USC Media Religion

Center for the Study of Science and Religion

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Sciences respond to a felt need to understand the world, and religions respond to a felt need for the world to have meaning. From these different starting points, one issue emerges at the junction of any science and any religion: are these felt needs commensurate? That is, is the universe a moral place, so that the natural order is relevant to human lives and human values; do faith and family, love and charity mirror any larger meaning than the meanings we give to them? Today, to a first approximation, the answer to these questions from any religion is Yes, and the answer from any science is No.

The Center for the Study of Science and Religion (CSSR) was founded in the summer of 1999 as a forum for the examination of issues that lie at the boundary of these two complementary ways of comprehending the world and our place in it. By examining the intersections that cross over the boundaries between one or another science and one or another religion, the CSSR hopes to stimulate dialogue and encourage understanding. The CSSR is not interested in promoting one or another science or religion, and hopes that the service it provides will be of benefit and offer understanding into all sciences and religions.

Religion, Media and the Marketplace

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Religion is infiltrating the arena of consumer culture in increasingly visible ways. We see it in a myriad of formsin movies, such as Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, on Internet shrines and kitschy Web "altars," and in the recent advertising campaign that attacked fuel-guzzling SUVs by posing the question: What would Jesus drive? In Religion, Media, and the Marketplace, scholars in history, media studies, and sociology explore this intersection of the secular and the sacred. Topics include how religious leaders negotiate between the competing aims of the mainstream and the devout in the commercial marketplace, how politics and religious beliefs combine to shape public policy initiatives, how the religious "other" is represented in the media, and how consumer products help define the practice of different faiths. At a time when religious fundamentalism in the United States and throughout the world is inseparable from political aims, this interdisciplinary look at the mutual influences between religion and the media is essential reading for scholars from a wide variety of disciplines.

Religion and Science Glossary

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The glossary is a student group project. There is some redundance and there may be some errors. The students divided up some of the key texts that we read this semester and developed a list of important terms and short definitions. The glossary is not in alphabetical order. Rather, it follows the flow of discussion in the books from which the terminology is drawn. A bridge discussion between science and religion requires some familiarity with scientific, religious, and philosophic language. This glossary was put together by Tommy Chang, Eugenia Ho, Kiern Khan, and Jeffery Robertson.

Metanexus Institute

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Metanexus Institute is an international network of scientists, theologians, philosophers, historians and other scholars in the humanities, educators, artists, and religious leaders, fostering interdisciplinary, intercultural, and inter-religious collaboration in pursuit of new insights and a better future.

'Our mission is to promote the constructive engagement of science, religion and the humanities in the communal pursuit of wisdom in order to address humanity's most profound questions and challenges.'

Knight Digital Media Center

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Knight Digital Media Center is a partnership of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles and the University of California at Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. The Center is funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Pew Forum delivers timely, impartial information on issues of religion in the public sphere to national opinion leaders, including government officials, journalists, policy analysts and national advocacy organizations. Through this site, the Forum makes available links to its public events, commissioned research and polling.

Washington Post - Religion & The World

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A series of occasional articles on how globalization -- from new techonologies and burgeoning economies, to the migration of people and cultures -- is redefining the bounds of world religions.

On Faith: A Conversation on Religion with Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

'Religion is the most pervasive yet least understood topic in global life. From the caves of the Afghan-Pakistan border to the cul-de-sacs of the American Sunbelt, faith shapes and suffuses the way billions of people-Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, and nonbelievers-think and act, vote and fight, love and, tragically, hate. It is the most ancient of forces. As Homer said, "All men need the gods." Even the most ferocious atheists find themselves doing intellectual battle on a field defined by forces of the faithful...'

Brands of Faith

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Marketing and religion, marketing religion, religious marketing, marketing as religion all of these are topics for discussion on this blog.

Six-hour God's Warriors Reported by Christiane Amanpour Airs over Three Nights Beginning Tuesday, August 21

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

CNN will premiere a six-hour documentary next month on the impact of religious fundamentalism as a powerful political force around the world. Filmed over seven months in six countries and reported by chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour, CNN Presents: God's Warriors will debut over three nights from Tuesday, Aug. 21, to Thursday, Aug. 23, at 9 p.m. (ET/PT) on CNN Worldwide's U.S. and international networks.

"CNN is one of the only networks still investing in ambitious documentaries that try to add to the understanding of our complex times," said CNN/U.S. President Jon Klein. "In God's Warriors, we are taking advantage of CNN's global reach and unparalleled resources to more fully inform viewers about the conflicts and important religious dynamics taking shape in the world today."

Amanpour, who reported the award-winning In the Footsteps of Bin Laden for CNN last year, reflected on faith, culture, politics and power.

"As I report around the world, people often ask me about the rise of religious influence on political power within the United States , but in fact this is true worldwide," Amanpour said. "Wherever I go, what the believers do all have in common is that they want to bring the politics of faith into the very center of public life we are seeing this now on almost every continent."

God's Warriors includes interviews with former President Jimmy Carter about the political impact of the Christian Right in the United States; the Rev. Jerry Falwell in his last television interview about the political and cultural legacy of the Moral Majority movement in America; Noa Ben-Artzi, granddaughter of slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin, discusses his assassination by a militant Jewish fundamentalist; and Kamal el-Said Habib, a reformed Islamic jihadist who was part of the violent militant group that assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

At the January Television Critics Association meetings earlier this year, CNN announced CNN: Special Investigations Unit as a new series platform for breaking news and other enterprising productions reported by the network's top investigative talent, in addition to the multi-hour event productions branded as CNN Presents. Between the two series, CNN Productions will offer approximately 40 hours of breaking news specials and planned documentaries in 2007, an increase of 30 percent from the previous year. Mark Nelson is the vice president and senior executive producer of CNN Productions.

A companion Web site to God's Warriors will offer users the opportunity to experience show excerpts from the documentary, listen to an audio podcast about the documentary and view an exclusive video diary that goes behind-the-scenes with producers as they traveled in Europe, North America, Africa and the Middle East for principle filming. This online content will launch in August at http://www.hvc-inc.com/clients/cnn/warriors/index.html. The podcast will also be available for download from iTunes.

