Religion

Saint Marie-Bernarde Soubirous saw the first of her 18 'visions' in Lourdes on 11 February 1858.

Judith Richards helps us appreciate a Marian perspective on the reign of the boy-king.

Marie Rowlands charts the changing fortunes of a religious minority.

A century ago international anarchists were causing public outrage and panic with their terror tactics. Matt Carr considers the parallels with al-Qaeda today.

Clive Foss introduces the Kharijites, a radical sect from the first century of Islam based in southern Iraq and Iran, who adopted an extreme interpretation of the Koran, ruthless tactics and opposed hereditary political leadership. After causing centuries of problems to the caliphate, they survive in a quietist form in East Africa and Oman.

Roy Strong tells York Membery why the humble English parish church is a perpetual source of fascination and refreshment.

Did it matter that the fifth Tudor monarch was a woman rather than a man? Retha Warnicke investigates.

Simon Ditchfield looks at the achievement of Ignatius Loyola and sees the Society of Jesus, which he founded, as the first organization with a truly global reach.

Penny Young investigates the situation of one of the country’s less-commonly mentioned communities.

Derek Wilson looks at the great religious reformer and asks why his life and work have seemed so ­significant to so many diverse people for almost 500 years.