Hispanic Protestants - The explosive growth of the number of evangelical Protestants who are Hispanic. Deborah Potter reports on the personal religious experiences of Hispanic evangelicals in Chicago at what is now the largest Assembly of God church in the country. Christmas Gift Giving - The tradition of giving Christmas presents is often tied to the magi, or wise men, who according to the Bible story, brought precious gifts to the baby Jesus. But many Christians say things have gotten out of hand. The average American family is projected to spend about $750 on Christmas this year. Kim Lawton looks at the ways some churches are urging their members to avoid consumerism and practice more meaningful Christmas gift giving. Whirling Dervishes - Like other major religions, Islam has a mystical branch, Sufism, which teaches many ways to experience spiritual union with the divine. One of those paths - dating from the 13th century - is dance, specifically the dancing of whirling dervishes, who were followers of the poet Rumi. Manjula Kumar, a program manager at the Smithsonian Institution, describes the origins and meaning of whirling dervish dancing. Pundits and the Pope - Two prominent Washington columnists, E.J. Dionne and Michael Gerson, assess Pope Francis's call for the Catholic Church not only to make caring for the poor a higher priority but to work for a more just economic system.