Christiane Amanpour, as CNN's chief international correspondent, has reported on crises from the world's many hotspots, including Iraq , Afghanistan , Iran , Israel , Pakistan , Somalia , Rwanda and the Balkans. Her assignments have ranged from exclusive interviews with world leaders to reporting on the human consequences of natural disasters or covering war zones. She has received wide acclaim and numerous awards for her work, including the coveted Paul White Award from the Radio-Television News Directors Association for lifetime achievement, two George Foster Peabody Awards, a Courage in Journalism Award and a number of Emmys and duPont awards. She is a member of the board of directors for the Committee to Protect Journalists.

CNN Presents is the most honored documentary series in cable news. CNN Presents: In the Footsteps of Bin Laden will be awarded the 2006 Sigma Delta Chi journalism award for excellence in the television category "Network/Top 25 Market" for documentaries later this month by the Society for Professional Journalists.

The managing editor of God's Warriors is Kathy Slobogin. Andy Segal, Michael Mocklar and Ken Shiffman are senior producers; Cliff Hackel is producer/editor; Brian Rokus and Jen Christensen and Julie O'Neill are producers. Jody Gottlieb is the executive director of CNN Productions.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world's most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

Harry Potter's biggest battle: religion

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

What's a wizard to do? Contention continues over the spiritual meaning, benefits and dangers of the Harry Potter books. Fans and critics alike are debating the meaning of Christian references and themes they see in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the final book of the series, which published July 21, 2007. The fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, opened July 11. Even as a universe of Potter lovers explore the nuances of the series, critics speak out on issues, including Christian references, occult themes, and moral choices. An entire genre of books about Potter - pro, con or simply academic - has arisen.

Beliefnet TV Roundup

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Beliefnet contributors take on TV's latest shows: Is God Green? Tyler Perry's House of Payne. The Sopranos. Lost....

Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A national initiative led by five of America's leading research universities with the support of two major foundations will advance the U.S. news business by helping revitalize schools of journalism.

The universities will take advantage of the riches of their institutions by integrating the schools of journalism more closely with the entire campus in an effort to better teach, challenge and prepare the next generation of news industry leaders for an increasingly complex world. The initiative will experiment with curriculum and hands-on experience with the hope of creating a national conversation with other schools across the country.

The Revealer

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A polypartisan daily review of religion in the news and the news about religion.

And Adam Knew Eve: A Dictionary of Sex in the Bible

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The biblical Hebrews, given God's commandment to "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:28), had what Drorah O'Donnell Setel has alliteratively called a "preoccupation with procreation." That's why many of the stories and other passages in the Bible involve sex, and why many of these, unheard of in sermons and Sunday school lessons, remain little known among laity.

The purpose of And Adam Knew Eve is to inform as well as hopefully to entertain, by gathering from the biblical text all sexually related stories, concepts, and laws, and presenting them, concisely but with attention to context, in convenient dictionary form. Sexually related material comprises overall such a significant portion of scripture that some knowledge of it is essential both in appreciating the Bible as a whole and in understanding the difference in attitude toward sex to be found between the Old and New Testaments.

It is hoped that And Adam Knew Eve will also help better acquaint the general reader with the problem that biblical interpreters--in particular feminist scholars--face in the sometimes physically abusive treatment of women under the patriarchal system that so controlled women's lives, sexually and otherwise, in the biblical world.

Jewish Television Network

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

JTN Production is an independent, not-for-profit, 501(c)3 production and distribution company. JTNP utilizes television to promote positive Jewish identity, continuity and inter-group relations.

JTN Productions' goals are to enrich the Jewish life through dynamic exposure to Jewish culture, history, public affairs and the arts and to foster a deeper understanding between Jews in the Diaspora and Jews in the State of Israel. It hopes to appeal to a broad audience of affiliated and unaffiliated Jews and to non-Jews in the United States and around the world.

Godtube.com

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A Christian online video social networking site that connects Christians into a network of believers.

The Barna Group

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Through its five divisions, The Barna Group provides primary research (The Barna Research Group); communications tools (BarnaFilms); printed resources (BarnaBooks); leadership development for young people (The Josiah Corps); and church facilitation and enhancement (Transformation Church Network). The ultimate aim of the firm is to partner with Christian ministries and individuals to be a catalyst in moral and spiritual transformation in the United States. It accomplishes these outcomes by providing vision, information, evaluation and resources through a network of intimate partnerships. Among its strategic partners are Church Communication Network, EMI Christian Music Group, Filmdisc, HollywoodJesus.com, Kingdom Inc., and Tyndale House Publishers.

ReligionLink

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Produced by the Religion Newswriters Foundation, ReligionLink is a resource to help print and broadcast journalists when they encounter religion in stories about government, politics, education, social services, science and other areas of public life.

ReligionLink's only purpose is to help journalists write informed stories about the ways religion affects public life. It does not take sides on issues. It strives to treat all belief systems with respect and fairness and has no ties to any religious organization.

Religious Tolerance

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Addresses science and religion at http://www.religioustolerance.org/sci_rel.htm.

Zygon: Journal of Religion & Science

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Zygon® focuses on the questions of meaning and values that challenge individual and social existence today. It brings together the best thinking of the day from the physical, biological, and social sciences with ideas from philosophy, theology, and religious studies. The journal's contributors seek to keep united what may often become disconnected: values with knowledge, goodness with truth, religion with science.

The Religious History of American Women: Reimagining the Past

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

More than a generation after the rise of women's history alongside the feminist movement, it is still difficult, observes Catherine Brekus, to locate women in histories of American religion. Mary Dyer, a Quaker who was hanged for heresy; Lizzie Robinson, a former slave and laundress who sold Bibles door to door; Sally Priesand, a Reform rabbi; Estela Ruiz, who saw a vision of the Virgin Mary-how do these women's stories change out understanding of American religious history and American women's histoty?

In this provocative collection of twelve essays, contributors explore how considering the religious history of American women can transform our dominant historical narratives. Covering a variety of topics-including Mormonism, the women's rights movement, Judaism, witchcraft trials, the civil rights movement, Catholicism, everyday religious life, Puritanism. African American women's activism, and the Enlightenment-the volume enhances our understanding of both religious history and women's history. Taken together, these essays sound the call for a new, more inclusive history.

The contributors are Ann Braude, Catherine A. Brekus, Anthea D. Butler, Emily Clark, Kathleen Sprows Cummings, Amy Koehlinger, Janet Moore Lindman, Susanna Morrill, Kristy Nabhan-Warren, Pamela S. Nadell, Elizabeth Reis, and Marilyn J. Westerkamp.

