“I have a hard time conceiving of a God completely removed from suffering,” says Christian Wiman, a lecturer in religion and literature at the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. “Once I understand the notion of Christ participating in suffering, then it makes more sense to me.” More
“Poetry had always been the place where I’d experienced God and it’s still the place where I feel lifted out of myself and given something I could not understand in any other way.” More
Complex relationships between slaves, slaveowners, abolitionists, and religion in the new movie “12 Years a Slave”; a lawyer works to make justice accessible for all in Southeast Asia; and the challenges facing Conservative Judaism on its 100th anniversary More
A movie based on the true story of Solomon Northup, a free man who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold into slavery, portrays the complex relationships between slaves, slaveowners, abolitionists, and religion. More
“It’s about remembering and never forgetting and understanding from the past and embracing your past in order to go forward into the future.” More
Watch excerpts from our interview with Yolanda Pierce, associate professor of African-American religion and literature at Princeton Theological Seminary, as she talks about the new movie “12 Years a Slave” and about Christianity and slavery in America. More
Bruce Lasky, founder of Bridges Across Borders Southeast Asia, is setting up legal clinics and instilling in Asian law students the moral obligation to help the poor. More
As it celebrates its 100th anniversary, one of the main branches of Judaism faces challenges as membership declines and leaders look for ways to expand outreach, especially to younger Jews. More
Ethical challenges raised by long-term isolation of inmates; Catholic writer James Lee Burke on moral and biblical themes and influences in his best-selling crime novels; and a mock pilgrimage that teaches Muslim American children about the rituals of the hajj. More
“A Franciscan told me once, ‘Don’t keep track of the score. The score will take care of itself.’” Writer James Lee Burke’s best-selling crime novels are full of biblical imagery, messianic language, the influences of his Roman Catholic boyhood, and a longing for redemption. More