The Religion Factor

Afro-Brazilian religions that emerged in Brazil during the colonial period, significantly influenced by African spiritual traditions transmitted by enslaved people as well as Christianity and Amerindian belief systems. Many misconceptions surround these...

The 14th Dalai Lama's 90th birthday next year marks an auspicious moment in the history of modern Buddhism. Around this milestone, he will decide whether to reincarnate and, therefore, whether his lineage will continue. The current Dalai Lama, Tenzin...

The problem of acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community within secular society has been a controversial one, intensified by the empowerment movements of the late 20th century. The constant contradictions within especially conservative religions, make the...

In this post, I want to discuss a new form of spirituality that is emerging in contemporary Iran. Its followers do not choose a specific name for their community but emphasize that they are seekers of ‘Presencing Awareness’. This anonymity, I assume, stems...

Raphael Dwamena passed away on November 11^th, 2023. A 28-year-old footballer from Ghana, he collapsed on the pitch during a match in Europe, and died. His former club in Albania announced last month that they will honor the player by naming a stadium stand...

Biodiversity loss, artificial intelligence, and legal personhood of animals would seem to be topics of debate reserved for modern times. In my work as a medievalist, I cast light on the premodern roots of these interrelated topics. I read medieval...

We are currently experiencing a period in our collective history marked by social, environmental, political, and health crises, characterized by high levels of uncertainty and anxiety. These affect the living conditions of people and their livelihoods, and...

Tree discourse captures how humans name, characterise and relate to trees. In Africa, tree discourse is laden with religious and sacred meanings coterminous with a worldview that spirits inhabit spaces such as trees, stones, and water to mention a few....

Freedom of Religion or Belief (FORB) interventions are geared to strengthen locally acknowledged traditional beliefs in environmental conservation and the development of holistic peacebuilding where knowledge and practice are co-created with indigenous...

Last Sunday, I went into the centre of the town of Maastricht with my family to celebrate Carnaval and watch the ‘Bonte Storm’ (the colourful storm, as big parade on Sunday is called). We walked slowly, often stopping to admire a group with particularly...