“Sixteenth Street Church had unwillingly come into the civil rights movement and was quick to exit the movement—and yet in many ways it becomes the symbol of the movement in Birmingham—so much so that following the dynamite blast, many of its members leave.”

"This is the rare time when you actually have dedicated moments to think, to reflect, to meditate. It doesn’t happen very often in our lives, and so this really is our chance to change who we are and therefore to change what becomes of us."

“On Yom Kippur you resolve to do better in the coming year, not to be perfect, just to be better.”

A conversation about religious opposition to a possible missile strike on Syria; the complex ethical and moral questions in the debate over Guantanamo Bay; and the effort to revive an ancient Buddhist university in one of India's holiest locations.

"I think the missile strike doesn’t do the most essential thing, which is saving the people of Syria. And we could do more if we spent the money we’re spending on bombs on caring for the refugees," says Father Drew Christiansen.

A growing movement is renewing calls to close the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, citing concerns about the treatment of detainees. "We need to understand what detention centers of that sort do to the moral fabric and psychic fabric of a soul. They are killing," says Nancy Sherman, author of ...

For decades, the Indian government has encouraged pilgrims to come to one of India’s holiest locations, the ancient city of Bodh Gaya. Now there is an effort to revive the Buddhist university that once flourished there long before universities like Cambridge and Oxford were founded in the West.

University of Notre Dame professor George Lopez on moral questions and a possible Syria strike; Benedictine nun Joan Chittister on the need for reform in the Catholic Church; and India’s young Jains adapting their ancient religion to fit the modern world

“Is there just cause and right intention? Yes, there’s a grave public evil with a chemical weapons attack. But on criteria of last resort, proportional response, probability of success, this strike idea really falls short of the mark.”

“Roman Catholicism is the storehouse, the treasure house of the Christian tradition. It’s this whole notion of the blend of wisdom, of commitment, of knowledge, of holiness. That’s the church for me. That’s the church I’m waiting for.”

“Our purpose is to present the most humane, spiritual, moral, communal model of life for a world in chaos around us—to be an island of care and cohesion in the midst of all the movement.”

"The world does really hunger for community and that is something that Benedictine spirituality has to offer. It is what Benedict did that was different. He created communities of people, brought people together to live this life in common."

Many young Jains are finding that living in the modern world requires more flexibility than the anti-materialistic rules of their religion allow. "My grandparents said they don’t eat food at night. But going out with friends, having a social circle, we can’t be as strict as our grandparents," ...

Black and white pastors in Sanford, Florida work toward racial reconciliation 50 years after the historic freedom march, and a series of protests in North Carolina use the language of faith to counter a conservative state legislature

Recent events such as the shooting death of Trayvon Martin and the subsequent trial of George Zimmerman have highlighted racial divides that still exist in the U.S. 50 years after the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. In the wake of the shooting, local black and white pastors in ...

“We need to remember that the anniversary of the March on Washington is not the anniversary of a speech, but the anniversary of a very important point in history to expand democracy, to deepen democracy, and to make democracy more faithful to its own sayings.”

Religious leaders in North Carolina are being arrested in growing numbers to protest new laws they say adversely affect the poor, the aging, and children. “There is great biblical precedent for people being arrested,” says Rev. Richard Edens. “It’s a great heritage to be a part of.”

"There is a lot of irony in the fact that the monk Wirathu and his followers are using fear in order to incite acts of violence that are precisely against the spirit of so much Buddhist teaching," says Eyal Aviv, a professor of religious studies and international affairs at George Washington ...

A report from India on the problem of bride trafficking; a visit with the student volunteers and the founder of buildOn, a movement inspired by the social justice demands of his Catholic faith; and a conversation with Buddhist teacher and author Lewis Richmond about aging as a spiritual practice.

In a country where the expectation to marry is high, is a shortage of females fueling the trafficking of young women to fill the need for brides?