Many Americans considered faiths outside Christianity and Judaism to be "pagan." Unitarian minister James Freeman Clarke argued otherwise. England faced a generational divide almost 500 years ago, as the Protestant Reformation split the nation apart. A personal experience with the Hajj brought to life the iconic figure of Haajar, whose tenacity and stoicism highlight the importance of women in Islam. Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg's eight-volume history contained stories of the living dead—and, he believed, proof of the Christian resurrection. Medieval convents were better funded than many scholars assume, thanks in part to royal patrons sympathetic to the holy women's mission. Between 1870 and 1960, Christianity declined dramatically across much of Europe. Not in America. One historian explains why. The name Shaker originally comes from the insult “Shaking Quakers,” which mocked the sect’s use of their bodies in worship. Ivory Soap got its name from Psalm 45. Why Benedictine nuns report higher levels of happiness and satisfaction than their non-monastic counterparts -- and what we can learn from them. The 4th century was a turning point for the role of scent in the Christian church.