Gay Religion: News of Religion and GLBT Folks

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

News and opinion on queer religious issues ranging from Gay Bishops to keeping watch on the 'Christian' right.

Forbidden Fruit: Sex & Religion in the Lives of American Teenagers

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"Regnerus does an excellent job of combining large-scale survey results with vivid interviews to provide a comprehensive portrayal of how sexuality and religion are related in the lives of American adolescents. The book shows how sexuality and religion interact in complex and sometimes surprising ways. It addresses important topics few other books on either sexuality or religion in adolescence have addressed, such as masturbation and Internet pornography. Anyone interested in the lives of today's young Americans should read this book." --Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, author of Emerging Adulthood: The Winding Road from the Late Teens Through the Twenties

The Rapture Index

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Religious Affiliation of U.S. Presidents

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A tabulation of the religious affiliation of the U.S. Presidents. The site offers statistics such as the number of Presidents who embraced a certain tradition as a percentage of total Presidents, the percentage of the current U.S. population attached to these traditions and the site provides a ratio that illustrates the percentage of Presidents to the percentage of the total U.S. population.

Dharmawood

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"During the last Buddhist retreat I attended, one of the teachers mentioned that this was the moment to move from consumers of Dharma (Buddhist teachings) to producers of Dharma, and the idea came to me to create a web page explaining the way in which one of my favorite pastimes, watching movies, can be used to learn about Buddhism." - Mauro Sanchez, Founder, Dharmawood

Religious Diversity News - The Pluralism Project

Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"Religious Diversity News" www.pluralism.org/news offers a selection of current news articles related to religion in multireligious America. This resource highlights media coverage of interfaith relations and issues related to religion in the public square, with a special emphasis on Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Muslim, and Sikh communities in the United States. "Religious Diversity News" includes summaries of articles, links to original articles, and additional web-based resources.

Flowchart of Medieval Sexual Decisionmaking from 'Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe'

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

'In his book "Law, Sex, and Christian Society in Medieval Europe," James Brundage creates a truly fantastic flow chart explaining when one can and (mostly) cannot engage in the physical act of love.

At the time, a lot of Christian theology basically took the form of lists of things one wasn't allowed to do, so this flow chart probably isn't far off from the real decision making process prescribed by the church.'

Risen Magazine

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Risen Magazine talks straight up with the people who shape culture in the worlds of action sports, fashion, film and music.

We talk about life, death, truth, deception, fear, courage, God and the afterlife with some of the most interesting minds on the planet.

Risen is committed to exploring culture through the prism of faith, transformation, and truth.

Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: "Lindsay, a sociologist at Rice University who has previously worked with pollster George Gallup Jr., looks at the rise of evangelical Christian influence in the spheres of power of American public life: political, intellectual, cultural and economic. Based on interviews with 360 leaders from these spheres, including two former presidents, as well as a command of what everybody else has heretofore written, Lindsay demonstrates how over the past two decades evangelicals have moved into positions of great influence. From a sociological point of view, their path to power is easy to discern through networks of relationships or institutions that have seeded larger political and economic institutions. This growing network has produced new leaders whose ideas and actions are motivated by their Christianity. The interviews allow Lindsay to cite numerous examples that make his point persuasively. He is a sympathetic observer who understands that evangelicalism is as reformist as any other movement that has ascended to power in America. Yet he also understands that evangelicalism has made accommodation to the larger public life it seeks to reform, a tension he calls elastic orthodoxy. This important work should be required reading for anyone who wants to opine publicly on what American evangelicals are really up to."

Religion in Campaign '08: Clinton and Giuliani Seen As Not Highly Religious; Romney's Religion Raises Concerns

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

So far religion is not proving to be a clear-cut positive in the 2008 presidential campaign. The candidates viewed by voters as the least religious among the leading contenders are the current frontrunners for the Democratic and Republican nominations Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, respectively. On the other hand, the candidate seen as far and away the most religious Mitt Romney is handicapped by this perception because of voter concerns about Mormonism

Religion page

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A roundup of current religion stories aired on NPR.

Society of Mutual Autopsy

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

SoMA is a magazine devoted to dissecting matters of the soulthe sacred and the profane, the ridiculous and the sublime. We don't think of religion primarily in terms of churches or institutions. We side with the theologian Paul Tillich who understood faith, and indirectly religion, as "ultimate concern." He saw faith as a movement toward the unconditional, or God, the "ground of being" that eludes theistic thinking. Thus, religious vitality can be found in things that aren't overtly religious, such as a "secular" films, art, and literature. Similarly, explicitly religious beliefs, symbols, and systems easily become rigid and lose their meaning, turning idolatrous. As Tillich said, religion itself is paradoxically one of the great threats to the religious life.

The Science of Evil:

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The social psychologists' view that "bad barrels" are often to blame for individual actions challenges people's perceptions as well as theological concepts of evil. In an era of when scandals are not uncommon in government, military, corporate and religious institutions, this view also raises questions about who should be held responsible and what changes need to take place to prevent future scandals and crimes.

Battleground God

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Can your beliefs about religion make it across our intellectual battleground?

In this activity you'll be asked a series of 17 questions about God and religion. In each case, apart from Question 1, you need to answer True or False. The aim of the activity is not to judge whether these answers are correct or not. Our battleground is that of rational consistency. This means to get across without taking any hits, you'll need to answer in a way which is rationally consistent. What this means is you need to avoid choosing answers which contradict each other. If you answer in a way which is rationally consistent but which has strange or unpalatable implications, you'll be forced to bite a bullet.

Jews and Power

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

This survey of Jewish history highlights the political aspect of Jewish experience, beginning with the observation that in the Hebrew Bible, Jewish power came through military heroics. By the time of the Roman conquest in A.D. 70, the Talmudic rabbis changed the narrative, blaming defeat on internal dissension, thus elevating the need for political discipline above military power. A Harvard professor of Yiddish and comparative literature, Wisse is keen to study how the politics of Jews occasions the politics of what she terms anti-Jews. For instance, she asserts that Allied leaders entered WWII not to save Europe's Jews but in order to defeat the Nazis, who were also anti-Jews. Similarly, the author says, President Bush was provoked to fight anti-Jewish terrorists by 9/11. Yet in both cases, isolationists accused the administration of caving in to Jewish demands that damaged American interests. Even the founding of Israel, she implies, has not normalized Jews' political position in the world. Palestinians, she says, have forged a national identity in obsessive opposition to Israel, and other nations have exploited Israel for their own political ends. Although her prose is sometimes opaque, Wisse is in fine form with well-reasoned, self-assured arguments bound to provoke heated debate among interested intellectuals.

