Michael Kearl is a professor in the department of sociology and anthropology at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and an expert on death and dying in America and around the world. He has maintained an extensive website on the sociology of death and dying that includes a good deal about funerals and burials.

Steve Masters is president of Brit Tzedek v’Shalom Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, an American Jewish organization that, among other things, has pushed the White House, through an Internet petition drive, to get the Palestinians and Israel to negotiate. He was present for the signing of the Geneva Accord and has lived in Israel.

Selected data from Freedom House’s  annual survey of political rights and civil liberties.

The Baptist Standard is the Baptist General Convention of Texas’s news outlet. Marv Knox is editor and publisher.

Religious news from one of France’s leading newspaper.

Religious news from Spain’s highest-circulation daily newspaper.

News about religion and ethics from the BBC.

Stories from Asia on CNN’s blog covering faith news and culture.

News from, about or of interest to Asian Catholics, although it covers a range of topics on other religions in the region.