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

A row of men kneeling in prayer, their faces out of view, with their hands resting on their legs.

A row of men kneeling in prayer, their faces out of view, with their hands resting on their legs.

In Texas, ordinary Muslim religious practices are increasingly being treated as political threats

Asma Uddin, Michigan State University

A woman in blue running clothes snaps a picture of a large yellow sculpture in a park by a river.

A woman in blue running clothes snaps a picture of a large yellow sculpture in a park by a river.

Yiddish’s ‘revival’ points to its resilience as a portable homeland – and a global reach, from Russia to Mexico to the US

Ilan Stavans, Amherst College

Dolly Parton was more than a musical idol – for some fans, she was a spiritual icon

Sarah Dees, Iowa State University

A heap of flowers, notes and photos lie on top of a star-shaped stone that says 'Dolly Parton.'

A heap of flowers, notes and photos lie on top of a star-shaped stone that says 'Dolly Parton.'

Why French officials placed a Muslim war memorial in the intellectual heart of Paris in the 20th century

Shannon Fogg, Missouri University of Science and Technology

A large building with a green dome and tall minarets, with people walking in front of it.

A large building with a green dome and tall minarets, with people walking in front of it.

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.

Many Americans are moving away from congregations, but not necessarily from religion – movies, plays, art and social media fill the gap

Laura Yares, Michigan State University and Sharon Avni, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY

The front vestibule of a theater, seen after dark.

The front vestibule of a theater, seen after dark.

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America 250

Men and women stand in separate rows, bowing their heads in prayer.

Men and women stand in separate rows, bowing their heads in prayer.

Muslims were part of America’s story long before the republic began

Iqbal Akhtar, Florida International University

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.'

For 2 centuries, Latter-day Saints have revered religious freedom – but their definition is evolving

Benjamin Park, Sam Houston State University and Nicholas Shrum, University of Virginia

A tall white building with dramatic spires stands amid trees on a day with bright blue sky.

A tall white building with dramatic spires stands amid trees on a day with bright blue sky.

How enslaved African Muslims resisted bondage through their faith and writing

Nareman Amin, Michigan State University and Leila Tarakji, Michigan State University

Two portraits displayed side by side. On the left is a man wearing a headdress and a white robe, with a Qur'an suspended around his neck. On the right is a signed black-and-white sketch depicting a man in a high-collared jacket.

Two portraits displayed side by side. On the left is a man wearing a headdress and a white robe, with a Qur'an suspended around his neck. On the right is a signed black-and-white sketch depicting a man in a high-collared jacket.

America’s musical founding father: ‘Liberty songs’ by a self-taught singer and tanner helped fuel the Revolution

David W. Stowe, Michigan State University

A faded illustration of seven men in formal coats sitting around a table, with a musical score surrounding the image.

A faded illustration of seven men in formal coats sitting around a table, with a musical score surrounding the image.

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War and peace

A man in ornate white robes and a tall gold-colored hat waves and holds a staff.

A man in ornate white robes and a tall gold-colored hat waves and holds a staff.

‘Just war’ has guided Catholic thinking on conflict for centuries – including criticism of Iran war

Valerie Morkevičius, Colgate University

Christian satellite TV has broadcast evangelical faith – and end-times prophecies – into Iran for decades

Febe Armanios, Middlebury College

An apartment building with three satellite dishes hanging out of windows, illuminated against the night sky.

An apartment building with three satellite dishes hanging out of windows, illuminated against the night sky.

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.

Shiite grief over attacks on Iran’s sacred cities has deep historical roots

Mary Thurlkill, University of Mississippi

Several men, holding photos of Ayatollah Khamenei, raise their arms in protest.

Several men, holding photos of Ayatollah Khamenei, raise their arms in protest.

Iran’s ruling structure explained

Eric Lob, Florida International University

Hundreds of people gathered, holding green, white and red flags and carrying a large portrait.

Hundreds of people gathered, holding green, white and red flags and carrying a large portrait.

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Global religion

A Hindu soldier and a Muslim poet show how religious identities overlapped in 19th-century India

Aishwarya Lakshmi, Rice University

An Indian child holds a placard listing Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity, with the word "Indian" running through the names.

An Indian child holds a placard listing Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity, with the word "Indian" running through the names.

Emerging anti-immigration sentiment in Japan obscures a surprising history of strategic engagement with Islam

Mimi Hanaoka, University of Richmond

Two women wearing headscarves smile as they look at something together.

Two women wearing headscarves smile as they look at something together.

Why Arbaeen – the Shiite Muslim pilgrimage of mourning – has a deep significance that brings millions to Iraq each year

Iqbal Akhtar, Florida International University

A large crowd of pilgrims gathered outside a shrine with a golden dome and two golden minarets.

A large crowd of pilgrims gathered outside a shrine with a golden dome and two golden minarets.

The enduring legacy of Kashmir’s poet-saints who built bridges between faiths

Peter Dziedzic, Harvard University

Visitors walk next to a white building with a tiered roof and tall green spire.

Visitors walk next to a white building with a tiered roof and tall green spire.

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AI ethics

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.

Why sophrosyne, an ancient Greek virtue, matters more than ever in the age of AI

Ross Channing Reed, Missouri University of Science and Technology

A yellow cartoon of a brain rests on one side of a perfectly balanced beam, set against a teal backdrop.

A yellow cartoon of a brain rests on one side of a perfectly balanced beam, set against a teal backdrop.

Is AI really ‘writing’? From a priestess to philosophers, ancient authors would have said ‘no’

Ryan Leack, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

A pale stone disk with a relief in the middle depicting four figures standing in a line, facing left.

A pale stone disk with a relief in the middle depicting four figures standing in a line, facing left.

AI ethics

Read more about AI ethics

Ancient texts

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.

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

Jue Liang, Case Western Reserve University

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.

The apocrypha, Christianity’s ‘hidden’ texts, may not be in the Bible – but they have shaped tradition for centuries

Christy Cobb, University of Denver

Two open books rest on a table next to a pile of three more books.

Two open books rest on a table next to a pile of three more books.

How women are reinterpreting the menstrual taboos in Chinese Buddhism

Megan Bryson, University of Tennessee

Painting of women in a pond of blood with monks standing above them on land.

Painting of women in a pond of blood with monks standing above them on land.

An epic border: Finland’s poetic masterpiece, the Kalevala, has roots in 2 cultures and 2 countries

Thomas A. DuBois, University of Wisconsin-Madison

An illustration in shades of red, blue and green shows a line of men rowing a boat.

An illustration in shades of red, blue and green shows a line of men rowing a boat.

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