How Tourism Reinvented Jesus’ Baptism Site

Pilgrims and tourists are flocking to a baptismal site in the Holy Land in search of religious experience—and souvenirs.

The Perennial Power of Ritual

Rituals soothe, excite, and unite people throughout the world. But how exactly do they work, and what makes them so meaningful?

The Paradox of Donald Trump’s Appeal

How can a political candidate as offensive and outrageous as Trump be so popular? Fifty-year-old insights into how religion works may hold the key.

The Right to Own Living Memorials

Hundreds of memorial statues stolen from Kenya and Tanzania have ended up in U.S. museums. Should the principle of informed consent be applied to (apparently) inanimate objects?

Ladders to Other Worlds

For many Pueblo Indians, the ladder is at once a practical tool and a powerful metaphor. The ladder is used to descend and ascend—and to cross multiple worlds.