Charlie Claire Burgess Understands Why You Might Hate Religion

“We are–all of creation–equally a part of the divine,” says Charlie Claire Burgess, author of the new book Queer Devotion, “and so there’s infinite ways to relate to the divine and every single one of us can find that thread of our own sacredness.” Burgess …

Has Religion Become Obsolete?

Earlier this week, I listened to an episode of the podcast “Recovering Evangelicals” in which the hosts interviewed Christian Smith, professor of sociology at Notre Dame University and author of Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith …

Column: Politics and Religion

By Charles Jeanes May 22nd, 2025 A new Pope and an old question: must politics reject religion? The pursuit of politics is religion, morality, and poetry all in one.  — Madame de Stael Being Human, being spiritual, being political My last column was a …

‘The Last Supper’: Paul Elie feasts on artistic ferment over religion in the ’80s

Book Review The Last Supper: Art, Faith, Sex, and Controversy in the 1980s By Paul Elie Farrar, Straus and Giroux: 496 pages, $33 If you buy books linked on our site, The Times may earn a commission from Bookshop.org, whose fees support independent …

17 new books our critics can't wait to read this summer

With summer — and some welcome downtime — on the horizon, we have just the thing to help you spend those hours by the pool, at the beach, or on a plane: New books! Our critics have considered the great titles publishing this summer and are here to let you …

Man Torches 100 Books on LGBTQ, Black, and Jewish History

Illustration: Todd Franson, Adobe AI On April 2, a man walked to the Cuyahoga County Public Library’s Beachwood branch and applied for a library card. He then checked out 50 books on Jewish history, African-American history, and LGBTQ education. The next …

Great Books Need More Than Good Apologists

‘Israel is the religion’: Zionism, genocide, and the generational divide in the Jewish world

Alice Rothchild’s path to becoming an anti-Zionist Jew took many years, many hard conversations, and required a lot of critical self-reflection. But she is part of a growing, powerful chorus of Jewish voices around the world speaking out against Israel’s …

Books gone rogue: Oxford edition

Librarians at Lady Margaret Hall, part of the University of Oxford in the UK, have graciously accepted the return of three library books that were 20 years overdue. The books, Anatomy of Abuses by Philip Stubbes, An Historical Introduction to the …

Trinity Episcopal Church now accepting books for next sale

Shoppers scan the mysteries section at the 2024 Trinity Episcopal Church Used Book Sale. The church is accepting donations of used books on Wednesdays through Aug. 27. This year’s sale is Oct. 8-11. (File Photo) PARKERSBURG — Trinity Episcopal Church has …