Corruption Scandal Shakes Vatican as Internal Letters on Crony Contracts Leaked

"The Vatican was shaken by a corruption scandal Thursday after an Italian television investigation said a former top official had been transferred against his will after complaining about irregularities in awarding contracts."

Mormonism Besieged By the Modern Age

"The LDS church claims 14 million members worldwide -- optimistically including nearly every person baptized. But census data from some foreign countries targeted by clean-cut young missionaries show that the retention rate for their converts is as low as 25 percent. In the U.S., only about half of Mormons are active members of the church, said Washington State University emeritus sociologist Armand Mauss, a leading researcher on Mormons."

Scholar Emphasizes New Testament's Jewish Roots

Article on the new Jewish Annotated New Testament

Arizona Proposes Elective Bible Course for High Schools

"Proposed legislation would make Arizona the sixth state in the nation to allow schools to offer a high-school elective course on the Bible."

Rick Warren and Church Tackle Obesity

"Studies indicate that people who try to lose weight or adopt healthier habits in groups are more likely to be successful than individuals working independently."

The faith (and doubts) of our fathers

"What did the makers of America believe about God and religion? The subject is stirring the very rancour they wanted to avoid."

Battling Anew Over the Place of Religion in Public Schools

"Despite Supreme Court rulings in 1962 and ’63, open prayer and Christian symbols have never really disappeared from some schools."

U.S. Supreme Court: Ministers Can’t Sue Churches for Job Discrimination

"The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday for the first time in an important church-state separation issue that ministers cannot sue their churches claiming they had been fired in violation of employment discrimination laws."

Poll Finds 43 Percent Of People Believe God Helps Tebow Win

"According to a national telephone survey conducted by Poll Position, 43 percent of people believe that “divine intervention” is responsible for his success compared to 42 percent of people surveyed who think that God has nothing to do with Tebow winning."

Orthodox Christians Celebrate the Epiphany

Orthodox Christian worshippers plunged into chilly waters across southern and eastern Europe on Friday to retrieve crucifixes in ceremonies commemorating the baptism of Jesus Christ.

Images of Jesus Christ and Other Religious Figures Seen in Everyday Objects

Interesting slideshow of images--it speaks to contemporary popular culture and also contemporary religious psychology.