Islam in Europe

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

How the Public Resolves Conflicts Between Faith and Science

Mon, 27 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

On Subjects such as Evolution, Many Americans Are Aware of -- but Reject -- the Scientific Consensus

The relationship between faith and science in the United States seems, at least on the surface, to be paradoxical. Surveys repeatedly show that most Americans respect science and the benefits it brings to society, such as new technologies and medical treatments. And yet, religious convictions limit many Americans' willingness to accept controversial scientific theories as well as certain types of scientific research, such as the potential use of embryonic stem cells for medical treatments.

Science and religion have traditionally, and often incorrectly, been viewed as enemies. This perception has been fueled in part by a number of famous episodes in history that have pitted scientists, like Galileo and Darwin, against the prevailing religious establishments of their time. But more often than not, scientists and people of faith have operated not at cross purposes but simply at different purposes.

Today the situation is much the same. Certainly, there are modern scientists who are actively hostile to religious belief. British biologist Richard Dawkins, for instance, in his best-selling book, The God Delusion, argues that many social ills from bigotry to ignorance can be blamed, at least in part, on religion. In addition, a significant number of scientists roughly a third according to a 2006 Rice University survey of more than 750 professors in the natural sciences do not believe in God, compared with only one-in-twenty in the general population. But regardless of their personal views, most scientists tend to view the two disciplines as distinct, with each attempting to answer different kinds of questions using different methods. The late evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould famously referred to this complementary relationship as "non-overlapping magisteria."

But there are times when the "magisteria" do overlap. The debate over the origins and development of life is the most compelling example of this. All but a small number of scientists regard Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection as an established fact. And yet, a substantial majority of Americans, many of whom are deeply religious, reject the notion that life evolved through natural forces alone.

Indeed, according to a 2006 survey from the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life and the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, 42% of Americans reject the notion that life on earth evolved and believe instead that humans and other living things have always existed in their present form. Among white evangelical Protestants many of whom regard the Bible as the inerrant word of God 65% hold this view. Moreover, in the same poll, 21% of those surveyed say that although life has evolved, these changes were guided by a supreme being. Only a minority, about a quarter (26%) of respondents, say that they accept evolution through natural processes or natural selection alone.

Interestingly, many of those who reject natural selection recognize that scientists themselves fully accept Darwin's theory. In the same 2006 Pew poll, nearly two-thirds of adults (62%) say that they believe that scientists agree on the validity of evolution. Moreover, Americans, including religious Americans, hold science and scientists in very high regard. A 2006 survey conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University found that most people (87%) think that scientific developments make society better. Among those who describe themselves as being very religious, the same number 87% share that opinion.

So what is at work here? How can Americans say that they respect science and even know what scientists believe and yet still disagree with the scientific community on some fundamental questions? The answer is that much of the general public simply chooses not to believe the scientific theories and discoveries that seem to contradict long-held religious or other important beliefs.

When asked what they would do if scientists were to disprove a particular religious belief, nearly two-thirds (64%) of people say they would continue to hold to what their religion teaches rather than accept the contrary scientific finding, according to the results of an October 2006 Time magazine poll. Indeed, in a May 2007 Gallup poll, only 14% of those who say they do not believe in evolution cite lack of evidence as the main reason underpinning their views; more people cite their belief in Jesus (19%), God (16%) or religion generally (16%) as their reason for rejecting Darwin's theory.

This reliance on religious faith may help explain why so many people do not see science as a direct threat to religion. Only 28% of respondents in the same Time poll say that scientific advancements threaten their religious beliefs. These poll results also show that more than four-fifths of respondents (81%) say that "recent discoveries and advances" in science have not significantly impacted their religious views. In fact, 14% say that these discoveries have actually made them more religious. Only 4% say that science has made them less religious.

These data once again show that, in the minds of most people in the United States, there is no real clash between science and religion. And when the two realms offer seemingly contradictory explanations (as in the case of evolution), religious people, who make up a majority of Americans, may rely primarily upon their faith for answers.

Jihad For Love

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Fourteen centuries after the revelation of the holy Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Islam today is the world's second largest and fastest growing religion. Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma travels the many worlds of this dynamic faith discovering the stories of its most unlikely storytellers: lesbian and gay Muslims.

Filmed over 5 1/2 years, in 12 countries and 9 languages, "A Jihad for Love" comes from the heart of Islam. Looking beyond a hostile and war-torn present, this film seeks to reclaim the Islamic concept of a greater Jihad, which can mean 'an inner struggle' or 'to strive in the path of God'. In doing so the film and its remarkable subjects move beyond the narrow concept of 'Jihad' as holy war.

God's Harvard: A Christian College on a Mission to Save America

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: Envisioned by its founder as a "Christian equivalent of the Ivy League," Patrick Henry College positions itself as a training ground for God's cultural soldiers to take on the secular mainstream; at the seven-year-old Virginia school for evangelicals, religion and political journalist Rosin reports, girls are warned by e-mail if their bra strap is showing, dating requires parental permission and students fast forward through sex scenes in movies. Though they might seem out of touch, students here are as ambitious as any Ivy Leaguers, interning in the White House and Hollywood, volunteering on political campaigns and doggedly pursuing studies like baraminology (creationist biology). Having spent a year and a half immersed in the campus culture, Rosin weaves a deft and honest narrative of evangelical education, combining historical background (the roots of evangelism, the story of founder Michael Farris), close observation and skeptical wit. Among other students and faculty, Rosin introduces Derek, the fresh-faced, idealistic political volunteer; and Farahn, who gave up dancing for the Lord. Making it clear that the American evangelical population is growing in political and cultural influence, Rosin provides an illuminating, accessible guide to the beliefs, aspirations and ongoing challenges of its next generation.

