Pop culture’s 'reverent irreverence': How artists blur irony, sincerity and religion

Purity culture backlash over a comedian exposes fear of theological scrutiny

(RNS) — Millions of Christians have been programmed to the point of nervous system-level discomfort to avoid cultural taboos as though divinely established, yet feel no such conviction about the things Jesus is recorded as saying are his priorities.

How a 2,300-mile Walk for Peace thrust a Texas monk and his rescue dog into the spotlight

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Within weeks, the Walk for Peace had propelled this obscure monk into the spotlight as a leading voice for inner peace and unity in an increasingly divided nation.

Mount Olympus, home of the ancient Greek gods, vies for World Heritage status

LITOCHORO, Greece (AP) — The nomination is to be discussed when the World Heritage Committee meets in Busan, South Korea from Sunday through July 29.

Paris’ Grand Mosque celebrates its 100th anniversary and interfaith dialogue

PARIS (AP) — The rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris sees it as a symbol of interfaith dialogue and France’s diversity, but worries about religious tensions in the country linked to conflicts in the Middle East and the polarizing campaign for next year’s presidential election.

Takeaways from the AP-NORC poll of more than 1,000 Jewish Americans

WASHINGTON (AP) — The survey of 1,022 Jewish adults — including people who identify as Jewish by religion and religiously unaffiliated people who identify as Jewish through culture, ethnicity or family background — offers a rare detailed accounting of a key demographic that sits at the very center of some of the nation’s most divisive political debates.