"If the church wants to be a part of shaping the direction humanity takes, the church needs to have a seat at the table and you can't have a seat at the table if you don't speak science," says Matthew Grove, a Bible study teacher who emphasizes science in his classes. Gary Waters/Getty Images/Ikon Images hide caption
Jesus is depicted in a wall mosaic inside Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, which served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral from A.D. 537 until 1453. Feng Wei Photography/Getty Images hide caption
Paulus stands in the shell of the Yasmin church. He hopes to one day be able to practice his religion in safety. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at a rally in Omaha, Neb., on April 20. Sanders has been criticized for a recent line of questioning toward a Trump administration nominee, which focused on the man's religious beliefs about damnation. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption
The cupcakes above are patterned after simnel cake, also known as Judas cake. It is traditionally topped with 11 marzipan balls to represent Jesus' 12 apostles, minus Judas. H is for Home/Flickr hide caption
Mike McHargue, author and co-host of The Liturgists. David Tosti/Courtesy of Mike McHargue hide caption
During the restoration work, this mosaic angel was discovered hidden under a layer of plaster. Daniel Estrin/NPR hide caption
Minneapolis Institute of Art curator Tom Rassieur stands in a gallery showcasing objects honoring the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther posting his 95 Theses against the Catholic Church. Lisa Burke/Courtesy of Lisa Burke hide caption
Pope Francis will meet Patriarch Kirill in Cuba, in a historic step to heal the 1,000-year schism that has divided the Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox churches. Andrew Medichini and Ivan Sekretarev/AP hide caption
Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem was dusted with snow in February. Anadolu Agency/Getty Images hide caption
In Berlin, the Rev. Gottfried Martens lights a candle during a service to baptize Iranians in the Trinity Church. Iranian and Afghan converts make up most of the 900-member congregation. Markus Schreiber/AP hide caption
A baptism ceremony for a child on Ikitsuki Island, Nagasaki prefecture. After Japan's military ruler banned Christianity in the late 1500s, many Christians went underground, holding services such as these in their homes. Courtesy of Shimano-yakata Museum, Ikitsuki hide caption
Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald is one of the Catholic Church's top experts on Islam. He has served the Vatican in places such as Tunisia, Uganda and Egypt, and now is promoting interfaith understanding by teaching Jesuit students in Cleveland about the Quran. /Rob Wetzler hide caption
The Rev. Vernon Holmes leads a Lutheran congregation near Sacramento, Calif., that supports the state's right-to-die bill. He describes his faith as promoting quality of life. Andrew Nixon/Capital Public Radio hide caption
Indonesian Muslims perform Eid Al-Adha prayer at Al-Akbar Mosque in Oct. 2014 in Surabaya, Indonesia. Robertus Pudyanto/Getty Images hide caption
Bearing the message "The Greatest Gift is Knowledge," a holiday display by the Satanic Temple will accompany a Christian Nativity scene on the grounds of the Michigan State Capitol. Satanic Temple hide caption
A student prays in front of a temporary altar during a rally outside government headquarters in Hong Kong on Sept. 24. Bobby Yip/Reuters /Landov hide caption
Tourists walk past a poster of Pope Francis hanging on the Church of the Nativity in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Monday. Pope Francis' trip to the Mideast later this week will commemorate the 50th anniversary of a historic rapprochement between Catholics and Orthodox, who split nearly 1,000 years ago. Mussa Qawasma/Reuters/Landov hide caption
This Sept. 5, 2012, photo released by Harvard University shows the papyrus fragment. Karen L. King/AP hide caption
A new study ranks 100 American cities according to how "Bible-minded" they are. The top spot went to Chattanooga, Tenn. Several cities in the Northeast and West were ranked "least Bible-minded." Joseph Kaczmarek/AP hide caption
Swarms of locusts in Madagascar, or clouds of elementary particles, without sound, odor, flavor or color? Reality is harder to pin down than you first might think. Bilal Tarabey/AFP/Getty Images hide caption
A woman is carried into the hospital after being injured when two suicide bombers attacked a church in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Sunday. AFP/Getty Images hide caption