A Secular Age

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In his characteristically erudite yet engaging fashion, Taylor, winner of the 2007 Templeton Prize, takes up where he left off in his magnificent Sources of the Self (1989) as he brilliantly traces the emergence of secularity and the processes of secularization in the modern age. Challenging the idea that the secular takes hold in a world where religion is experienced as a loss or where religions are subtracted from the culture, Taylor discovers the secular emerging in the midst of the religious. The Protestant Reformation, with its emphasis on breaking down the invidious political structures of the Catholic Church, provides the starting point down the road to the secular age. Taylor sweeps grandly and magisterially through the 18th and 19th centuries as he recreates the history of secularism and its parallel challenges to religion. He concludes that a focus on the religious has never been lost in Western culture, but that it is one among many stories striving for acceptance. Taylor's examination of the rise of unbelief in the 19th century is alone worth the price of the book and offers an essential reminder that the Victorian age, more than the Enlightenment, dominates our present view of the meanings of secularity. Taylor's inspired combination of philosophy and history sparkles in this must-read virtuoso performance. (Sept.)

Foreskin's Lament: A Memoir

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: Auslander, a magazine writer, describes his Orthodox Jewish upbringing as theological abuse in this sardonic, twitchy memoir that waits for the other shoe to drop from on high. The title refers to his agitation over whether to circumcise his soon to be born son, yet another Jewish ritual stirring confusion and fear in his soul. Flitting haphazardly between expectant-father neuroses in Woodstock, N.Y., and childhood neuroses in Monsey, N.Y., Auslander labors mightily to channel Philip Roth with cutting, comically anxious spiels lamenting his claustrophobic house, off-kilter family and the temptations of all things nonkosher, from shiksas to Slim Jims. The irony of his name, Shalom (Hebrew for peace), isn't lost on him, a tormented soul gripped with dread, fending off an alcoholic, abusive father while imagining his heavenly one as a menacing, mocking, inescapable presence. Fond of tormenting himself with worst-case scenarios, he concludes, That would be so God. Like Roth's Portnoy, he commits minor acts of rebellion and awaits his punishment with youthful literal-mindedness. But this memoir is too wonky to engage the reader's sympathy or cut free Auslander's persona from the swath of stereotypeand he can't sublimate his rage into the cultural mischief that brightens Roth's oeuvre. That said, a surprisingly poignant ending awaits readers.

GetReligion

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

There are ghosts in there, hiding in the ink and the pixels. Something is missing in the basic facts or perhaps most of the key facts are there, yet some are twisted. Perhaps there are sins of omission, rather than commission. A lot of these ghosts are, well, holy ghosts. They are facts and stories and faces linked to the power of religious faith. Now you see them. Now you don't. In fact, a whole lot of the time you don't get to see them. But that doesn't mean they aren't there.

Adherents.com Guide to Religious Movies

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

On this page we will present some films ... that adherents and representatives of various specific religious groups have recommended as being possibly instructive about or representative of their specific faith. We have also included films that deal with comparative religion and general religious themes (without being overly offensive to a specific religious or ethnic group).

Ask Moses

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

AskMoses.com is a vibrant, innovative online resource offering instant advice from the qualified men, women and Rabbis on our team of expert scholars. These scholars are available 24 hours a day, 6 days a week, and stand ready to address topics ranging from simple questions about Jewish holidays to complex inquiries on personal issues.

the brights

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Think about your own worldview to decide if it is free of supernatural or mystical deities, forces, and entities. If you decide that you fit the description above, then you are, by definition, a bright! Already there are Brights in over 140 nations. This website serves as a hub for Internet communications and for coordinated actions among activists in the constituency.

The Religious Movements Page

Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

This page provides a gateway to Profiles of more than two hundred Religious Movements, most of which were created by students in Sociology 257 at the University of Virginia. Each Profile offers basic demographic and background information, a summary of beliefs, discussion of controversial issues (when appropriate), links to important web sites about each group, and select print bibliographies. In addition, we provide an index with links to hundreds of religious groups that are not profiled on this site.

One Vote Under God

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

One Vote Under God attempts to provide a comprehensive, interactive portrait of the ways in which faith has been invoked in the race for the White House in 2008.

Politics and religion mix for Asia's activist monks

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Sept 11 (Reuters) - Buddhist monks in army-ruled Myanmar are threatening to shun the military unless the junta apologises for a crackdown on monks who joined anti-government protests last week, media reports said on Tuesday.

Here is some background on monk activism in three Buddhist majority countries in Asia.*

MYANMAR:

-- BUDDHIST POPULATION: 89 percent (38/47 million)**

-- POLITICS: Myanmar's monasteries are said to be the country's most organised institution after the military. Buddhist monks have spearheaded protests against British colonialism and military dictatorship in the past, forming extensive Young Men's Buddhist Associations (YMBA) at the turn of the century.

Monasteries played a prominent part in a 1988 rebellion against the military rulers in power since 1962. Some 90 monks are still in prison for their 1980s activism.

In 1990 thousands were detained after many monks refused to perform religious rites for soldiers or their families following military crackdowns on the democracy movement.

-- CONTROVERSY: Monks are highly respected in the devoutly Buddhist nation. Using force against them is unpopular, but monasteries have been put under close surveillance since a sudden rise in fuel prices sparked demonstrations in August.

SRI LANKA:

-- BUDDHIST POPULATION: 69 percent (14/20 million)

-- POLITICS: Monks have contested elections since the 1940s and have protested government moves to placate Tamil Tiger rebels fighting the Sinhalese majority for a Tamil homeland over the past two decades of civil war. In 2004, nine Buddhist monks entered parliament after the exclusively-monk-led political party the JHU (Jathika Hela Urumaya, or National Heritage Party) fielded more than 200 monk candidates.

-- CONTROVERSY: Some Buddhists decried the monks' entry into party politics. The JHU's affiliation with Sinhala nationalist groups has also provoked controversy, as did a proposed anti-conversion bill to stop "unethical conversions" among Buddhists and Hindus.

THAILAND:

-- BUDDHIST POPULATION: 95 percent (61/65 million)

-- POLITICS: Outspoken individual monks have long commented on public life in Thailand: In the late 1970s popular monk Kittiwutto Bhikkhu, a supporter of the right-wing activist Nawaphol group, infamously said that killing Communists was not a sin. In September 2005, influential monk Luang Ta Maha Bua said then-leader Thaksin Shinawatra was trampling on the country's monarchy and religion. Thaksin was then criticised for gagging the press after he sued a newspaper which published the monk's provocative sermon, rather than the monk.

