Here are a couple of Muslim comedians who can find humor in almost anything. The first clip below is from Maz Jobrani’s comedy show  called  “Axis of Evil,”  which started in 2005.  Jobrani is an Iranian American. He’s written a book called “I’m Not a Terrorist, But I’ve Played One On TV” and continues to tour the country performing at comic studios. The second clip comes from a TedX talk by Ahmed Ahmed, called “When it Comes to Laughter, We Are... Read more

Pew Research Center’s FactTank broke down the religious affiliation of all US presidents.  No surprise.  Almost all have been Christian. But do you know which denomination has been most popular? Eleven presidents including H.W. Bush and George Washington were Episcopalians. Presbyterians came in second with eight members and Catholics came in last with only member, John F. Kennedy. Read more

The Asia Society in New York City just opened a new exhibit, on February 10 featuring Buddhist art from Myanmar. The exhibit will run until mid-May 2015. The New York Times calls the exhibit “quietly majestic” and notes that “even if your interest is strictly aesthetic or historical, the show is a find, because chances are you won’t have seen much of this kind of art before.” In the clip above, Donald M. Stadtner, one of two guest curators of... Read more

If you’re studying Islam, this week might be a good time to study Rumi, the Sufi mystic and poet. That’s because Valentine’s Day is on Saturday and much of Rumi’s popular poetry is about love. Rumi lived in the 13th century and wrote a “massive collection of verse called the mathnawi, an Arabic term referring to a rhymed verse couplet.” Coleman Barks translated much of Rumi’s work into a book called The Essential Rumi. You can read a short biography... Read more

Here, historian Bettany Hughes, follows the trail of ancient female figurines that suggest a time when women were considered divine. Near the beginning of the documentary, Hughes notes that the majority of the total number of figures dug up around the world between now and 30,000BC are female. She explores why and what it says about religion. Read more

Here, in 2003, Krista Tippett interviewed Thich Nhat Hanh about mindfullness, suffering and engaged Buddhism. Tippett offers a short overview of Thich Nhat Hahn’s life in the first five minutes which might be good for students. And some students might like more of the interview as Tippett asks Nhat Hahn about engaged Buddhism. Read more

“Don’t worry citizens, Ms. Marvel is here to save the day,” in this short clip from AJPlus. Read more

Here’s what the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp looks like today, 70 years after it was liberated. BBC News posted the clip. It’s only a couple of minutes and absolutely worth showing to students. Read more

Here is an excellent short clip about the influence of the great Trappist monk, Thomas Merton, from PBS Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly. He opened up the realm of spirituality to everyone. “Any person on the street, if they were committed to it and devoted to trying it, then that path was open to them,” notes the documentary producer, Morgan Atkinson. Merton came to the church late after college and after what some call a rather hedonistic lifestyle. He finally settled... Read more