Here a young Muslim and a young Jew challenge the stereotypes that, as Upworthy (where I found the video) says, ” have worked so hard to keep them apart.” Upworthy is right when they call this “an absolutely stunning performance.” Thanks to Al Beeson for tweeting the link. Read more
Here’s a great clip from the PBS News Hour about Pope Francis’s decision to canonize Pope John XXIII who served from 1958 to 1963 and Pope John Paul II, who served from 1978 to 2005. How does a Pope get canonized? Does he really have to have perform two miracles? Don’t popes usually canonize only one pope at a time? News Hour religion reporter, Rachel Zoll, answers all these questions int this short interview. Read more
Here’s a great five minute animated video explaining how to meditate. It’s based on Martin Boroson’s book. Read more
BBC News has a great map, essay, and even video clips explaining why Jerusalem means so much to Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The map above, which is clearer on the BBC site, shows the major sites. The BBC site has several video clips explaining the different sites. In one, a tour guide gives you a quick trip around the major sites. al-Aqsa mosque important to Muslims Western Wall important to the Jewish faith Church of the Holy Sepulchre, holiest... Read more
What does dharma mean? When we study Hinduism in World History, we define dharma as a Hindu’s religious duty. But Robert E. Buswell, Jr. and Donald S. Lopez, Jr in a essay for Tricycle Magazine note that dharma has many meanings, especially as it applies to Buddhism. For example, Buswell and Lopez note that dharma was important before the birth of the Buddha. “In Vedic literature,” they say, “it often refers to the ritual sacrifice that maintains the order of the... Read more
Here’s an animated feature documentary in which three superheroes of peace use the five Buddhist powers–insight, diligence, concentration, and mindfulness–to change the world. The three superheroes are,Thich Nhat Hanh, Sister Chan Khong, and Alfred Hassler. The documentary also released a companion series of comic books featuring the superheroes. The clip above is a trailer for the documentary and below you’ll find another trailer. Read more
Visual.ly has a great visual guide to Islamic veils. I just snagged a few for the image above. Read more
Do your students know the religious symbols? Here’s a great site that reviews the major symbols and here’s a link to a symbols quiz that I posted earlier this year. Read more
Reza Alan, author of Zealtot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth was on Reddit last night. Viewers could ask him anything and they did. Some questions and answers were funny like the two exchanges below and many were serious like the third and fourth. Question: Who would you save from a burning building? A) Bill O’Reilly B) Glenn Beck C) Rush Limbaugh D) None... Read more
Studying Hinduism and the popular gods? Here’s a great graphic showing the symbolism of the various components of the image. And here’s a more detailed explanation of Ganesha’s symbolism Read more
World Religions
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In