Religion

Sabbatai Sevi, engraving from a 17th-century etching, from Brockhaus and Efron Jewish Encyclopedia, 1910-13. Public Domain.

Sabbatai Sevi: The Lost Messiah

In the 17th century news spread that the Jewish messiah had finally arrived. Within a year he had converted to Islam. Who was he, and what had happened?

Detail from the azulejo panel ‘Great Vista of Lisbon’, showing the convento do Louriçal, convento do Beato and convento de Santos-o-Novo, c.1700. Museo Nacional do Azulejo. Photograph Carlos Monteiro/© DGPC

Convents as a Refuge in Early Modern Lisbon

Lisbon’s convents were not just religious houses, but safe havens for the noblewomen of Portugal offering refuge from abusive husbands, unhappy marriages and a city swarming with ‘dogs and devils’.

The Buddha seated cross legged on a lotus throne, surrounded by scenes from his life. Tibet, 18th century. Photograph © 2023 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. All rights reserved. / Denman Waldo Ross Collection / Bridgeman Images.

The Search for the Historical Buddha

Arriving in the West in the 19th century, the Buddha of legend was stripped of supernatural myth and recast as a historical figure. What do we really know about him?

Bishop John Chrysostom preaching before the Roman empress Eudoxia, by Joseph Wencker, c.1880. Bridgeman Images

Byzantine Bishops at War with Women

Early Christianity brought new opportunities for Roman and Byzantine women – it also brought new reasons to vilify them.

St Nicholas dispensing toys to children whilst Krampus slinks off, early 20th century postcard. Provincial Public Library Hieronim Łopaciński, Poland. Public Domain.

Saint Nicholas Becomes a Myth

On 6 December 343, Saint Nicholas died but his miracles continued. Eventually, the man was replaced by the myth of Santa Claus – if he even existed at all.

Madonna of the Meadow (Madonna with the Christ Child and Saint John the Baptist), by Raphael, 1506. Art Library/Alamy Stock Photo.

The Lost Years of Jesus

Did Jesus have a difficult childhood? Was his youth spent in Egypt or England, India or Japan? The four canonical gospels are quiet on his early life, leading some to speculate.

Angels are cast into the mouth of Hell, 20th-century illustration of the Cædmon Manuscript, 10th century. Lebrecht Authors/Bridgeman Images.

Archbishop Wulfstan: England’s Forgotten Lawmaker

As Anglo-Saxon England faced conquests and apocalypse, Archbishop Wulfstan saw hope for the kingdom in a radical restructuring of society.

Saint Edmund of Abingdon bringing about the reconciliation of Gilbert Marshal and Henry III, from Matthew Paris’ Historia Anglorum, 1250s. © British Library Board/Bridgeman Images.

Edmund of Abingdon’s Dream Job

How a vision led Edmund of Abingdon to elevate the role of Medieval teacher to saintly levels.

Japanese Christians re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, c.1880s. Chronicle/Alamy Stock Photo.

Christianity’s Bloody History in Japan

Japan has had a vexed relationship with Jesus ever since European missionaries arrived on its shores. Banned until 1873, successive leaders have asked whether love of the ‘two Js’ is compatible.

Jakob von Wart taking his bath, from the Codex Manesse, Switzerland, c.1305-40. The Protected Art Archive/Alamy Stock Photo

The Flies, Fleas and Rotting Flesh of Medieval Monks

Repulsive revelations of bodily infestations were viewed by some in medieval Europe as proof of sanctity. But for most, parasites were just plain disgusting.