If there are so many churches here, why does America look so unlike the Kingdom of God? Why are we strangers to our neighbors? Why do we have homeless poor among us? Why do sweatshops produce the majority of our goods?

The trouble has nothing to do with lacking biblical grounding. It has nothing to do with lacking an identity. The trouble comes with putting these theological tenets into practice.

Does a reference to Muslims trigger thoughts of folks organizing food pantries, park cleanups and low-cost health clinics? Do you envision a helping hand? Allow me to introduce you.

This was radical stuff in pre-Civil War America. Emerson was essentially turning religion 180 degrees on its axis. Instead of a deity presiding over creation from somewhere up there, divinity was here, there and everywhere.

Two women church leaders I know are deliberately innovative in opening up new vistas of faith. They represent a vision (and also perhaps a coming reality) of a future church.

After deciding whether and whom to marry, the choice of a job or career is the next major life decision most likely to be influenced by faith, according to a new study.

The first casualty of a hate crime in post-9/11 America was a Sikh-American named Balbir Singh Sodhi. According to official reports, his murderer said he killed Sodhi because "he was dark-skinned, bearded, and wore a turban."

I am a religious person. I believe in God, the Bible is a core touchstone of my life, and I strive to live my life in accordance with the Bible's precepts, commandments and values. I am also a left-wing, liberal, scientifically minded Jewish woman.

One blessed result of nearly 30 years of tumult and controversy is that the Episcopal Church now stands unquestionably for a progressive vision of the Christian message.

How people celebrate their birthdays tells us much about them. This is true not only of individuals, but even more so of countries. So, as we celebrate the 236th anniversary of our founding, it's an appropriate time to reflect.

It's not uncommon for kids to ask their parents about "that thing" on my head. In most instances, the parents look at me uncomfortably, embarrassed that I might be offended in some way. But recently I had the most amazing experience.

Those who founded our nation feared divisiveness, sectarian violence and intolerance, yet they also believed that religion could help unify a diverse nation.

God came into my life because I allowed it to happen. I had no choice but to respond to the call of discipleship; to pick up my cross, I had to put down my gun.

Believe it or not, this is a more complicated question than one might imagine. The United States has always been home to a multitude of faith traditions and, indeed, was imagined from the beginning to be a religious haven.

Religion is a low priority among voters this year, especially when compared with the economy. And both candidates are acting in ways that will make 2012 the most secular presidential campaign in years.

The American experience with war acts like a civil religion -- a way for Americans to affirm and assess national ideals for which generations have been called to give their last full measure of devotion. It is a glorious, dangerous, heroic, terrifying cross to bear.

The freedom we have enjoyed is on trial and we are witnessing the destruction of it because too many Americans fail to understand the binding link between liberty and personal responsibility.

By Paul Berger The Forward Imagine a country where Jews are prevented from serving as lawyers, where men must swear on the New Testament to enter ...

The modern use of the term Islamist is a Western creation, but it was adopted by many with the intent of providing a more accurate label for Muslims seeking to integrate their faith into public life.

As sophisticated and postmodern as Americans believe themselves to be, a Gallop poll in 2011 revealed that 20 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Democrats will not vote for a Mormon.

To hear the dire warnings of conservatives, you would think that religious liberty in this country is hanging by a thread. Such claims are apocalyptic. They are also wrong.

In the religious landscape, one of the most interesting changes in our society is the growing number of "Nones" -- people who are unaffiliated religiously but may still believe in a God. Two books I've read recently are emblematic of this.

When the civil government decides that a certain faith should be honored in schools and other public institutions, it positions itself as the arbiter of which religious beliefs are true or false.

It's dicey to say, hard to hear and runs the risk of sounding flippant, yet I see it as a necessary act of truth-telling for the sake of the Church: If you're not being spiritually fed within this church's walls, please, be blessed as you seek another faith community to encourage you.