Muslims all over the world are celebrating Eid al-Fitr, one of the religion’s principal festivals. There are two major eids in the Islamic calendar per year — in August, Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Adha. Eid al-Fitr is a three-day-long festival and is known as the “Lesser” or “Smaller Eid.” Ken Chitwood, a scholar of global Islam, explains the Islamic festivals. Read more
Benjamin Netanyahu failed to form a governing coalition and dissolved parliament on May 29. In a struggle over what it means to be Jewish, secular Israelis complain ultra-Orthodox use social welfare but don't serve in the military. A bill to draft Haredim played a key role in Netanyahu’s failure. Read more
Mohammad Hassan Khalil, associate professor of religious studies and director of the Muslim Studies Program at Michigan State University, answers six questions about the significance of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting. Read more
Chaplain of the Paris Fire Brigade, Jean-Marc Fournier, is credited with saving the crown of thorns from the Cathedral of Notre Dame. Although rarely seen by those on the outside, fire chaplains provide care to firefighters, family members and members of the public of all faiths and beliefs. Read more
As Christians observe Good Friday they will remember, with devotion and prayer, the death of Jesus on the Cross. In the Middle Ages, however, Good Friday was a dangerous time for Jews. Read more
Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg has captured wide media attention. One reason is that he has been unguarded in speaking about his religious beliefs, arguing that his faith shapes his politics, echoing the Social Gospel movement. Read more
Scrolling through news of the Notre Dame fire on social media feeds was like watching a real-time archive of grief. Why do some heritage places elicit more emotions than others? There is no simple answer to this question, but it is not simply because it is more important or beautiful than other places. Read more
It’s tax day. Americans will pay an average of US$10,489 in personal taxes—about 14% of the average household income. Most think it is their civic duty. Many believe they are morally obliged to obey the law. How are we to know if paying taxes is the right thing to do? Read more
By Jordan Frith, University of North Texas An almost invisible electronic device used all over the world – best known to much of the public for helping reunite lost pets and their owners, but also found in subway cards, electronic tolling, luggage tags, passports and warehouse inventory systems – has alarmed some evangelical Christian communities, who see in this technology the work of the Antichrist. In a section of “A Billion Little Pieces,” my recent book about Radio Frequency Identification... Read more
In the college admission scam, wealthy parents including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin bought their kids’ admission to elite universities, prosecutors found. Some might ask why did these parents fail to consider the moral implications of their actions? Read more
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