Religion

Religious Institutions Fear Same-Sex Marriage Could Affect Tax Exemptions

9:20pm June 26, 2015

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with Rick Scarborough, founder of the conservative Christian organization Vision America, about what the Supreme Court's ruling on same-sex marriage means for religious institutions.

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President Obama Delivers Eulogy At Funeral For Rev. Clementa Pinckney

9:20pm June 26, 2015

by Wade Goodwyn

President Obama delivered the eulogy Friday at the funeral of Rev. Pinckney in Charleston, S.C., Friday. The state senator was killed last Wednesday in the shooting at a historic black church.

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Nuns greet Pope Francis as he arrives to lead the weekly audience in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican on Thursday. The pope, speaking at his weekly general audience, said sometimes separation is "morally necessary."

Pope: Sometimes Marital Separation 'Morally Necessary'

5:26pm June 25, 2015

by Scott Neuman

Francis, speaking during his weekly general audience, said couples splitting may be needed to protect "the weaker spouse" and children.

Parishioners sing four days after a mass shooting that claimed the lives of nine people at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Church on Sunday.

Emotional Service Held At Charleston Church Days After Shootings

11:24pm June 21, 2015

by Scott Neuman

The Sunday gathering is the first since the killing of nine members of a Bible study group last week at the church.

Prophet Muhammad Cartoons To Be Broadcast On Dutch TV

6:40pm June 21, 2015

by Scott Neuman

A far-right politician, who gave a speech at a Dallas area event attacked last month for featuring a Muhammad drawing contest, said the images will be aired on Wednesday.

Churches Try To Stay Safe — And Keep Their Open-Door Policies

3:48pm June 21, 2015

After a shooter walked into a prayer meeting and killed nine people this week, faith leaders struggle to balance security and community. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to Rev. Charles Watkins in Charleston.

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Words Made Flesh: Literature And The Language Of Prayer

7:03am June 21, 2015

by Juan Vidal

No American writer has been able to pin down the intersection of faith, prayer and art like Flannery O'Connor. Critic Juan Vidal reflects on her Prayer Journal, and the faith that words can live.

The Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., has overcome fire, earthquakes and hurricanes in its nearly 200-year history.

'Mother Emanuel' Church Suffers A New Loss In Charleston

8:47pm June 20, 2015

by Bill Chappell

The church that was the scene of Wednesday's mass shooting has survived a string of challenges, from racism to an earthquake. Emanuel took its current name at the end of the Civil War.

Charleston residents visit a makeshift memorial for victims of Wednesday's mass shooting at the Emanuel AME Church on Calhoun Steet in Charleston, S.C.

The Victims: 9 Were Slain At Charleston's Emanuel AME Church

8:44pm June 20, 2015

by NPR Staff

Pastors, parishioners, a coach, a librarian, a graduate: Authorities identify the nine people who were shot and killed during a Bible study at a Charleston, S.C., church on Wednesday night.

A Confederate flag that's part of a Civil War memorial on the grounds of the South Carolina State House flies during a Martin Luther King Day rally in 2008. The state is under fire for continuing to fly the flag.

Confederate Flag 'Has To Come Down' In S.C., NAACP Leader Says

8:43pm June 20, 2015

by Bill Chappell

Calling Wednesday's killing of nine black church members in Charleston, S.C., a hate crime, the head of the NAACP says it's not appropriate for South Carolina to keep flying the Confederate flag.