-- CONTROVERSY: In May 2007 hundreds of orange robed monks and nine elephants marched across Bangkok to demand the country's new, post-coup, constitution recognise Buddhism as the official religion. The weeks of rallies and hunger strikes outside parliament that sometimes blocked traffic and drew thousands of monks and religious activists until late June were ultimately unsuccessful in forcing a constitutional amendment.

* Most Buddhists in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Cambodia follow the conservative Theravada, or southern school of Buddhism.

Bible Fight

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

According to Kim Pallister, Microsoft's casual game guy, Bible Fight is "the most sacrilegious game ever."

It is a straightforward Streetfighter-style game, in which you and your opponent (either controlled by the computer or by someone else whanging on the other side of the keyboard) punch and kick each other until one or the other achieves victory.

As with other games of this style, there are a variety of characters, each of whom has his own combo moves that do extra damage, if you can hit the right key combination quickly enough.

Except that--the characters are Mary, Eve, Jesus, Moses, Noah, and Satan. And the special moves are things like Mary's Halo Toss, and Jesus's Loaves and Fishes.

In the image above, Moses is hurling a Tablet of Laws into Jesus.

Original game design? We think not. Hilarious? Yes.

And designed by Pop&Co, formerly PopNYC, one of New York's preeminent digital design firms. Go, Vincent.

Science and Religion.com

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

What could science have in common with religion, when religion seems so irrelevant to the scientist? Yet, religion still has a firm hold on billions of believers worldwide, dealing with questions not answerable through the five senses. What happens to the soul? What is the nature of it, or the purpose of life? Is there a purpose to begin with? The race is still drawn to answers provided by religion and often cannot be shaken from them by criticism, even if some beliefs defy common sense, which is in itself very odd. Something instinctive in man seems to respond to the concept of worlds beyond the senses.

JBooks.com

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Re-launched in March 2003, the completely redesigned JBooks.com is the premiere online destination for information on books of Jewish interest. JBooks.com features reviews of top Jewish books written by well-known authors, journalists, and critics, as well as profiles of and interviews with new and established writers. The magazine was redesigned to include five core channels - Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children's Books, Interviews & Profiles, and First Chapters. Additionally, the site features four message board communities for book lovers as well as "Books Amplified," a channel where renowned authors read sections from their newest releases.

First Amendment Center

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome to the First Amendment Center's Web site, featuring comprehensive research coverage of key First Amendment issues and topics, daily First Amendment news, a unique First Amendment Library and guest analyses by respected legal specialists.

'07 survey shows Americans' views mixed on basic freedoms

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

WASHINGTON Sixty-five percent of Americans believe that the nation's founders intended the U.S. to be a Christian nation and 55% believe that the Constitution establishes a Christian nation, according to the "State of the First Amendment 2007" national survey released today by the First Amendment Center.

Religion and the World

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A series of occasional articles on how globalization -- from new techonologies and burgeoning economies, to the migration of people and cultures -- is redefining the bounds of world religions.

Read the Spirit

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Throughout the week, David Crumm reports on the impact of spiritual publishing in our daily lives.

God On Trial: Dispatches from America's Religious Battlefields

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly

Despite Irons's title, Mike Newdow, who challenged the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, says, "People... think this is against God. And it's not.... It's those who believe in equality versus those who don't." But his opponents, and the other defendants in the seven cases concerning the separation of church and state that civil liberties lawyer Irons relates, clearly see it differently. As one of Newdow's opponents says, if "the majority of folks want it, I don't think the minority should be able to say, 'Well, no, you can't have it.' " Irons (A People's History of the Supreme Court) provides exciting blow-by-blow accounts of the legal battles, ranging from two challenges to displays of the 10 Commandments in Kentucky and Texas to the fight over a cross on Mount Soleded in San Diegoa theater of the absurd lasting 17 years and counting. Irons ends each chapter with monologues by a participant on each side. These are sometimes rambling and overlong, but reveal sometimes with surprising power, the personalities and motivations of the opponents. Irons's accounts clarify the legal issues in these important cases as well as what one federal judge called the Supreme Court's "utterly standardless" decisions, failing to provide clear boundaries for the role of religion in the public square.

Women's Ordination Conference

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Women's Ordination Conference (WOC) is the world's oldest and largest national organization working solely for women to be ordained as deacons, priests and bishops into an inclusive Roman Catholic Church.

How to Read the Bible

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Review by David Plotz for the International Herald Tribune

'Depending on who's reading Genesis and why, Abraham's not-quite sacrifice of Isaac is a true historical event that establishes the Jewish claim to Jerusalem, or an inspirational lesson in how God tests the faith of ordinary men, or a tribute to the Bible's first willing martyr, or a foreshadowing of the crucifixion. Or maybe it's merely a just-so story, a made-up tale stuck into the Bible by ancient Israelites to explain why they didn't practice child sacrifice, even though neighboring tribes did.

All these interpretations for the binding of Isaac - and still others - can be found in James L. Kugel's "How to Read the Bible," an awesome, thrilling and deeply strange book. Kugel, an emeritus professor of Hebrew literature at Harvard and, mark this, an Orthodox Jew, aims to prove that you can read the Bible rationally without losing God. He sets himself the monumental task of guiding readers all the way through the Jewish scriptures (the Old Testament, more or less, if you're a Christian) and reclaiming the Bible from both the literalists and the skeptics.

So, how to read the Bible? Kugel proposes two different ways. First, he shows us the Bible as it was read by the "ancient interpreters," writers who lived in the period a couple of hundred years before and after the birth of Jesus, even as the Bible itself was being codified. Their way of reading the Bible - their assumption of its inerrancy, their belief that scripture teaches moral lessons, and their faith in divine authorship - is the way many of us still read it today. Second, Kugel leads us through the Bible as it's understood by modern scholars, who for the past 150 years have used archaeology, linguistics, history, anthropology and all the other tools of science to excavate the truth about the Good Book. Kugel seems to have begun "How to Read the Bible" with the notion of giving equal weight to his two methods, but he soon sidelines the ancient interpreters and focuses on the exceedingly provocative modern scholarship. Though Kugel surely did not intend this, in its own way, his book proves as devastating to the godly cause as any of the pro-atheism books that have been dominating the best-seller lists in recent months.

