The Conversation

After 50 years, 'liberation theology' is still reshaping Catholicism and politics – but what is it?

Written by Leo Guardado, Assistant Professor of Theology, Fordham University

A woman prays in front of a statue of the martyred Catholic archbishop of El Salvador, Oscar Romero, known for his embrace of liberation theology.Vlady Chicas/picture alliance via Getty Images

It isn’t often that theology makes headlines. But for the past 50 years, a way of thinking about God and poverty has been doing just that: liberation...

Iranian protesters turn to TikTok to get their message past government censors

Written by Whitney Shylee May, Ph.D. candidate in American Studies, The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts

Scenes of protest in Iran are difficult to get out of the country, but TikTok users are rising to the challenge.Screen capture by The Conversation

Images of the protests that followed the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Zhina Amini on Sept. 16, 2022, in Iran and reports of the government’s brutal crackdown have circulated widely on social media....

Congress aims to close off presidential election mischief and fraud with simple and bipartisan solutions

Written by Derek T. Muller, Professor of Law, University of Iowa

Reps. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., center, and Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, right, take cover as protesters disrupt the joint session of Congress to certify the Electoral College vote on Jan. 6, 2021.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Presidential elections are complicated.

All 50 states and the District of Columbia hold simultaneous...

Brittney Griner's case was difficult for US negotiators for one key reason: She was guilty

Written by William E. Butler, Distinguished Professor of Law, Penn State

Brittney Griner on the plane after being released.Russian Security Service via AP

The release from Russian prison of WNBA star Britney Griner has been greeted with general delight in the United States.

Announcing the deal that saw her freed on Dec. 8, 2022, President Joe Biden lauded the “painstaking and intense negotiations” that made...

Fed wants inflation to get down to 2% – but why not target 3%? Or 0%?

Written by Veronika Dolar, Assistant Professor of Economics, SUNY Old Westbury

The Fed is taking aim at its inflation target. krisanapong detraphiphat/Moment

What’s so special about the number 2? Quite a lot, if you’re a central banker – and that number is followed by a percent sign.

That’s been the de facto or official target inflation rate for the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and many...

Japan's Laughing Buddha Hotei is merging into Santa Claus -- both are roly-poly sacred figures with a bag of gifts

Written by Megan Bryson, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of Tennessee

In Japan, children look forward to a visit from Hotei, a jolly Japanese god with a rotund frame.Ganref

As Christmas approaches, children in many parts of the world look forward to a visit from the potbellied Santa Claus, who comes down chimneys carrying a sackful of gifts over his shoulder. In Japan, some children also wait for Hotei, a jolly...

Who were the 3 wise men who visited Jesus?

Written by Eric Vanden Eykel, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, Ferrum College

Scholars have provided different interpretations of who the 'wise men' were who visited Jesus soon after his birth.Christophe Lehenaff/Collection Moment via Getty images

Christmas Nativity scenes around the world feature a familiar cast of characters: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, an angel or two, some barnyard animals, shepherds and, of course, the three...

Local nonprofits play a key role in recovery from disasters – while also having to get back on their own feet

Written by Joy Semien, Research Assistant at the Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center, Texas A&M University

In mid-2018, nearly a year after Hurricane Harvey, this church's gym in Texas was still serving as a warehouse for donated goods.Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty Images

When hurricanes, floods and other kinds of disasters throttle a community, people from all over often rush to give those in need money, bottled water, diapers and...

China's loosened COVID-19 policies – following years of aggressive lockdowns and quarantines – have left the country vulnerable

Written by Elanah Uretsky, Associate Professor of International and Global Studies, Brandeis University

The Chinese government has loosened restrictions designed to limit the spread of COVID-19.Kevin Frayer/Stringer via Getty Images

After nearly three years of aiming to eliminate COVID-19 through mass lockdowns, robust contact tracing programs and international travel bans, the Chinese government has announced it is rolling back the...

Do accents disappear?

Written by Chris C. Palmer, Professor of English, Kennesaw State University

Speech patterns.Bobboz via Getty Images

In Boston, there are reports of people pronouncing the letter “r.” Down in Tennessee, people are noticing a lack of a Southern drawl. And Texans have long worried about losing their distinctive twang.

Indeed, around the United States, communities are voicing a common anxiety: Are Americans losing...