Lead story

A global look at sacred rivers under threat

Editor's note:

Rivers are more than waterways for many across the globe. They’re divine – although not immaculate. Sacred rivers are under threat worldwide, blackened from sewage, disrupted by dams, imperiled by a warming planet and entangled in messy politics. In an unmatched six-part series, The Associated Press’ Global Religion Team set out to document the sanctity of several far-flung, endangered bodies of water and the people who pay them reverence while trying to save them. Teams of journalists traveled to New Zealand, the U.S.’ Pacific Northwest, Nepal, the Middle East, Nigeria and Chile to capture with their notebooks and cameras what is happening to these exalted waters. Launched on Monday, the ambitious sacred rivers project wraps up Saturday with the publication of the final installment featuring the Truful Truful River and the Mapuche, Chile's largest Indigenous group, fighting for its future.

Religion News

Republicans keep mostly mum on calls to make GOP ‘party of Christian nationalism’

'When they fail to speak out against this, they're surrendering the future of their party to the Marjorie Taylor Greenes of the world,' said Brian Hughes of American University's Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab. By Jack Jenkins/Religion News Service

Explainer: Tension between Nicaragua and the Catholic Church

A look at the fraught relationship between the Catholic Church and Nicaragua’s government amid a political standoff that’s now in its fifth year, with no end in sight. By Gabriela Selser and María Teresa Hernández/The Associated Press

Frederick Buechner, popular Christian ‘writer’s writer’ and ‘minister’s minister,’ dies at 96

Buechner died peacefully in his sleep on Monday (Aug. 15) at age 96, according to his family. By Emily McFarlan Miller/Religion News Service

Long-hidden synagogue mural gets rehabbed, relocated

A mural that was painted in a Vermont synagogue more than 100 years ago by a Lithuanian immigrant — and hidden behind a wall for years— has been termed a rare piece of art. By Lisa Rathke/The Associated Press

Lag in slavery reparations from US Jesuits irks descendants

Descendant Joseph Stewart, in a publicly released letter to the head of the order, contends the Jesuits have failed to uphold their side of the partnership with the urgency the circumstances demand. By Deepa Bharath/The Associated Press

Commentary and Analysis

What is a fatwa?

The attack on Salman Rushdie promptly led to speculation on whether the attacker had been influenced by the 1989 fatwa against the author. A scholar explains what a fatwa is, and isn't. By Myriam Renaud for The Conversation

At 75, Pakistan has moved far from the secular and democratic vision of its founder, Mohammad Ali Jinnah

Jinnah insisted on secular education, gender equality and equal rights for minorities – all of which remain unrealized dreams in Pakistan. By Farah N. Jan for The Conversation

The "rights of nature" movement wants to give sacred rivers the same rights as people, and some religious groups are leading the way. Watch this special video on sacred rivers.

Russia’s threats to shut down Jewish Agency raise alarm bells for those who remember the past

During the Cold War, Russia's refusal to allow Jews to leave the country reflected its political aims. The same is likely true today, a Jewish studies scholar explains. By Shaul Kelner for The Conversation

The day my grandparents left our ancestral village in South Asia for good

I pledged not to let the hate of the partition eclipse my love of humanity. By Tarunjit Singh Butalia/Religion News Service

Photos of the Week: Ashoura; ELCA Churchwide Assembly and more

An Indian Shiite Muslim flagellates himself during an Ashoura procession in Jammu, India, Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022. Ashoura is the tenth day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, observed around the world in remembrance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the grandson of Prophet Mohammed. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)

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• This Week in Religion is a publication of the Global Religion Journalism Initiative, a collaboration among the Religion News Service, The Associated Press and The Conversation U.S.
• The three news organizations work to improve general understanding and analyze the significance of developments in the world of faith.