Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

Prayer and recovery in the Philippines after Typhoon Hayaan; a Jewish celebration of trees; and the importance of humor in Jewish culture through centuries of persecution.

International humanitarian crises, religion's role in immigration reform, social justice issues, and government treatment of religion are among the religion and ethics issues that loom in 2014.

We take our annual look back at the top religion and ethics news of the year—Pope Francis and his priorities, such as helping the poor, and also churches divided over homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

What "peace on earth" means; the representation of indigent defendants 50 years after Gideon; and the centennial of St. Olaf College's musical Christmas festival.

More than 80,000 Mormon missionaries are now serving around the world; all abortions are against the law in this Central American country; and this dancing by Sufi Muslims is also a spiritual offering.

The legacy of Nelson Mandela; the pope's document urging Catholics to do more for the poor; churches and alternative Christmas gift-giving; and the growing number of Hispanic Protestants in the U.S.

Divisions in the United Methodist Church over same-sex marriage; historian Taylor Branch on the key civil rights events of 1963; students and tutors recite the Gettysburg Address in honor of its 150th anniversary.

Celebrating Hanukkah and Thanksgiving on the same day; removing the homeless from downtown; and using dogs to comfort disaster victims.

A conversation on the agenda of the US Catholic bishops and the anniversary of JFK's assassination; the debate over gun control in communities of faith; and a movement to identify the unmarked graves of mentally disabled patients

A Supreme Court case tests the limits of public prayer and the First Amendment; income inequality threatens to put an end to the American Dream; its 75th anniversary recalls a violent anti-Semitic pogrom known as the "night of broken glass"; and the destruction of a historic British cathedral during World War II leads to a ministry of peace and reconciliation.

Changing expectations for reform under Pope Francis; violence, neuroscience, and the ethics of probing the human brain to predict violent behavior; and Reza Aslan, author of "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth."

The debate over what it means to be a Catholic university; the long spiritual journey of poet Christian Wiman.

Complex relationships between slaves, slaveowners, abolitionists, and religion in the new movie "12 Years a Slave"; a lawyer works to make justice accessible for all in Southeast Asia; and the challenges facing Conservative Judaism on its 100th anniversary

Ethical challenges raised by long-term isolation of inmates; Catholic writer James Lee Burke on moral and biblical themes and influences in his best-selling crime novels; and a mock pilgrimage that teaches Muslim American children about the rituals of the hajj.

A Georgetown University panel discussion examining the influence of Pope Francis; a Supreme Court case over prayers at public government meetings; and the challenges hindering efforts to eradicate polio in Pakistan.