Ethics + Religion – The Conversation – Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and more

Two men wearing ties and blue button-up shirts, with their eyes closed in prayer, stand inside a room with rows of red seats.

Two men wearing ties and blue button-up shirts, with their eyes closed in prayer, stand inside a room with rows of red seats.

Belonging and belief: Why evangelical churches draw many migrants in the US

Johanna Bard Richlin, University of Maine

A painting showing a man in a long jacket being pulled in different directions by three women in black cloaks and other supernatural-looking figures nearby. A winged figure flies above and a church is in the background.

A painting showing a man in a long jacket being pulled in different directions by three women in black cloaks and other supernatural-looking figures nearby. A winged figure flies above and a church is in the background.

Americans who go to church and trust science are also more likely to believe in ghosts and curses, new research shows

Ruiqian Li, American University

From ‘A Little Princess’ to ‘Black Panther,’ how Hollywood films have reimagined the South Asian epic ‘Ramayana’

Sohini Sarah Pillai, Kalamazoo College

‘Ramayana’ appears on a giant cinema screen, with two characters facing each other amid a backdrop of swirling purple and golden clouds.

‘Ramayana’ appears on a giant cinema screen, with two characters facing each other amid a backdrop of swirling purple and golden clouds.

Religious preschools want public funding, but exemptions from nondiscrimination rules – the Supreme Court will decide if that’s constitutional

Suzanne Eckes, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Preston Green III, University of Connecticut

A row of young children sit in chairs and hold open books inside a classroom.

A row of young children sit in chairs and hold open books inside a classroom.

Today’s irreverent politics ignore ancient wisdom: The need to know your limits

Robert A. Ballingall, University of Maine

A dark-colored painting shows a balding man with a white beard, holding a book and wearing a brown cloak.

A dark-colored painting shows a balding man with a white beard, holding a book and wearing a brown cloak.

How Jim Bakker became the Johnny Carson of Christian TV

John Wigger, University of Missouri-Columbia

Middle-aged man wearing a suit and wide-framed eyeglasses gestures and grins while holding a microphone.

Middle-aged man wearing a suit and wide-framed eyeglasses gestures and grins while holding a microphone.

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AI ethics

People walking along a trail lined with lush green trees, seen from behind.

People walking along a trail lined with lush green trees, seen from behind.

AI is changing pilgrims’ journeys, but sacred journeys have always adapted to new technology

Shay Rabineau, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Chatbots as oracles: How AI is giving new life to the ancient practice of seeking answers from inscrutable sources

Webb Keane, University of Michigan and Ambuj Tewari, University of Michigan

Two robotic hands hover above a glowing crystal ball.

Two robotic hands hover above a glowing crystal ball.

Why AI resembles a charismatic religious leader

Morgan Shipley, Michigan State University

A female robot with four arms, in the image of the Hindu goddess Kali, stands against a dark blue background, surrounded by colorful digital graphics and glowing geometric shapes.

A female robot with four arms, in the image of the Hindu goddess Kali, stands against a dark blue background, surrounded by colorful digital graphics and glowing geometric shapes.

The Catholic principle guiding popes through tech upheavals, from the Industrial Revolution to AI

Walter Scheirer, University of Notre Dame

Pope Leo speaks in a microphone addressing a crowd.

Pope Leo speaks in a microphone addressing a crowd.

Large language models often prioritize Western moral values, overlooking other cultures

Aliah Zewail, UMass Amherst and Alexandra Figueroa, University of California, Berkeley

A compass placed on a world map with its needle directed toward the U.S.

A compass placed on a world map with its needle directed toward the U.S.

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Religion and politics

A tall white building with ornate pillars is seen through a hole in a row of trees.

A tall white building with ornate pillars is seen through a hole in a row of trees.

A Colorado preschool case will be the Supreme Court’s latest to test boundaries of LGBTQ rights and religious freedom

Mark Satta, Wayne State University; Institute for Humane Studies

What Wendell Berry meant to Christian farmers going green

Sydney Giacalone, University of Virginia

Someone wearing jeans and a green jacket cups soil in their hands.

Someone wearing jeans and a green jacket cups soil in their hands.

A journalist coined ‘the Bible Belt’ 100 years ago – it’s been oversimplifying the South ever since

John Hayes, Augusta University

A rural road runs alongside a field of tall crops, with a small sign that says 'Jesus is the one for you' hanging from an electrical pole.

A rural road runs alongside a field of tall crops, with a small sign that says 'Jesus is the one for you' hanging from an electrical pole.

What Jefferson and Madison would have thought about ‘rededicating’ the US to God

Steven K. Green, Willamette University

A black and white postage stamp with a small red illustration of a hand holding a flaming sword, and the words 'I have sworn...Hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.'

