The Explainer: The ‘Curse of Ham’ – how people of faith used a story in Genesis to justify slavery
PAUL HAM, a lecturer in narrative history, looks at how “a grotesque misuse of the very words of the Bible” has been used to support the idea of slavery…
The Explainer: The leap year is 29th February, not 32nd December due to a Roman calendar quirk – and fastidious medieval monks
REBECCA STEPHENSON, associate professor of Old English at University College Dublin, explains in this article first published on The Conversation…
The Explainer: What does it mean to claim the US is a Christian nation, and what does the Constitution say?
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, answers some key questions…
The Explainer: When is criticism of Israel antisemitic? A scholar of modern Jewish history explains
JOSHUA STAINES, professor of Jewish Studies at the Collage of Charleston, looks at definitions of antisemitism and its history as well as anti-Zionism in an article first published on The Conversation… There has been a sharp increase in antisemitism around the world since the 7th October, 2023, massacre by Hamas and Israel’s subsequent military attacks […]
The Explainer: Orthodox Christmas – why it’s celebrated by some believers 13 days after 25th December
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, looks at why some Christians are celebrating Christmas on 7th December…
The Explainer: What is the Epiphany? Why is it also called Three Kings Day? And when do Christians celebrate it?
The Associated Press takes a look at what the Christian celebration of Epiphany is all about…
The Explainer: “Something special, otherworldly” – why so many people are making maritime pilgrimages
Pilgrimage researcher – and sailor – ANNE BAILEY, in an article first published on The Conversation, looks at the appeal of sea-based pilgrimages…
The Explainer: The Global South is on the rise – but what exactly is the Global South?
JORGE HEINE, interim director of the Frederick S Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Boston University, looks – in an article first published on The Conversation – at what the term means…
The Explainer: What is the difference between nationalism and patriotism?
In an article first published on The Conversation, JOSHUA HOLZER, assistant professor of political science at Westminster College, explains…
The Explainer: Jewish denominations – a brief guide for the perplexed
In an article first published on The Conversation, JOSHUA SHANES, a US-based scholar of modern Jewish history, explains the differences between Judaism’s major denominations…