The Roman Catholic Church, established in the first century, is one of the oldest Christian traditions. One of the primary tenets of Catholicism is the belief in apostolic succession, which holds that the chosen successors of the Twelve Apostles have been granted spiritual authority passed down through the ages from Jesus Christ. This chain of […]

One challenge in writing about the Eastern Orthodox is the debate over numbers. A figure often cited is 3 million adherents in the U.S., with about 2 million in the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, 1 million in the Orthodox Church in America, and some tens of thousands in the other 20 major Eastern Orthodox churches. In a […]

Judaism is among the world’s oldest religions, emerging in the Middle East more than 4,000 years ago. Like most world religions, it is not frozen in form but is constantly affected by the times in which its followers live. This resource provides journalists with background information on Judaism and a brief guide to covering Jews in […]

With nearly one billion followers, Hinduism constitutes the third-largest religious community in the world.  Most Hindus reside in India, but there are robust diaspora populations, including in the United States.  This guide provides journalists with background information on Hindu traditions and a brief guide to covering them in the U.S.

Christianity is the largest religion in the United States and the most widespread religion throughout the world. It is predominant in the Western World and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in South Korea, the Philippines and among smaller communities worldwide. Even within the U.S., there is a great deal of Christian diversity, from strict fundamentalists to liberal […]