Yoga’s 'father in the West' still defining our spirituality and celebrity 100 years later
(RNS) — Pioneering a vision of wellness in which spirituality and self-help converge, Yogananda created a new model for pop spirituality.
Is it time to add ‘caste’ as a category in US anti-discrimination laws?
(RNS) — Kamala Harris’ rise in American politlcs makes this an opportune time to address growing caste discrimination in the United States.
More than 350 faith leaders to back Biden for president, including many first-time endorsers
(RNS) — ‘I think progressive Christianity is a sleeping giant,’ said the Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber.
Pandemic reshapes worship across the UK's many faiths
(AP) — Rites that have been the bedrock of beliefs for centuries have evolved swiftly during the pandemic lockdown.
Kamala Harris is more than her gender and race. She is also the future of American religion.
(RNS) — ‘The Biden-Harris ticket looks a lot more like America’s future,’ said one demographer, ‘and the Trump-Pence ticket looks a lot more like America’s past.’
Harris’ nomination shows why representation matters, but is not enough
(RNS) — The Democratic vice presidential nominee has to show the moral courage to address her own role in perpetuating systems that drag underrepresented communities down.
Kashmir's lockdown at one year: A region's alienation turns to betrayal
(RNS) — Kashmir's loss of autonomy has now taken on a larger figurative dimension: It is also about betrayal of trust, political disempowerment and a deep sense of humiliation.
Khyati Y. Joshi argues equal religious freedom in America is an optical illusion
(RNS) — In her new book, she argues Christianity, especially of the white Protestant variety, undergirds the nation’s institutions and practices and establishes a normative baseline from which all other faiths are seen as abnormal.
Campaign brewing to get Hindu god Brahma off popular beer
(AP) — A spokesperson for the brand said Brahma beer is a tribute to Joseph Bramah — an Englishman who invented the draft pump valve.
India’s pioneering transgender activist defends gains in pandemic
(RNS) — After helping win a landmark court case for India’s transgender people, Ranjita Sinha has mobilized to counter the community’s drastic loss of jobs and health care during the coronavirus pandemic.
Interfaith group: No Buddhist or Hindu statues in nightclubs
BOSTON (AP) — An interfaith coalition is launching a campaign to stop what organizers call the ‘disrespectful’ use of sacred Buddhist and Hindu statues as decor in nightclubs.
India's goddesses of contagion provide protection in the pandemic
(RNS) — Collectively known as the Divine Mother, the goddesses of contagion act as “celestial epidemiologists” curing illness. But if angered they can also inflict disease.
Weekend Plug-in: June 5, 2020
(RNS) — Analysis, insights and top headlines from the world of faith this week.
Near Boston, a Friendly’s-turned-Hindu temple serves holy offerings to go
BOSTON (RNS) — The Hindu temple has been using its ice cream takeout window, left over from the facility's past life as a Friendly's restaurant, to serve socially distant holy food offerings.
Pandemic leads churches to celebrate motherhood creatively this Sunday
(RNS) — In the wake of COVID-19, houses of worship are finding creative ways to honor motherhood this Sunday at a time when many churches cannot yet publicly gather.