Religion

Picts, Pins, Stones and Bones

A vivid account of groundbreaking archaeological excavations at a Scottish site of crucial importance to the North Sea world.

Fire and Faith

The coverage of a disaster in Chile revealed religious divisions among the world’s press.

The Perils of Piety

Medieval understanding of the soul and the body meant that a saintly life was a life of physical restrictions. Katherine Harvey explores the extreme suffering bishops put themselves through, from weeping and celibacy to starvation and, sometimes, death.

A Mexican Martyr

Amy Fuller looks at the life of the Mexican nun Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz and asks why we feel the need to kill our heroines rather than celebrate their achievements.

Richard III: A Medieval Relic?

By no stretch of the imagination was Richard III a saint, but the furore that sprung up around his discovery and reburial was strongly reminiscent of a medieval cult of sainthood.

The Living Goddess of Nepal

Isabella Tree explores the Kumaris, young girls chosen to be worshipped in Nepal by both Hindus and Buddhists as symbols of purity and makers of kings.