It's not news to anyone - at least anyone who reads the Bible even a wee bit skeptically - that the book is chock-full of contradictions and impossible events. Instead of carping snidely about this, Kugel gives us a magisterial, erudite, yet remarkably witty tour through the research. If reading the Bible demands a suspension of disbelief - Moses turned the Nile to blood? Joshua stopped the sun at noon? Samson killed 1,000 men with the jawbone of an ass? - then "How to Read the Bible" will prompt a suspension of belief. Some of the territory Kugel covers will be familiar to lay Bible doubters already. He reviews the "documentary hypothesis," which demonstrates pretty conclusively that the first five books of the Bible were not written by a single person (Moses, according to tradition), but actually cobbled together from four, or maybe five, different writers. Kugel points out the Bible's plagiarism from earlier, non-Israelite sources: laws nicked from Hammurabi; chunks of the Noah flood story lifted from the Epic of Gilgamesh; prophecies of Ezekiel inspired by Middle Eastern temples. He even implicates the Ten Commandments, which were apparently derived in part from ancient Hittite treaties.

Modern scholars have also unmoored many of the most beloved stories in Genesis and Exodus. These tales are now viewed as etiological - that is, they were invented to explain how the world got to be the way it is. In this reading, the conflict between Jacob and Esau isn't a true story of sibling rivalry but an account of why, at the time the story was written down, the Israelites had such hot and cold relations with the Edomites, a nearby tribe identified with Esau. Similarly, the "mark of Cain" that God places on Cain after he murders Abel, promising sevenfold vengeance for anyone who harms him, was probably a tale designed to highlight the brutality of the Kenites, Israel's notoriously fierce neighbors.

Most unsettling to religious Jews and Christians may be Kugel's chapters about the origins of God and his chosen people. Kugel says that there is essentially no evidence - archaeological, historical, cultural - for the events in the Torah. No sign of an exodus from Egypt; no proof that Israelites ever invaded, much less conquered, Canaan; no indication that Jericho was ever sacked. In fact, quite the contrary: current evidence suggests that the Israelites were probably Canaanites themselves, semi-nomadic highlanders or fleeing city dwellers who gradually separated from their mother culture, established a distinct identity and invented a mythical past.

God himself has an equally murky personal history. At the start of the Bible, God is often viewed as just one of many gods. Only later in the book does he become the sole deity. More confusingly, he doesn't even seem to be the same god throughout the book. Mostly, God is called YHWH, but sometimes, especially in the earlier books, he's known as El. According to Kugel, these are probably two different deities fused into one: El may have been a god in the Canaanite pantheon, while YHWH may have been a Midianite god imported, via nomads, to the early Israelites, who made him their only god.

One purpose of "How to Read the Bible" is to recapture the Bible from literalists, and Kugel certainly succeeds. His tour through the scholarship demonstrates why it makes no sense to believe that every word of the Bible is true history. Piling on, he also contends that modern Bible literalism, that brand of six-day-creationism favored by fundamentalists, is wildly out of step with traditional Christian interpretation. Such monomaniacal focus on the Bible's literal truth is a relatively new phenomenon. It's not so much that readers of yore didn't believe the Bible's truth; they just didn't waste a lot of time trying to prove impossible events like the Flood.

But vanquishing the literalists is only half of Kugel's project. He also seeks a safe haven for rationalist believers. In other words, having broken all the windows, trashed the bedroom, stripped the wires for copper, sold the plumbing for scrap, and jackhammered into the foundation, Kugel proposes to move back into his Bible house.

Kugel spends the final chapter trying to salvage the Bible for rational believers like himself. And give him credit: he refuses to take an easy way out. He won't say - as many Reform Jews and Christians do - that the Bible is just a series of excellent moral lessons. (After all, Kugel asks, what then are we supposed to make of all the ugly, morally repellent laws and stories?) He also won't say that Jewish observance is enough, that following God's laws - independent of accepting their truth - is satisfactory.

Instead, Kugel tries to separate scholarship and belief. At bottom, Kugel seems to conclude that, scholarship be damned, there is some seed of divine inspiration in the Bible, even if he can't say exactly where it is. The fact that we can't prove any particular passage isn't important, and the fact that it's a pastiche of myths and plagiarized law codes doesn't extinguish the holiness that's in it, and doesn't diminish how it still inspires us to love and serve God. That's a humane and humble conclusion, but it won't reduce the delight of Bible skeptics, cackling with glee about Chapters 1 through 35.'

The Stillborn God

Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly

This searching history of western thinking about the relationship between religion and politics was inspired not by 9/11, but by Nazi Germany, where, says University of Chicago professor Lilla (The Reckless Mind), politics and religion were horrifyingly intertwined. To explain the emergence of Nazism's political theology, Lilla reaches back to the early modern era, when thinkers like Locke and Hume began to suggest that religion and politics should be separate enterprises. Some theorists, convinced that Christianity bred violence, argued that government must be totally detached from religion. Others, who believed that rightly practiced religion could contribute to modern life, promoted a liberal theology, which sought to articulate Christianity and Judaism in the idiom of reason. (Lilla's reading of liberal Jewish thinker Hermann Cohen is especially arresting.) Liberal theologians, Lilla says, credulously assumed human society was progressive and never dreamed that fanaticism could capture the imaginations of modern peopleassumptions that were proven wrong by Hitler. If Lilla castigates liberal theology for its naïveté, he also praises America and Western Europe for simultaneously separating religion from politics, creating space for religion, and staving off sectarian violence and theocracy. Lilla's work, which will influence discussions of politics and theology for the next generation, makes clear how remarkable an accomplishment that is.

Religion News Blog

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Religion News Blog (RNB), published by Apologetics Index, highlights news items and other resources on world religions, cults, religious sects, new religious movements, alternative religions, abusive churches and - to a lesser extent - related issues (e.g. ethics, human rights). The information is provided for research and educational purposes.

Prayer in America

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

PRAYER IN AMERICA (airing November 2007 on public television stations) asks the question, What role has prayer played in shaping the development and history of America? The two-part documentary explores contemporary debates about the role of prayer through the lens of history. By asking rhetorically, "How did we get here?" the show examines the ways in which prayer has contributed to and continues to shape the American experience.

The film is inspired by and serves as the companion to Prayer in America (originally published by Doubleday as One Nation Under God: The History of Prayer in America) by James P. Moore, Jr. In his highly original approach to the history of the United States, Jim Moore suggests that prayer has historically, and through to the present day, been a significant influence on the political, cultural and economic development of the United States.

