Religious History
Why No One Can Agree on What George Washington Thought About the Relationship Between Church and State
The first president wanted to unite citizens of all religions without alienating Catholics, freethinkers and Jews
Sri Lankan Government Pledges to Rebuild 175-Year-Old Church Damaged in Deadly Easter Bombings
St. Anthony’s Shrine has long served as a symbol of unity and religious tolerance
A Small Fire Broke Out at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque as Flames Ravaged Notre-Dame
The blaze left the Islamic holy site largely untouched, damaging a single mobile guard booth
Which Came First, Vengeful Gods or Complex Civilizations?
A new study pushes back against the hypothesis that moralizing gods were necessary to keep large societies civil
The Complex Role Faith Played for Incarcerated Japanese-Americans During World War II
Smithsonian curator of religion Peter Manseau weighs in on a history that must be told
A Medieval Nun Wanted to Escape Her Convent—so She Faked Her Death
This story and others have come to light during a project to translate and digitize a series of texts about archbishops in York, England
Archaeologists Find First-Known Temple of ‘Flayed Lord’ in Mexico
While the rituals associated with the site may not be entirely clear, identifying the ruins of a temple to the deity Xipe Tóte is an important discovery
Museum of the Bible Acknowledges Five of Its Dead Sea Scrolls Are Forgeries
Analysis suggests nearly one-third of the museum's 16 scrolls are fakes, and study of the remaining fragments may yield similar results
What Does Hell Look Like?
A new book imagines how the underworld may appear with these illustrations
Why the Legend of Medieval Pope Joan Persists
The mythical female pope is back in the news as an academic uses medieval coins to look for physical evidence of her reign
Artificial Intelligence Can Now Decipher Medieval Graffiti (Cat Sketches and All)
Researchers sought to decipher the 11th-century graffiti adorning the walls of St. Sophia’s Cathedral in Kiev
Pocket-Sized Bible Returns to Canterbury Cathedral After 500 Years
The volume was lost after Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of the cathedral’s monastery
Armenia’s “Tree of Life” Tradition Took Root Thousands of Years Ago, and Has Only Grown Since
The tree adorned in this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival will continue to blossom overseas
The Point of Armenia's Splashy Holiday Is Getting Wet
The ancient tradition of Vardavar attracts tourists to Armenia, but bring a change of clothes
Meet the Americans Following in the Footsteps of the Knights Templar
Disbanded 700 years ago, the most famous of the medieval Christian orders is undergoing a 21st century revival
Unfurling the Rich Tapestry of Armenian Culture
This year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival will offer a window on Armenian visions of home
How Computer Scientists Model the Role of Religion in Society
Virtual simulations attempt to show how faith influences human behavior in the face of terror
Sacred Sites Can Also Be Hotspots of Conservation
Protecting burial grounds, temples and churchyards can bolster wildlife and forests
Exhibition Shows How Iran's Present and Past Merge Through Art
The new show at LACMA features 125 works of art from more than 50 artists, some of whom couldn’t make it to the opening because of the travel ban
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
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