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

A gavel rests on top of a Quran with prayer beads on one side of it.

A gavel rests on top of a Quran with prayer beads on one side of it.

What is Sharia law, and why is it so controversial in the United States?

Asma Uddin, Michigan State University; Institute for Humane Studies

An open title page of a book, with the title and editor's name in black lettering.

An open title page of a book, with the title and editor's name in black lettering.

‘Let nothing be forgotten’: Holocaust survivors’ memorial books honored lives lost and vibrant hometowns

Jennifer Rich, Rowan University

How religion collided with race and politics in Brazil’s presidential election

John Thomas III, College of Charleston

A woman's hands, outstretched in prayer, with purple nail polish.

A woman's hands, outstretched in prayer, with purple nail polish.

Ghost stories don’t just scare us – they remind us of historical injustices

Marcus Librizzi, University of Maine

A ghostlike figure peers into a cabin through the glass windows.

A ghostlike figure peers into a cabin through the glass windows.

Why ultra-Orthodox parties hold so much sway in Israeli politics

Hannah Ridge, Chapman University; Institute for Humane Studies

Three officers in gray uniforms stand with their backs toward the camera, near a crowd of men in suits and black hats in the middle of a road.

Three officers in gray uniforms stand with their backs toward the camera, near a crowd of men in suits and black hats in the middle of a road.

What the failed attack on an Illinois temple reveals about anti-Hindu hate in the United States

Arun Brahmbhatt, Syracuse University

A large white temple with domelike structures with a police car parked outside.

A large white temple with domelike structures with a police car parked outside.

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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 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.

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

Robert A. Ballingall, University of Maine

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

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.

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.'

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Global religion

Japan’s expensive funerals and declining birth rates are transforming ancestral traditions

Mimi Hanaoka, University of Richmond

People seated around a table with an altar displaying the photo of a deceased woman next to them.

People seated around a table with an altar displaying the photo of a deceased woman next to them.

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.

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Wisdom from around the world

40 days to arrive, 40 days to leave: How Armenian culture honors life’s most important moments

Shushan Karapetian, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

A baby holds an adult's finger with their entire hand in a close-up photograph against a white background.

A baby holds an adult's finger with their entire hand in a close-up photograph against a white background.

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.

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.

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Religion and immigration

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

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

Gina Perez, Oberlin College and Conservatory

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.

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.

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