Religion

How a Copper Coin Mummified a Baby's Hand

The preemie was buried in a jar in an medieval cemetery with a coin to "pay" for passage into heaven

William Sloane Coffin Jr., followed by his sister, arrives at federal building in Boston on May 20, 1968.

How Vietnam War Protests Accelerated the Rise of the Christian Right

The anti-war efforts of Yale chaplain William Sloane Coffin Jr. and other church leaders alienated many Protestant Americans—with lasting repercussions

Human evolution is “one of the highest hurdles — if not the highest hurdle — to science education in America,” says Smithsonian's Rick Potts. Here, an early human fossil found in Broken Hill, Zambia.

How to Talk With Evangelicals About Evolution

For two years, researchers from the Smithsonian traveled the country explaining the science of our shared origins

A gun manufacturer in Birmingham in the 19th century.

How British Gun Manufacturers Changed the Industrial World Lock, Stock and Barrel

In ‘Empire of Guns,’ historian Priya Satia explores the microcosm of firearm manufacturing through an unlikely subject—a Quaker family

Scientists are using high-powered X-rays to reveal a hidden text beneath a 10th century religious text.

High-Powered X-Rays Reveal What's Beneath 11th-Century Religious Text

The hidden text is a translation of ancient Greek medical philosopher Galen's writing

Is This the Seal of the Prophet Isaiah?

One archaeologist believes the relic may have belonged to the biblical figure, but there are major problems with her interpretation

Billy Graham, Jr. James Pease Blair 1958 (printed later) Gelatin silver print

Billy Graham, the Evangelical Pastor Who Preached to Millions, Has Died at 99

He distinguished himself from other charismatic preachers with his ambition, technological savvy and message of inclusivity

Billy Graham, Jr. by James Pease Blair, 1958

Smithsonian’s Curator of Religion on Billy Graham’s Legacy

He was among the most influential religious leaders in U.S. history, says Peter Manseau

St. Mary's church in Norfolk

How Churches Are Improving Wi-Fi Access in Rural England

A new program is outfitting places of worship with wireless transmitters and fiber cables

Greek Orthodox priests taking part in a procession inside the Katholikon, or Catholicon Chapel, in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

A Crusader-Era High Altar Resurfaces in Jerusalem’s Holy Sepulcher

This reminder of centuries-old history was sitting in plain sight all along

Relics of St. Valentine of Terni at the basilica of Saint Mary in Cosmedin

The Gory Origins of Valentine's Day

The holiday began as a feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr, or perhaps two. So how did it become all about love?

A photo of David Koresh rests beside a wooden cross as part of a monument erected in Waco, Texas, by supporters of the Branch Davidian leader and founder, Friday, April 30, 1993.

The True Story of ‘Waco’ Is Still One of Contention

A new mini-series hopes to humanize those in and outside the doomed compound

Thomas Jefferson's two-volume personal copy of George Sale's 1734 translation of the Qur'an is now in the collections of the Library of Congress.

Why Thomas Jefferson Owned a Qur’an

Islam in America dates to the founding fathers, says Smithsonian’s religion curator Peter Manseau

Scholars Decipher One of the Last Encrypted Dead Sea Scrolls

The text sheds light on an unusual Jewish calendar

The "pyramid" of Keros

Researchers Uncover Ancient Greek Island's Complex Plumbing System

Excavations show the settlement of Dhaskalio at the pilgrimage site Keros was a sophisticated urban center

World's Largest Underwater Cave System Discovered in Mexico

The 215-mile sunken freshwater labyrinth is a trove of ancient Maya artifacts

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. chats with African-Americans during a door-to-door campaign in 1964.

This Theologian Helped MLK See the Value of Nonviolence

Minister, theologian and mystic Howard Thurman had a profound influence on Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

York Minister's Massive Medieval Stained-Glass Window Restored to Its Former Glory

Conservators spent some 92,400 hours cleaning and protecting the great east window's 311 panels

Our Lady of the Airways Chapel, Logan Airport, Boston

A Brief History of Airport Chapels

Our Lady of the Airways can still be visited in Logan

A YMCA gym in 1910.

The YMCA First Opened Gyms to Train Stronger Christians

Physical fitness was a secondary goal for the movement

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