Does Russian President Vladimir Putin want to be canonized as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church? Could his canonization help his hold on power in war-torn Russia? The Russian Orthodox Church may be undergoing a shift in its religious orientation, further aligning its ideals with those of the Russian state, as was the case […]
The modern enlightened thought has made out of the working hypothesis «etsi Deus non daretur» a kind of procedural dogma of its attempt to bring order to our world. Sometimes, in doing so, it has shown an intransigence worthy of the most rigorous religious belief. It often forgot that «living without God» is certainly possible—but […]
The Israeli bombing of the Church of the Holy Family raises bigger questions about the future of Israel. Does it want to live under siege, or does it want to become a powerhouse integrated into the region? The Holy Land is made up of symbols and of symbolic places. Jerusalem is the holy city of […]
There are two Wests: one is dead, though pretending to be alive, and the other is thriving, though pretending to have troubles. They are different and must not be confused, lest great mistakes be made. For centuries, the West has struggled with the recurring idea of its own decline and looming disaster. While other nations refrain […]
On May 22, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinscahft (DFG), together with the Council of Sciences, announced which departments of excellence at German universities would receive federal funding for the seven-year period 2026-2033. Since then, the failure to renew funding for the Department of Excellence “Religion and Politics” at the University of Münster – active since 2007 with […]
Pope Leo will have to face the delicate issue of China, yet he may want to see how the problem is perceived in Beijing. Here is a summary. One of the most delicate topics Pope Leo will have to address is undoubtedly China. The meticulous Vatican diplomacy will surely be able to tell him every […]
On May 20 (375), the Council of Nicaea began, which would than define the divinity of Jesus and the Trinitarian dimension of the Christian God. Heiner Wilmer, Catholic bishop of Hildesheim (Germany), shows how significant ideas for restoring strength and substance to our democracies in crisis are hidden in the structural folds of this Christological […]
