Studying Judaism? Google Gallery Street View for Israel is very good and includes the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jaffa’s Clock Tower, and the Knesset, to name just few of the sites. Read more

Here’s an interesting clip in which the host tries to analyze the meaning of the Dao through popular film. Read more

Here a young British Sikh man reminds us that Sikhs are people of love, equality and peace, and that their turban is their crown. According to the Huffington Post where I found the clip, Pardeep Singh Bahra, a young British author, produced the clip in an attempt to confront popular misconceptions about Sikhs and their turbans. Read more

Ever wonder how a Sikh wraps his turban or just what the meaning of the turban might be? The clip above from the Religion and Ethics Weekly answers those questions. The occasion  was a  “Turban Showdown” for children  at a gurdwara in Northern Virginia and sponsored by the Sikh Foundation of Northern Virginia. Read more

This is not the Book of Mormon, but rather The Book of Purim, a cute parody of the Book of Mormon Purim is the Jewish holiday that commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people in ancient Persia from extermination. You can read  a summary of the story, which comes from the Old Testament Book of Esther, at the Chabad site. The JewishVirtual Library also has a good summary. Purim falls on the 14th day of Adar, which is usually March. Adar,... Read more

Studying Islam?  Here’s an interesting History Channel documentary about the history of the Qur’ran. Read more

No, the men above (and the women below) are not being tortured. They are actually practicing a form of mediation called Iyengarthat “encourages the  use of props to assist with poses.” According to the New York Times, a Jewish couple in Tel Aviv introduced this form of yoga to their fellow orthodox Jews. They say that “their students, taught in single-sex classes, are encouraged to come as they are, even in day clothes or long skirts, if necessary.” You can... Read more

You can also visit the British Museum online exhibition about Ganesha called “From Temple to Home: Celebrating Ganesha.” Read more

For Women’s World History Month, you might consider some of the great lessons about women and religion from George Mason’s  Center for History and New Media.  You’ll find teaching materials with primary sources on topics like the Hindu practice of Sati,  Bhakti poets, and the Islamic empire. You can also explore the Internet Sacred Texts  Archives which has a page relating “specifically to women and religion from a female perspective.” You’ll find historic feminist texts, goddess-oriented texts, and texts from “otherwise”... Read more

It’s Lent and Faith Street has a great primer with everything you ever wanted to know about the origin and practice of Lent. Did you know, for example, that in the early days of the Christian Church, Lent “was a two-day fast beginning on Good Friday and intended for those preparing for baptism.”  In addition,  you had to avoid dairy products and eggs.  All that, of course, changed over time, according to Carrie Mitchell, the graduate intern at Faith Street... Read more