“What to the Slave is The Fourth of July?”: Annotated
On July 5 1852 Frederick Douglass gave a Fourth of July speech that became his most famous public oration.
Pop-Culture Preaching in the 1910s
Billy Sunday was a charismatic preacher who brought in thousands to his vaudeville-inspired church services.
How American Buddhism is Like an Elephant
Researchers see a distinct difference between Buddhist immigrants and Americans of European ancestry who have embraced Buddhism's tenets.
How America Embraced Yoga
More than a century ago, a blend of exotic stereotypes, trendy health advice, and new ideas about religion and gender built the foundations of the American yoga movement.
How Anti-Catholicism Created an American Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton is known today as the first American Roman Catholic saint. Her road to canonization was no easy path.
The Religious Roots of the Easter Parade
The revival of Easter as a festival-type holiday coincided with a rise in Catholic immigration and relaxing religious standards in the 1880's.
Chick Tracts and the Culture Wars
Jack Chick has been called the “most widely read theologian in history.” His Chick tracts have circulated for years. He was also vehemently anti-Catholic.
Women’s Expressions of Grief, from Mourning Clothes to Memory Books
Mourning clothes were a signal to the world that a family—really, that a woman had suffered a loss.