Scientists Map the Brain Network Behind Self-Transcendence
Harvard researchers used lesion network mapping on 88 brain‑tumor patients to pinpoint a neural circuit that underlies self‑transcendence, the experience of moving beyond the personal self. The circuit shows two poles: posterior midline regions that act as a brake on transcendent states, and brainstem‑frontal midline areas that promote them. Disruptions to the brake regions heightened self‑transcendence, while lesions to the promotive pole reduced it. Independent imaging of compassion, ketamine effects, and direct brain stimulation all converged on the same network, confirming its role across methods.
FrontGate Media Expands Portfolio with Family Research Council, Kevin Sorbo, Sam Sorbo, and Pastor Greg Locke
FrontGate Media announced four new representation agreements with the Family Research Council, actors Kevin and Sam Sorbo, and pastor‑author Greg Locke. The deals broaden FrontGate’s access to high‑trust Christian and conservative audiences across digital, broadcast, podcast and live platforms. By...
Catholic Sisters Sue for Exemption to LGBTQ+ Rights Law in NY Nursing Homes
The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, operators of the 42‑bed Rosary Hill Home in Westchester County, filed a federal lawsuit on April 6 seeking a religious exemption from New York’s LGBTQ+ rights law that requires gender‑affirming care and cultural‑competency training for nursing‑home...
As Holocaust Remembrance Day Approaches, Trump’s Iran Threat Carries a Terrible Echo
President Donald Trump warned that a "whole civilization" would die if Iran continued its hostile actions, language that legal scholars say borders on genocide rhetoric. International law experts warned the threat could breach the UN Genocide Convention, prompting a swift...
A Spiritually Mature Economy
Harvard Business School professor Nien‑Hê Hsieh joins the Money, Meet Meaning podcast to explore what a "spiritually mature economy" could look like. He draws on a childhood framed by the Doomsday Clock and an Episcopalian upbringing to argue that money...
Scotus Conversion Therapy Decision Should Cut Both Ways
The U.S. Supreme Court held that the First Amendment’s free‑speech guarantee overrides Colorado’s ban on verbal conversion‑therapy for minors, ruling 8‑1 in Chiles v. Salazar. The Court framed the law as viewpoint discrimination because it bans only one side of...
OCP and Composer Bernadette Farrell Win Federal Copyright Trial
Oregon Catholic Press (OCP) and liturgical composer Bernadette Farrell secured a unanimous jury verdict in a federal copyright infringement trial, ending a legal battle that began in 2019. The Ninth Circuit reversed an earlier summary‑judgment dismissal, sending the case back...
Don’t Let Christian Writers Be Left Behind in the AI Era
Jerry B. Jenkins warns Christian authors that AI will not replace faith‑driven writing, but can serve as a powerful research aid. He notes publishers often forbid AI‑written manuscripts while secretly using AI for title ideas, market forecasts, and plagiarism checks....
Faith Has Always Gone to Space. Artemis II Shows How Much It Has Changed.
On April 6, NASA’s Artemis II crew began the first crewed lunar flyby in nearly six decades, venturing farther from Earth than any human before. As the Orion capsule entered radio silence behind the Moon, astronaut Victor Glover delivered a brief...
An Educator Explores Hinduism and Belonging in US Public Schools in New Book
Education scholar Indu Viswanathan’s new book, "Hindu at Heart: Education, Faith, and What It Means to Belong in America," will be released by Briarcliff Press on May 24. The work challenges a long‑standing Western "master narrative" that portrays Hinduism as...
Judge Rejects Johnson Amendment Settlement, Keeping Ban on Pastors Endorsing Candidates
A federal judge in Texas dismissed the proposed settlement that would have lifted the IRS’s Johnson Amendment ban on pastors endorsing political candidates, ruling the court lacked authority to approve the agreement. The dismissal ends a lawsuit brought by the...
A Watered-Down ‘Buffer Zone’ Bill for Houses of Worship Passes NYC Council
The New York City Council passed a revised buffer‑zone bill aimed at protecting houses of worship from disruptive protests, winning a 44‑5 vote. The legislation directs the NYPD to develop a security‑perimeter plan for religious sites within 45 days, but...
How the Bible Became Bingeable
The evangelical‑driven series “The Chosen” has evolved into a multi‑platform franchise, amassing over 308 million viewers, a yearly convention, extensive merchandise, and a forthcoming spinoff, “Joseph of Egypt,” as it heads into its sixth season. Its success has sparked a wave...
50 Years Ago, Karen Quinlan’s Coma Sparked the Movement for Patients’ Rights Near the End of Life
March 31, 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of the New Jersey Supreme Court’s Quinlan decision, which affirmed a constitutional right to refuse life‑sustaining treatment. The ruling shifted end‑of‑life decision‑making from physicians to patients and their families, establishing patient autonomy as...
Mary Beth, Steven Curtis Chapman Unveil Crazy Stories, Hard-Won Wisdom From 40-Year Marriage in ‘Still Here’
New York Times bestselling author Mary Beth Chapman and Grammy‑winning Christian singer Steven Curtis Chapman have released their first co‑authored memoir, Still Here: Life Together on the Long Way Home, marking 40 years of marriage. The book offers an unvarnished...
Islamic Schools, More Parents Sue Texas over Exclusion From Voucher Program
Three Texas Islamic schools and a coalition of parents have filed a federal lawsuit against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Comptroller Kelly Hancock, alleging that the state’s Education Freedom Accounts (TEFA) voucher program unlawfully excludes Islamic schools. The plaintiffs claim...
I Fasted for Friendship During Ramadan and Lent. Here’s What I Learned.
Visiting Lahore at the start of Ramadan and Lent, Sikh executive Tarunjit Singh Butalia chose to fast not for religious duty but to stand in solidarity with his Muslim and Christian friends. He observed a day‑long Ramadan fast with a Muslim...
‘The Tibetan Book of the Dead’ Is Actually Not Just About Death
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, originally titled “The Great Liberation by Hearing,” is a 14th‑century Buddhist text that outlines six intermediate states, or bardos, extending far beyond the moment of death. While early Western exposure came from Walter Evans‑Wentz’s...
10 Key Questions Congress Must Ask About the Iran War
The article warns that Congress has so far been absent from the Iran war despite its constitutional power to declare war, and recent attempts to invoke the War Powers Resolution failed on partisan lines. It argues that the Trump administration...
Jihadis Intensify Attacks Against Nigeria’s Military, Killing Officers and Carting Away Weapons
Jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and its ISWAP faction, launched at least six coordinated attacks on Nigerian military bases in Borno and Yobe, killing officers and soldiers while seizing trucks, weapons and motorcycles. Analysts say the raids demonstrate an unprecedented...
Judge to Decide if Penn Must Produce Records in Probe of Antisemitism at Ivy League School
A federal judge will decide whether the University of Pennsylvania must comply with an EEOC subpoena demanding detailed records on employees' Jewish affiliations. The EEOC is probing claims that antisemitic incidents have created a hostile work environment for faculty and...