The U.S. State Department is advising visitors to Jerusalem to dress modestly when visiting certain neighborhoods, or to avoid the areas entirely, in hopes of not provoking local sensitivities.
The increase of sectarian violence among warring sides in the Syrian conflict has heightened fears the brutal 11-month crackdown by the Assad regime on pro-democracy forces could see the country slide into an all-out civil war fanned by religious animosity.
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s highest court has upheld the censure of the Rev. Jane Spahr for performing 16 same-gender marriages in California during a time that such rites were legal in the state.
The General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) today (Feb. 16) approved sweeping changes to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) four special offerings designed to meet a goal of increasing the offerings to $20 million by 2020, nearly double what they took in last year.
A task force is recommending that the Southern Baptist Convention maintain its official name but give members of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination the option of calling themselves “Great Commission Baptists.”
The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) and its global partners marked World Radio Day on Feb. 13, declaring that this venerable technology “guarantees space for ordinary people to have a public voice and to be heard by decision-makers.”
In order to revitalize collegiate ministry in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Collegiate Ministries task force suggests several steps — establishing a shared vision and brand across the church, creating or renewing 101 college congregations, developing training and recruiting opportunities for leaders and instituting sustainable funding.
In a career that has spanned half a century, American musician Paul Simon says there’s always been a spiritual dimension to his work. But the overt religious references in his most recent album, “So Beautiful or So What,” surprised even him. There are songs about God, angels, creation, pilgrimage, prayer and the afterlife.
Growing up in Kuwait, Asif Balbale thought he wanted to become a chemical engineer. He never imagined enlisting in the U.S. Navy, much less becoming an imam.
Balbale got his engineering degree after immigrating to the U.S. at age 21. With jobs hard to come by, he tried to enlist in the Army, but didn't weigh enough. Instead, he met the Navy’s minimum requirements.
Pope Benedict XVI is among those contributing to the restoration of the Basilica of St. Augustine in Annaba, Algeria, in a project that the Vatican said is “a symbol of the brotherhood between Christians and Muslims,” Vatican Radio reported.