Bernini created art for 8 different popes. In the process, he helped reinforce and redefine Christianity’s visual culture.

Human sacrifice appears to be as old as humanity itself. Still, experts disagree on how and where the practice first originated.

Black cat crossed your path?

Millions of people have had a near-death experience, and it often leads them to believe in an afterlife. Does this count as good proof?

Mathematics and religion both embody awe-inspiring, eternal truths.

If secrets are a kind of poison, confession is the antidote.

There is a lot of truth in the ancient wisdom found in almost all religions. Love really is the answer to most problems.

People believe that slow and deliberative thinking is inherently superior to fast and intuitive thinking. The truth is more complicated.

A toxicological study shows that the victims of human sacrifice consumed coca leaves and ayahuasca before they were killed, but not for reasons we originally thought.

"Immodest Acts" tells the story of Benedetta Carlini, a lesbian nun who claimed to be a mystic visionary but failed to convince the leaders of her faith. 

Many atheists think of themselves as intellectually gifted individuals, guiding humanity on the path of reason. Scientific data shows otherwise.

Catholic sisters outnumber priests and religious on every continent.

There is much more to the Kama Sutra than just sex. It's a guide to anyone wanting more pleasure in life, however they take it.

Many people perceive the struggle to understand our Universe as a battle between science and God. But this is a false dichotomy.

The relationship between these two ways of thinking about the world deserves deeper exploration.

By toppling medieval Europe’s mightiest political power, the Protestant Reformation ushered in a new age of freedom, religious and otherwise.

Modern applications of Stoicism show up in unexpected places, from the latest techniques in psychotherapy to texts on Christian theology.

A growing body of research shows that religious people seem to enjoy more psychological well-being compared to others.

Online Shinto communities have existed since the birth of the internet as we know it.

Using the Book of Mormon as a sacred but ambiguous atlas, the Latter-day Saints have been looking for the lost city of Zarahemla for decades.

There are different types of atheism and atheists. In general, they can be classified as the non-religious, the non-believers, and agnostics.

Religion fosters traits that are helpful in a school system that relies on authority figures and rewards people who follow the rules.

We value human life in a way that assumes we possess a sacred something not found in beings like lambs, turkeys, or mosquitoes.

Thich Nhat Hanh, the late Vietnamese monk, thought walking could be a profound contemplative practice.

When Saint Ambrose of Milan was venerated, his life became public property, its meaning expanding with the unique interpretations of each new generation.

The smartest person in the world was Isaac Newton, a true polymath whose brilliance never has been, nor ever will be, surpassed.

Is hope more realistic than despair? Aquinas thinks so.

The death of God didn’t strike Nietzsche as an entirely good thing. Without a God, the basic belief system of Western Europe was in jeopardy.

“I need to think about the future. Will you help me?”

Non-Western thought is vast and ancient, so why don't some consider it philosophy?