I’m heading to the Religion Newswriters Association’s annual conference, held in Durham, N.C. this year. Check out the schedule and let me know if there are any specific topics you’d like me to cover, in addition to the Buddhism session I’m moderating Saturday. You can also follow the conference on Twitter at #RNA2011 (you don’t…

The riots in London, Birmingham and other British cities have caught us off-guard — it’s a far cry from the pomp and circumstance associated with the recent royal wedding, not to mention next year’s Olympic Games and Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee. Faith leaders and religious groups are stepping forward, reflecting on the root causes of…

As I expected — though perhaps not this quickly — San Francisco’s proposed ballot measure banning circumcision has been, ahem, nipped in the bud. On a serious note, the debate over the pros and cons of circumcision, both medically and religiously, continues… with no end in sight. And now for something really fun: Thanking God for…

In the spirit of summertime and my own recent hiatus, I’ve enjoyed the “Pope takes a vacation” stories on this appropriately slow news week. (Perhaps he’s already burned out from tweeting?) Pope Benedict Begins His Busy Vacation (Catholic News Agency) Vatican Reflects on Spiritual Benefits of Vacation (Catholic News Agency) Vatican: God Bless Vacation (USA…

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