A black and white postage stamp with a small red illustration of a hand holding a flaming sword, and the words 'I have sworn...Hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.'

Trump’s clash with the pope reenacts a 1,000-year-old question: What happens when sacred and secular power collide?

Joëlle Rollo-Koster, University of Rhode Island

A medieval-looking illustration of a man in a tall hat placing a crown on a kneeling man's head, set against a red backdrop.

A medieval-looking illustration of a man in a tall hat placing a crown on a kneeling man's head, set against a red backdrop.

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Global religion

What the Eiffel Tower controversy reveals about a Hindu monastic practice – known as ‘brahmacharya’

Bhakti Mamtora, University of Arizona

Several monks in saffron robes pray with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Several monks in saffron robes pray with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

Even the Buddha experienced challenges with meditation: Historical texts reveal its potential downsides

Pierce Salguero, Penn State

People seated in rows on yoga mats meditate with their eyes closed.

People seated in rows on yoga mats meditate with their eyes closed.

Floods in Nepal-Tibet disrupt pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, a sacred mountain with centuries of evolving tradition

Catherine Hartmann, University of Wyoming

A torrent of muddy floodwater rushes through a Nepalese valley, with houses along the banks and lush green hills and mist-covered mountains in the background.

A torrent of muddy floodwater rushes through a Nepalese valley, with houses along the banks and lush green hills and mist-covered mountains in the background.

Most Westerners know Buddhism through meditation, but everyday Buddhist life looks quite different in Thai temples

Brooke Schedneck, Rhodes College

Several people pray while seated before a golden Buddha statue in a temple.

Several people pray while seated before a golden Buddha statue in a temple.

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Wisdom from around the world

What a Muslim folk trickster can teach us about the danger of holding a single worldview

Perin Gürel, University of Notre Dame

A man in a fake white beard and white turban leads a long line of children through a park.

A man in a fake white beard and white turban leads a long line of children through a park.

What an ancient devotional text means for the women of Nepal

Jessica Vantine Birkenholtz, Penn State

Hundreds of women dressed in red sit closely together, many with heads bowed and one hand raised in a gesture of ritual offering.

Hundreds of women dressed in red sit closely together, many with heads bowed and one hand raised in a gesture of ritual offering.

For centuries, owls were considered to bring bad luck in many cultures, but the outpouring of grief in New York over Flaco shows how times have changed

Arjun Guneratne, Macalester College

Flowers and candles left as offerings in front of pictures of an owl, resting against the base of a tree trunk, while a man in dark sunglasses sits nearby.

Flowers and candles left as offerings in front of pictures of an owl, resting against the base of a tree trunk, while a man in dark sunglasses sits nearby.

‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead’ is actually not just about death

Jue Liang, Case Western Reserve University

A Tibetan painting depicts a wrathful, multi-armed deity rendered in blue and gold, surrounded by a circle of smaller attendant figures.

A Tibetan painting depicts a wrathful, multi-armed deity rendered in blue and gold, surrounded by a circle of smaller attendant figures.

Read more about wisdom from around the world

Religion and immigration

A close-up photograph of two people holding hands, with the rest of the room in front of them blurred.

A close-up photograph of two people holding hands, with the rest of the room in front of them blurred.

‘Sanctuary people’ redefine what it means to protect immigrants in uncertain times

Gina Perez, Oberlin College and Conservatory

American politicians talk about persecuted Christians abroad – but here’s what happens when those Christians migrate to the US

Candace Lukasik, Mississippi State University

A congregation gathers for a church service, facing an altar adorned with images of Jesus, where priests in white robes stand conducting the service.

A congregation gathers for a church service, facing an altar adorned with images of Jesus, where priests in white robes stand conducting the service.

Why Christian clergy see risk as part of their moral calling

Laura E. Alexander, University of Nebraska Omaha

People kneel in the snow wearing winter hats and jackets as law enforcement officers stand and walk behind them.

People kneel in the snow wearing winter hats and jackets as law enforcement officers stand and walk behind them.

Catholic clergy are speaking out on immigration − more than any other political issue except abortion

Evan Stewart, UMass Boston and Diane Beckman, UMass Boston

A line of men in black robes and red sashes lead a small march through city streets.

A line of men in black robes and red sashes lead a small march through city streets.

Why standing in solidarity with immigrants is an act of accompaniment in Catholic philosophy

Kristy Nabhan-Warren, University of Iowa

People wearing winter jackets, hats and gloves stand with posters saying, 'ICE out now,' and 'Justice for all those murdered by ICE,' among others.

People wearing winter jackets, hats and gloves stand with posters saying, 'ICE out now,' and 'Justice for all those murdered by ICE,' among others.

Read more on religion and immigration

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