Venus of the Sewers
The Roman sewer, the Cloaca Maxima, was presided over by a goddess whose shrine stood near the Forum.
A Holy Trinity in Ancient Egypt
The ancient Mediterranean was full of religious expression, and Kemetic culture's concept of a divine family influenced early Christians.
The Changing Meaning of “Mysticism”
People who don't follow organized religion sometimes describe themselves as spiritual. But this idea isn't a recent invention.
Why Suicide Was a Sin in Medieval Europe
Although there were historical and scriptural precedents for honorable suicide, Christian theology saw it much differently.
Making Sense of the Divine Right of Kings
The United States threw off the yoke of a king more than two centuries ago. Funny how we can't get enough of our erstwhile sovereigns today.
What Did the Diggers Really Believe?
The early modern Protestant sect has been seen as a predecessor to radical political views. But is that how they saw themselves?
The Colonization of the Ayahuasca Experience
“If someone is from the Amazon,” says Evgenia Fotiou, an anthropologist who studies Western ayahuasca usage, “they bring some legitimacy” to an ayahuasca ritual.
Religious Identity and Supreme Court Justices
If successful, Amy Coney Barrett would become the 7th current Supreme Court justice to be raised a Catholic, and the sixth conservative Christian.