Issue

Religion

Religious faith is central to the lives of billions, a driving force in everything from family structure to relationships within and among the world’s nation states. It is also the venue, and often the source, of conflict.

Religion presents Pulitzer Center reporting on these themes from throughout the world—from the explosive growth of megachurches in Africa and Latin America to intra-Islam schisms of the Middle East, to the self-immolation of Tibetan Buddhist monks and Buddhist soldiers running roughshod over the rights of Burmese Muslims, to the struggles of faith groups everywhere to come to terms with human sexuality.

In some parts of the world, notably China, governments that long suppressed religious expression are now invoking those traditions as part of the solution to environmental and other challenges. Elsewhere, from majority-Catholic Philippines to Muslim Indonesia, religious doctrine on issues like reproductive rights is in uneasy dialogue with the forces of modernization and globalization.

In Religion, we aim for reporting that tackles these tough, core issues—but without the easy stereotypes and caricature that too often make journalism a tool for demagogy. In the Pulitzer Center reporting presented here we seek instead to be a force for understanding.

The Pulitzer Center’s reporting on religion and public policy issues is made possible through the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, the Kendeda Fund, and other Pulitzer Center donors.

 

Religion

Foreign Influence in the Balkans

Krithika Varagur reports on foreign religious and political investment in the Balkans, focusing on Bosnia and Kosovo, which have been affected by both rising extremism and populism.

The Only Way Out in El Salvador

In El Salvador, brutal gangs like MS-13 and 18th Street do not allow members to quit without penalty of death, perpetuating an endless cycle of violence. There's only one exception: joining an evangelical church.

Prophets and Profits

While churches in the economic north are emptying out, those in the global south—especially in Africa—are growing. In Ghana, Evangelicalism and Pentecostalism are booming, but at what price?

The Child Witches of Nollywood

This innovative project utilizes illustration, photography, and video to investigate what role the Nigerian movie industry has played in the increase of witchcraft accusations against children.

Meet the Journalist: Justin Catanoso

Pope Francis encounters the limits of his moral authority in Latin America, where his encyclical on climate change and environmental protection is met with scorn from those who need to be influenced.