Doctrine & Practice
Convent-made delicacies, a Christmas favorite, help monks and nuns win fans and pay the bills
By Giovanna Dell'orto and MarÍa Teresa HernÁndez — December 19, 2023
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Most nuns and monks involved in preparing the delicacies are quick to point out that their main mission is to pray, not to cook — and that doing both involves finding a delicate balance.
How a remnant group of United Methodists is making a new church home
By Yonat Shimron — December 18, 2023
ADVANCE, N.C. (RNS) — Here, in the middle of a bland industrial park that looks like a self-storage facility, a new church is emerging.
Yule – a celebration of the return of light and warmth
By Helen A. Berger — December 8, 2023
(The Conversation) — Yule, celebrated by Wiccans and many other Pagans in the Northern Hemisphere on Dec. 21, the day of the winter solstice, is a time for reflection.
What is Bodhi Day? And when do Buddhists celebrate it?
By Luis Andres Henao — December 8, 2023
(AP) — Also called Buddha’s Enlightenment Day, it commemorates when Siddhartha Gautama attained awakening some 2,600 years ago, becoming the Buddha.
How to celebrate an ancient victory in the midst of a war that’s not over
By Brad Hirschfield — December 7, 2023
(RNS) — One solution lies in perhaps the best-known part of the Hanukkah story — the miracle of the oil.
Study: Most Americans are spiritual but a growing number say they are not religious
By Yonat Shimron — December 7, 2023
(RNS) — Among the spiritual but not religious, 38% say religion does more harm than good, while just 7% of religious Americans share this view.
Indiana’s appeals court hears arguments challenging abortion ban under a state religious freedom law
By Isabella Volmert — December 7, 2023
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The lawsuit argues the ban violates Jewish teachings that “a fetus attains the status of a living person only at birth."
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How sacred images in many Asian cultures incorporate divine presence and make them come ‘alive’
By Michael Naparstek — December 6, 2023
(The Conversation) — Through the power of rituals, inanimate objects can be understood to transform into agents who can see, hear, taste and respond to the concerns of those who worship them.
When is St. Nicholas Day? And how did this Christian saint inspire the Santa Claus legend?
By Luis Andres Henao — December 6, 2023
NEW YORK (AP) — The legends surrounding jolly old St. Nicholas — celebrated annually on Dec. 6 — go way beyond delivering candy and toys to children.
Hanukkah message of light in darkness feels uniquely relevant to US Jews amid war, antisemitism
By Giovanna Dell'orto — December 6, 2023
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Many feel that having a joyful Hanukkah is another way to show defiance to terror — even though most will include in their family celebration somber prayers for the hostages still held by Hamas.
Parties canceled. Celebrations toned down. Hanukkah won’t be the same this year.
By Yonat Shimron — December 5, 2023
(RNS) — With the Israeli military in the midst of a destructive showdown in its war with Hamas, many U.S. Jews aren’t in the mood for triumphant Hanukkah cheer.
How the keffiyeh – a practical garment used for protection against the desert sun – became a symbol of Palestinian identity
By Armin Langer — December 5, 2023
(The Conversation) — The keffiyeh’s prominence soared in the 1970s when Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, adopted and popularized the garment.
Takeaways from The AP’s investigation into the Mormon church’s handling of sex abuse cases
By Jason Dearen and Michael Rezendes — December 5, 2023
HAILEY, Idaho (AP) — Nondisclosure agreements, also known as confidentiality agreements, have been used frequently by the Mormon church and other organizations, including the Catholic Church, to keep sex abuse allegations secret.
New documentary tells the story of queer religious families in the Midwest
By Fiona André — December 4, 2023
(RNS) — The movie profiles queer families and individuals living in the Midwest, grappling with their identity in a conservative and traditional environment.
Pilgrims yearn to visit isolated peninsula where Catholic saints cared for Hawaii’s leprosy patients
By Jennifer Sinco Kelleher — December 4, 2023
KALAUPAPA, Hawaii (AP) — The pilgrimage to Kalaupapa is logistically challenging to make under normal circumstances. It is even more so today because of lingering COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
