Arts & Culture

France returns marble angels stolen from Italy church in ’89

By Associated Press — October 19, 2021

Italy’s art police said Tuesday that the angels, decorated with strategically placed vine of leaves and fruit, had been stolen from the St. Sebastian church in Guardia Sanframondi, northeast of Naples, on Dec. 13, 1989.

‘Dune’ novels draw on Islamic motifs and have in turn inspired Muslim artists

By Joseph Hammond — October 18, 2021

A Jewish case for not liking ‘The Sopranos’

By Jeffrey Salkin — October 18, 2021

Christian writer Danté Stewart seeks revelation in Black experience

By Emily McFarlan Miller — October 15, 2021

(RNS) — 'Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle' weaves together the stories of Black lives and Black literature with the stories of the Bible.

What Ted Lasso could teach clergy

By Jeffrey Salkin — October 12, 2021

(RNS) — A popular series contains hidden wisdom for those of us who work for God.

Some call twerking obscene. Lizzo, in TED Talk, calls it ‘sacred’

By Kathryn Post — October 12, 2021

(RNS) — 'Twerking is a deep, soulful, spiritual practice,' said the singer and rapper.

Families of different faiths swap houses, lives in Ava DuVernay’s ‘Home Sweet Home’

By Emily McFarlan Miller — October 11, 2021

(RNS) — In the unscripted TV series, 16 families from different religious, racial and economic backgrounds or sexual orientations trade homes for a week.

‘Hey, isn’t that — ?’ Singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn goes incognito in worship band

By John Longhurst — October 11, 2021

(RNS) — 'They needed a guitar player, so they were foolish enough to ask me,' said the man with 35 folk-rock albums to his name.

Thomas Jefferson’s Quran to visit Dubai Expo 2020

By Joseph Hammond — October 8, 2021

(RNS) — The historic English-language Quran has never traveled outside the United States.

The relaxing and tingly world of Christian ASMR

By Jessica Mundie — October 8, 2021

(RNS) — In the expansive world of ASMR, one small group of Christian creators have dedicated themselves to bringing their viewers closer to God through relaxation and brain tingles.