The welcoming of outsiders figures prominently in next Sunday’s lectionary readings, but ethnic and social tensions have taken center stage in Britain after rioting that began in north London spread to other parts of the country . . .

A Canaanite woman approaches Jesus in this Sunday's gospel with the plaintive cry, "Have pity on me, Lord . . . . help me." Investors are also feeling desperate after credit-rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded U.S. debt last week . . .

The psalmist this Sunday calls upon all nations to praise God. A majority of Americans want their presidents to do the same, yet many have trouble identifying the faiths of the president and presidential candidates . . .

Saint Paul struggled to bridge the tension between Jews and Gentiles in the early days of the Christian faith, this Sunday's selection from the Letter to the Romans shows. Religious strife is still a problem today . . .

In this Sunday’s reading from the Book of Isaiah, the Lord promises to “bring to my holy mountain” “all who keep the sabbath free from profanation.” An art exhibit at the state-run Cultural Center of the Philippines . . .

“My editor was thrilled, and my wife jumped for joy. She hasn't done that in a while.”

Ninety-two percent of Muslim Americans say Muslims in the U.S. do not sympathize with the al Qaeda terrorist network. Seventy percent of U.S. Jews believe the same, followed by 63 percent of Catholics and 56 percent of Protestants.