To many observers, Benedict, who died on Dec. 31, 2022 at the age of 95, was known for criticizing what he saw as the modern world’s rejection of God and Christianity’s timeless truths. But as a scholar of the diversity of global Catholicism, I think it’s best to avoid simple characterizations of Benedict’s theology, which I believe will influence the Catholic Church for generations, writes Mathew Schmalz.
View More Pope Benedict XVI: A legacy of intellectual brilliance and controversy
Animist practices are as variable as the peoples and places engaging in such relationships. Indigenous and animist perspectives illustrate that there are many different relationships possible between humans and the world around them, and many environmentalists are finding these alternatives instructive, despite the troubled history of the term, writes Justine Buck Quijada.
View More ‘Animism’ – and it’s finding renewed interest around the world
Acts of defiance, big and small, have continued uninterrupted across multiple generations. Women’s activism has been constant, as has their imprisonment. In the past, major demonstrations were crushed, but regardless of how the current protests turn out, they underscore that the headcover issue is not going away – and has the potential to amplify anti-regime sentiments in Iran and abroad.
View More Headcovers have always been political in Iran – for women on all sides
Every year, Christians from around the world gather for worship on Easter Sunday. Also known as Pascha or Resurrection Sunday, Easter is the final day of a weeklong commemoration of the story of Jesus’ final days in the city of Jerusalem leading up to his crucifixion and resurrection. Just like all other Christian denominations, Baptists are divided on the issue of the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, it is important to understand how Christians more generally, and Baptists in particular, hold differing views on the meaning of the resurrection.
View More Christians hold many views on Jesus’ resurrection – a theologian explains the differing views among Baptists
Today, the two major rival expressions of Orthodoxy in Ukraine reflect two different historical visions of the relationship between Russians and Ukrainians. The future of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is unclear. It enjoys the support of several of its sister churches. At the same time, it faces fierce opposition from Moscow. For now, it remains a source of controversy between Russia and Ukraine.
View More Why church conflict in Ukraine reflects historic Russian-Ukrainian tensions
Today, many people use the expressions “common era” and “before the common era,” or C.E. and B.C.E., instead of A.D. and B.C. But despite what we call it now, the roots of this system are not “common” but Christian. There’s nothing naturally “common” about the “common era,” and it’s worth applauding all kinds of diversity – even in time – on planet Earth. This year, what will you be toasting at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31?
View More How common is the ‘Common Era?’ How A.D. and C.E. took over counting years
India’s position as a secular nation is under threat. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pro-Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, the country’s minority population has been increasingly targeted. It is the world’s biggest democracy, but according to several experts, that democracy is under threat.
By Saba Sattar
View More How one atheist laid the foundation of contemporary Hindu nationalismYou cannot copy content of this page