHENS, Greece (RNS) Decades of legal restrictions and a lack of funding have meant only three prayer spaces are registered properly with authorities. But that’s about to change.

ISTANBUL (RNS) Imam Fadel Soliman teaches Muslims to deal with critics, but his “hidden goal” is to challenge his listeners’ own understanding of the precepts of Islam.