Videocast
This expression of Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam, “is creating an atmosphere to pray, and it’s an offering. I think it’s just a physical way of expressing this love for the divine, and in the whirling it becomes a meditation,” says Manjula Kumar, a program manager at the Smithsonian Institution. More
“He has given a higher priority to the church’s social teachings, to our obligations to the poor, and to criticism of an unjust economy than we have heard in a long time,” says Washington Post columnist E. J. Dionne. More
Most Hispanics in the U.S. still call themselves Catholic, but more and more are joining Protestant churches, especially the younger generation. The explosive growth of the Protestant Hispanic population can be seen in places like New Life Covenant Church in Chicago, which draws more than 17,000 worshipers every week. More
“Christmas is about Jesus’ birth and honoring Jesus with the priorities that Jesus would have in the world, especially amongst marginalized people. But what we’ve done is made it more about us,” says Rev. Mike Slaughter. More
The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline states that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” and it prohibits Methodist ministers from performing same-sex marriages. But “these are unjust laws,” says Rev. Thomas Ogletree, “and therefore they do not really have the authority of law.” More
The civil rights movement was both “the work of the Lord and the work of freedom,” says author Taylor Branch. “It took redemption, and it took faith and tenacity, not just an empty, simple hope.” More
At New York Avenue Presbyterian Church, where Lincoln rented a pew and attended services, tutors and students recite the brief but eloquent speech that has come to be regarded as quite mystical in meaning. It puts forward both a language of responsibility and a moral vision of new life for the nation. More
According to many in the Jewish community, Hanukkah and Thanksgiving have much more in common this year than just a calendar date. They both celebrate gratitude, community, and religious tolerance. More
“If Thanksgivukkah can be a spark that allows us to bring a little bit of the Hanukkah light into a Jewish person’s Thanksgiving table, then that’s a gift.” More
As cities grapple with the problem of homelessness, some believe the solution is to move them to “retreats” outside the city. But critics say such proposals are cases of “out of sight, out of mind” that will actually result in more homelessness. More
-
Providing Support for pbs.org
What's New
