“There’s a lot of compatibility between the notion of Islamic finance and microfinance,” says Roshaneh Zafar, who established a nonprofit organization that has made small business loans to hundreds of thousands of women. More →

February 4, 2011

“I’m doing the best I can to live out my faith as I understand it,” says Episcopal priest and Vanderbilt University chaplain Becca Stevens. “Love is the most powerful force for social change.” More →

August 13, 2010

The basement of Christ Lutheran Church is one of the few places in Baltimore where homeless single women and their children can find help. Baltimore Outreach Services, a nonprofit that grew out of the church’s social ministry, provides comprehensive services … More →

December 17, 2009

On May 21, 2009 the Moroccan American Cultural Center and the American Jewish Committee sponsored an interfaith panel discussion in New York City on “Women’s Spiritual Voices: Crossing Continents, Finding Common Ground.” Panelists explored the roles of women religious leaders … More →

July 2, 2009

The new film “The Stoning of Soraya M” opens in theaters on June 26. Based on a true story, it centers on an Iranian woman, Soraya, who was brutally stoned to death by her fellow villagers in 1986 after her … More →

June 25, 2009

he prolific and best-selling author Jodi Picoult writes “ethical thrillers” about contentious issues such as the death penalty, organ donation, euthanasia, sexual abuse, date rape, teen suicide, and school shootings. More →

April 24, 2009

FRED DE SAM LAZARO: The students are mostly women. Some are grandmothers. Hundreds have come through here from villages across India and a dozen other countries to learn how to install and maintain solar energy in rural areas. Even though … More →

March 13, 2009

BOB ABERNETHY, anchor: We have a profile today of the poet and writer Kathleen Norris, whose books have won her many admirers, especially among religious believers. After nearly 10 years of literary silence she has a new book out called … More →

March 13, 2009

Read more of Bob Abernethy’s September 16, 2008 interview with Kathleen Norris, author of ACEDIA & ME: A MARRIAGE, MONKS, AND A WRITER’S LIFE, in Washington, DC: Kathleen Norris Q: Let’s start out with “acedia.” What is it? A: It’s … More →

March 13, 2009

Roman Catholics and several evangelical denominations are opposed to the idea of female clergy. Yet many in these communities are supporting Sarah Palin as a potential vice-president. Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly managing editor Kim Lawton discusses the theological debates that … More →

September 12, 2008