Who did the honors: clergy, a justice of the peace or just a friend? More and more weddings are performed by someone ordained online. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via Getty Images By Dusty Hoesly, of University of California, Santa Barbara Wedding season is here again, and my calendar is filling up – not just as a guest. Over the past 15 years, I have officiated over 20 weddings for friends and family, plus nearly 200 more as a part-time professional wedding officiant.... Read more
The Seven Lucky Gods usher in good fortune in the new year in Japan. Among them, Hotei plays the most prominent role, for he is considered not just a lucky god, but also a buddha. Read more
Rituals of rest and contemplation are woven into many religious traditions around the world. Read more
Samaritans still live in Israel, where they are often caught between Israeli and Palestinian identities. Read more
Enormous, scaly, fire-breathing dragons have fascinated civilizations for centuries. A scholar who studies monsters explains their power and appeal. Read more
Many religions have been used to prop up nationalism, and Catholicism is no exception, as a Jesuit priest and scholar explains. Read more
Islamic views on abortion are based on diverse interpretations of what’s right and wrong when it comes to the body. Read more
The field of ‘monster studies’ looks at how texts reflect ideas about what’s evil, weird or scary. Read more
Historians of American religious history explain why the Supreme Court’s recent religious liberty rulings are an example of America’s long struggle to define religious freedom. Read more
Faith can inform opinions about abortion on both sides of the political debate, but the Bible itself says nothing directly about the topic, a biblical scholar explains. Read more
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