“Ethics of compassion is a major part of all major religions. But ethics of compassion can also be developed without having to rely on a specific religion.”

"Some people call it laughter through tears. I would suggest you could call it laughter through fears," says Harvard University Yiddish literature professor Ruth Wisse.

We take our annual look back at the top religion and ethics news of the year—Pope Francis and his priorities, such as helping the poor, and also churches divided over homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

"Peace requires that we nurture each other…you have to live with this community ethic where you recognize…that we are deeply interconnected," says Rev. Otis Moss III, senior pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

“At Christmas I often tell grieving people that this may be the year you break with what everyone else expects of you to do what you and your family need to do that will bring you comfort.”

The number of people in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is going up steadily as a result of the lower age limits for both men and women who want to serve as missionaries.

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 ...

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 ...

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.

"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." 

This senior analyst for the National Catholic Reporter says new US Conference of Catholic Bishops president Archbishop Kurtz is "not going to be just a simple culture warrior, I think he’s going to have more complexity to him."

Liberal Catholics who were hopeful that Pope Francis's papacy would usher in sweeping reforms are discovering that the Church "is an institution that takes its time with major decisions, and none of this is going to happen soon." 

What does it mean for a school to be Catholic? "This is a university that’s founded on biblical truth, on scripture, and on the sacramental richness of the Catholic Church," says Ave Maria University president Jim Towey. But according to Rev. Kevin O’Brien, vice president for ministry and ...

A movie based on the true story of Solomon Northup, a free man who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery, portrays the complex relationships between slaves, slaveowners, abolitionists, and religion.

"It's about remembering and never forgetting and understanding from the past and embracing your past in order to go forward into the future."

Watch excerpts from our interview with Yolanda Pierce, associate professor of African-American religion and literature at Princeton Theological Seminary, as she talks about the new movie "12 Years a Slave" and about Christianity and slavery in America.

As it celebrates its 100th anniversary, one of the main branches of Judaism faces challenges as membership declines and leaders look for ways to expand outreach, especially to younger Jews.

In this predominantly Muslim nation, religious extremism and resentment of the West both contribute to violence against Pakistani Christians. "We feel most of the time we are not equal. Not only not equal, but the growing feeling is that we are not even wanted," says the Catholic archbishop of ...

“The Arab world will always be a religious place,” says film director Haifaa Al-Mansour, but “it’s important not to see ourselves as us against the world. It’s more of us with the world.”

We caught up last month at the 9:30 Club in Washington with Robert Randolph and the Family Band and their “House of God sound.”