Religion

Jesus is depicted in a wall mosaic inside Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, which served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral from A.D. 537 until 1453.

Author Traces Christianity's Path From 'Forbidden Religion' To A 'Triumph'

2:30pm March 20, 2018

by Terry Gross

Religion scholar Bart Ehrman says that the early spread of Christianity transformed the entire history of the West — for better or worse. His new book is The Triumph Of Christianity.

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Ifrah Farah, a recent immigrant from Somalia, lives in the complex allegedly targeted by the would-be terrorists. Since the bomb plot was revealed, she says she won't go out at night. "I would like to ask the bad guys, 'Why? What am I doing? Why are you t

Mosque Bombing Plot Rattles Immigrants In Kansas' 'Meat Triangle'

11:49am March 20, 2018

by Frank Morris

Militia members accused of plotting to bomb a mosque and apartment complex in southwest Kansas go on trial Tuesday. The alleged plot laid bare tiny pockets of potentially violent racism in the region.

Attacked By Alt-Right Trolls, A Jewish Journalist Links Trump To The Rise Of Hate

1:47pm March 19, 2018

by Terry Gross

Trump "has made nationalist policy into the policy of the executive branch," says New York Times editor Jonathan Weisman. His new book, (((Semitism))), is about being Jewish in the Trump era.

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Salvadoran Evangelicals Work To Change Lives Of Gang Members

8:03am March 18, 2018

El Salvador has one of the highest murder rates in the world, driven by gangs. The Economist's Sarah Esther Maslin reported on how evangelical churches help gang members pull away from lives of crime.

Patrick Desbois began investigating Nazi crimes because of his family history. His grandfather was deported to a work camp in Ukraine during World War II but never spoke about what had happened. "So I decided to go there one day," he says, "and that's whe

After Documenting Nazi Crimes, A French Priest Exposes ISIS Attacks On Yazidis

7:00am March 18, 2018

by Eleanor Beardsley

Patrick Desbois has spent the last 15 years uncovering details of Nazi massacres in Eastern Europe and Russia. Using the same methods, the priest is now uncovering ISIS crimes against Yazidis.

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Subway Line Could Threaten Sufi Shrine In Pakistan

8:13am March 17, 2018

by Diaa Hadid

Pakistan's government is building a much-needed 16-mile metro across Lahore to ease traffic. But it passes a little too close for comfort to many of the city's historic buildings.

Muslim women from Syria take a German language lesson at a Muslim cultural center in February in Halle, Germany.

Debate On Role Of Islam Divides German Government

6:06pm March 16, 2018

by Simon Schütz

Members of the Merkel government agree that Muslims belong in Germany but disagree on whether the religion itself does.

A woman dances while sitting on her friend's shoulders during St. Patrick's Day festivities in Denver last year.

When Other Cultures' Holidays Become An Excuse To Party

8:00am March 16, 2018

by Dan Pashman

From St. Patrick's Day to Cinco de Mayo, holidays from specific cultures and religions have been embraced by people looking for a reason to celebrate. What's gained and what's lost?

Angel Desai and Ranjit Chowdhry in Hammaad Chaudry's "An Ordinary Muslim"

Staging Muslims: Identity Angst In American Theater

6:00am March 15, 2018

by Bilal Qureshi

Hammaad Chaudry's new play An Ordinary Muslim pushes against limited perceptions of Muslim-Americans, but it may be pushing against too much all at once.

After Alignment With Trump, Some Evangelicals Are Questioning Movement's Leaders

4:15pm March 14, 2018

NPR's Sarah McCammon speaks with evangelical writer Michael Gerson about how using evangelicalism as a political force has strayed from its origins.

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