Across religions, humans have practiced extreme rituals involving piercing, fire, and physical trauma. These acts appear irrational, yet they persist across cultures and centuries. Research shows ...

Catholics remain the largest religious group in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, while second-largest ...

Rituals can mark time and space, create new identities, and connect people to something bigger. Rituals aren’t meaningless actions. They can mark time and space, create new identities, and connect ...

In Tana Toraja, a mountainous region of Sulawesi, Indonesia, villagers pour massive resources into funeral rituals: lavish ...

The number of Americans who identify as spiritual is on the rise, while many are distancing themselves from organized religion. According to a 2023 Pew Research study, seven out of 10 Americans ...

Explore what percentage of adults in the six countries surveyed pray daily, attend religious services weekly or wear ...

Readers question Ross Douthat’s arguments about belief. To the Editor: Re “How to Choose a Religion,” by Ross Douthat (column, Feb. 2): The one question that Mr. Douthat leaves unanswered: “Why make ...