Religion

Five Things to Know About Evangelical Cartoonist Jack Chick

The controversial artist died after 50 years of publishing comics

Holy card from the collection of Emilio Cueto

The Surprising History of Cuba's Patron Saint

Nicknamed "Cachita," the 15-inch-tall wooden figurine of the Virgin Mary unites Cubans across class and race lines

A Pearl Harbor Survivor Liaison scatters the ashes of Ed Chappell, who requested that his remains be scattered where his fallen shipmates died in 1941.

The Vatican Just Banned Scattering Ashes

A new doctrinal rule requires Roman Catholics to store cremains at cemeteries

During an initiation ceremony for the Afro-Cuban secret society called Abakuá in the Havana district of Regla, a young aspirant depicts Aberisún, an ireme, or spirit messenger.

Venture Inside Cuba's Secret Societies

From Masons to Santería priests, photographer Nicola Lo Calzo offers a glimpse into the island's many subcultures

President Barack Obama and Republican Party nominee Mitt Romney broke bread at the 2012 Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner.

The History of Presidential Politics' Most Important Dinner Date

For decades, the Al Smith Dinner has helped Catholic voters dine and decide

Making the Case for the Next American Saint

Sister Blandina Segale showed true grit while caring for orphans and outlaws in New Mexico

Understanding the Gospel of Nat Turner

The leader of the deadly slave revolt had a deep Christian faith that propelled his rebellious actions

A Hindu temple painted yellow.

This Group Celebrates Kenya’s Religious Diversity by Painting Religious Centers Yellow

Painting for pluralism

An artist's representation of the Akelarre.

Visit the Site of the Biggest Witch Trial in History

Over 7,000 people were accused of witchcraft in Basque Spain

It is thought that Nat Turner was holding this Bible when he was captured two months after the rebellion he led against slaveholders in Southampton County, Virginia.

Nat Turner's Bible Gave the Enslaved Rebel the Resolve to Rise Up

A Bible belonging to the enslaved Turner spoke of possibility says curator Rex Ellis of the National Museum of African American History and Culture

Inside the Church of Saint Nicholas, Father Nikolai Yakunin blesses parishioners during Pascha (Russian Easter), which begins at midnight and ends at dawn. The smoke of the incense is said to lift prayers to heaven.

In a Remote Alaskan Town, a Centuries-Old Russian Faith Thrives

Residents of Nikolaevsk remain true to the traditions of their ancestors, who fled religious persecution in the 17th-century

The Williams Dreamland Theatre, Tulsa, OK, c. 1921

Your Questions About African-American History, Answered

A special edition of Ask Smithsonian on the occasion of the opening of a new Smithsonian museum

A woman wearing a burkini at the beach

France’s Top Court Overturns Burkini Ban

French swimmers may keep wearing what they please

This 2,000-year-old scroll is covered with mysterious words in Aramaic.

A Guide to Ancient Magic

In antiquity, love or revenge was just a spell away

One of the dig sites at Durrington Walls where researchers have uncovered a post that once held a large, prehistoric timber post.

The So-Called “Superhenge” Was Made of Wood, Not Stone

New research shows that the ancient structure was also taken down in a hurry

The remains of a teenage boy found near an altar dedicated to Zeus at Mt. Lykaion

Did the Ancient Greeks Engage in Human Sacrifice?

The remains uncovered at an altar to Zeus on Mount Lykaion may confirm legends about human sacrifice at the shrine

The cave is supported by six pillars hewn from the same rock.

Archaeologists Are Trying to Digitally Preserve an Ancient Cave Before It's Demolished

The 5th-century cave is in the way of an airport expansion

A cartoon from the magazine The Judge, where "Democracy" is portrayed as the devil overlooking Washington, D.C., and looks very much like Grover Cleveland.

Lucifer Has Long Had His Hands in Politics

Since the earliest days of Christianity, people have accused their political rivals of being in league with the Devil

Eleven Persian qanats are being preserved by Unesco.

Unesco Names New World Heritage Sites

Rock art, irrigation and education add to the organization's growing list of sites worthy of protection

A grave marker in Kingston's Hunt's Bay Cemetery carved with a skull and crossbones and Hebrew lettering

The Forgotten Jewish Pirates of Jamaica

Today, some tour operators and cultural historians are calling attention to the country's little-known Jewish heritage

Page 25 of 32