Last month, a group of University of Auckland researchers released a report on social cohesion in Aotearoa New Zealand. A media release accompanying the report stated that social cohesion is under threat in this country. “[The] challenge of social cohesion is becoming increasingly critical, and more research and policy development is needed to help sustain Read more
I understand Christianity because Jesus was especially concerned with people on the margins of society. The sick, the poor, and the outcasts were high on his priority list. Thus, churches (being the extension of Jesus’ ministry), should focus their efforts on those exact same people. But the data says that is not happening. Just the Read more
In preparing to come to Antarctica, I had been told this was the most secular continent in the world, filled with scientists on a mission for discovery. But for those who are looking for spirituality, there is a lot to be discovered here too. I have spent three weeks at the South Pole Station with Read more
The Vatican’s most influential woman, French nun Nathalie Becquart, is on a global mission to bring the Pope’s decision-making process closer to the laity. Being able to celebrate Mass isn’t the only way people can undertake leadership roles in the Church, she says. That global mission has led her to Australia to hear what Australian Read more
In his Pensées, published posthumously in 1670, the French philosopher Blaise Pascal appeared to establish a foolproof argument for religious commitment, which he saw as a kind of bet. If the existence of God was even minutely possible, he claimed, then the potential gain was so huge – an “eternity of life and happiness” – Read more
As the supreme governor of the Church of England, King Charles III is expected to continue his mother’s friendship and esteem for the Catholic Church, but it will form just part of his broad interest in all Christian denominations, other world religions, and his seeming religious fervour for environmental concerns. The new monarch, who immediately Read more
The national memorial for conscientious objectors is a welcome addition to the steps above George St and Albany St, Dunedin. Since the official opening of the Archibald Baxter Peace Garden on October 29, 2021, the site has quickly established itself as an important national and local landmark. The central feature in the garden is a Read more
Among clergy and sociologists, film directors and songwriters it’s become practically a matter of cliché that people are searching for wholehearted belonging and not finding their needs met — the phenomenon, in short, behind the phrase “spiritual but not religious.” These people are setting out on an open-ended quest, on their own or with trusted Read more
Anyone who has been tracking population trends over the past few decades knows two things: America is growing more diverse, and Americans are leaving their traditional religious homes. But while many are leaving behind their formal religious affiliations and practices, this growing nation is still seeking to connect with religious and wisdom traditions — either Read more
American men are dropping out of college in alarming numbers. A slew of articles over the past year depict a generation of men who feel lost, detached and lacking in male role models. This sense of despair is especially acute among working-class men, fewer than one in five of whom completes college. Yet one group Read more