religion

For Gabriel Otero, the Catholic Mission San Xavier del Bac in Tucson, Ariz., is a sacred place. Indigenous people, Latinos and people of European ancestry all worship there.

In Tucson, Ariz., Cultures Combine At 300-Year-Old Catholic Mission

5:31pm January 11, 2017

by NPR Staff

There's a place in Tucson, Ariz., where many cultures combine. The Catholic Mission San Xavier del Bac is over 300 years old, and white and Latino Catholics as well as two native tribes call it home.

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Father Argues Against Radicalism In 'Letters to a Young Muslim'

4:38pm January 09, 2017

NPR's Kelly McEvers talks to author Omar Saif Ghobash, who wrote the book, Letters to a Young Muslim.

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Pope Francis Reiterates Support For Public Breast-Feeding

10:50am January 09, 2017

by Rebecca Hersher

The leader of the Roman Catholic Church encouraged mothers to breast-feed their infants during a baptism ceremony for 28 babies on Sunday in the Sistine Chapel.

Where Faith Runs Deep, Cairo Suicide Bombing Sparks Fear During Orthodox Christmas

8:40am January 08, 2017

by Jane Arraf

After last month's bombing at a Cairo church, Orthodox Christians mark their Christmas under heightened security, and uncertainty over the future of the Middle East's largest Christian community.

A Memoir Of Taking Christianity 'To The Extreme'

8:13am January 07, 2017

Comedy writer Maggie Rowe was 19 when she checked herself into an evangelical psychiatric facility. She says she had a fear of sin and eternal damnation. That's the focus of her memoir Sin Bravely.

More Families Choosing Cremation For Departed Loved Ones

8:08am January 07, 2017

Cremation rates in the U.S. have nearly doubled over the past 15 years. Barbara Kemmis, executive director of the Cremation Association of North America, discusses reasons for the increase.

Religion

Remembering Huston Smith, Noted 'World's Religions' Scholar

1:58pm January 04, 2017

Smith, who died on Friday, was a Methodist minister who traveled the world studying Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism and other religions. Originally broadcast in 1996.

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A Diplomat Reflects On Moderate Islam In 'Letters To A Young Muslim'

1:58pm January 04, 2017

Omar Saif Ghobash was 6 when an assassin killed his father, who was a diplomat from the United Arab Emirates. His new book is a collection of letters to his sons, urging them to reject extremism.

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Sister Frances Carr (left) and Brother Arnold Hadd in 1995. Carr died this week, leaving just two members of the religious group known as the Shakers.

One Of The Last Shakers Dies

7:35pm January 03, 2017

by Richard Gonzales

The nearly extinct American religious group with roots in 18th Century England has lost one one of its last remaining members.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid bow their heads in prayer in this 2015 photo. All three are Christians, as are more than 90 percent of congressional members.

Nonreligious Americans Remain Far Underrepresented In Congress

3:47pm January 03, 2017

by Danielle Kurtzleben

Only one member of Congress is religiously unaffiliated, but more than 1 in 5 Americans is.