PRAYER IN AMERICA producers Alison Rostankowski and Chip Duncan explore this thesis through interviews with a wide-ranging group of scholars, writers, and experts on the history of religion and prayer in America. The documentary reflects diverse, and sometimes conflicting, perspectives that inspire viewers to examine the role religion and prayer play in their personal lives, politics, and culture.

10 Things I Hat e about Commandments

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Samuel L. Jackson takes on Charlton Heston?

Contemporary Christian Music Magazine

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Charisma and Christian Life Magazine

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Religion, Media & International Affairs

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

This interdisciplinary program at Syracuse University, made possible through the Henry R. Luce Initiative on Religion and International Affairs, aims to train tomorrow's leaders and diplomats particularly in the fields of International Relations and Public Administration with a critical understanding of the role of religion in the media and international relations.

The Bible: A Biography

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: Of all the Books That Changed the World-the recently launched series to which this book belongs-surely the Bible is among the most important. And of all contemporary popularizers of religious history, surely Armstrong is among the bestselling. Who better, then, to recount the history of the Bible in eight short chapters than this former nun and literature professor who relishes huge topics (The History of God) and panoramic descriptions (The Great Transformation)? Armstrong not only describes how, when and by whom the Bible was written, she also examines some 2,000 years of biblical interpretation by bishops and rabbis, scholars and mystics, pietists and critics, thus opening up a myriad of exegetical approaches and dispelling any fundamentalist notion that only one view can be correct. Readers unfamiliar with ecclesiastical history may feel overwhelmed by dense chapters that read more like annotated lists than narrative-a hazard of trying to cover so much in so little space. (A glossary helps to anchor the bewildered.) At her best when she pauses long enough to expand on a topic, Armstrong offers intriguing insights on, for example, the allegorical method developed by Origen in the third century and the mystical midrash of the Kabbalists in medieval Spain and Provence.

Creation: Artists, Gods and Origins

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: In this expansive and often electrifying exploration, Oxford English professor Conrad (Modern Times, Modern Places) aims to present a celebration of art that doubles as a critique of religion. His supreme faith is in human, not divine creators, and though he thinks it unfashionable, his premise is that artistic genius does indeed exist. Plato, Mozart, Michelangelo, Schoenberg and Wagner are not surprisingly among the many examples; Mary Shelley and Hildegard of Bingen are among the few women discussed at any length. Thirty-three chapters are thematically arranged, probing concepts of creation in a sometimes dizzying, often brilliant fusion of the linguistic, aesthetic and philosophical. When focused on one artist or period, Conrad's ideas are most acute, his arguments most intrepid, as in the chapter on Leonardo. His conclusion that man is both a creator and destroyer, and that the beauty of aesthetic forms can deliver us from the world's entropic decay is hardly new, yet the book's vigorous, engagement with these ideas and others gives it a potency that will appeal to both general and scholarly readers. 160 illus.

Public Expresses Mixed Views of Islam, Mormonism

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Muslim and Mormon religions have gained increasing national visibility in recent
years. Yet most Americans say they know little or nothing about either religion's practices, and
large majorities say that their own religion is very different from Islam and the Mormon religion.
A new national survey reveals some notable similarities, as well as major differences, in
the ways that Americans view these faiths and their followers. Contained in the survey are the following topics: Section 1: Opinions about Muslims and Islam; Section 2: Views of Mormons and Mormonism; Section 3: Opinions about Pope Benedict XVI

ReligionSource

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The American Academy of Religion operates Religionsource, which is supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. and The Pew Charitable Trusts. Religionsource provides journalists with prompt referrals to scholars who can serve as sources on virtually any topic related to religion.

On God: An Uncommon Conversation

Sun, 30 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A towering figure in American literature, Norman Mailer has in recent years reached a new level of accessibility and power. His last novel, The Castle in the Forest, revealed fascinating ideas about faith and the nature of good and evil. Now Mailer offers his concept of the nature of God. His conversations with his friend and literary executor, Michael Lennon, show this writer at his most direct, provocative, and challenging. "I think," writes Mailer, "that piety is oppressive. It takes all the air out of thought."

In moving, amusing, probing, and uncommon dialogues conducted over three years but whose topics he has considered for decades, Mailer establishes his own system of belief, one that rejects both organized religion and atheism. He presents instead a view of our world as one created by an artistic God who often succeeds but can also fail in the face of determined opposition by contrary powers in the universe, with whom war is waged for the souls of humans. In turn, we have been given freedomindeed responsibilityto choose our own paths. Mailer trusts that our individual behavioralways a complex mix of good and evilwill be rewarded or punished with a reincarnation that fits the sum of our lives.

Mailer weighs the possibilities of "intelligent design" at the same time avowing that sensual pleasures were bestowed on us by God; he finds fault with the Ten Commandmentsbecause adultery, he avers, may be a lesser evil than others suffered in a bad marriageand he holds that technology was the Devil's most brilliant creation.

In short, Mailer is original and unpredictable in this inspiring verbal journey, a unique vision of the world in which "God needs us as much as we need God."

From The Naked and the Dead to The Executioner's Song and beyond, Mailer's major works have engaged such themes as war, politics, culture, and sex. Now, in this small yet important book, Mailer, in a modest, well-spoken style, gives us fresh ways to think about the largest subject of them all.

Hartford Institute for Religion Research

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Rigorous, policy-relevant research, anticipation of emerging issues and commitment to the creative dissemination of learning....an important bridge between the scholarly community and the practice of faith.

Women and the Contested State: Religion, Violence, and Agency in South and Southeast Asia

Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Throughout South and Southeast Asia, groups battle over definitions of identity--in direction and character--for their state, a struggle complicated by the legacy of colonialism. The contributors to this volume explore the intricate, dynamic relationships that pertain between women's agency and the state-making institutions and armed forces of Kashmir, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Burma (Myanmar). They also address the complex roles of Islam, Hinduism, and Theravada Buddhism in these postcolonial dynamics.

The Art of Political Murder

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: Novelist Goldman (The Divine Husband, etc.) pursues in his first nonfiction book the infamous murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi, the Guatemalan human rights leader murdered after the release of his multivolume report on the genocidal terror campaign led by the army in the 1980s and '90s, in which 200,000 people disappeared or were killed. The book, which began as a New Yorker piece, casts light into the darkest corners of this tortuous case, the U.S.-supported war in Central America and the continuing legacy of violence and corruption. The large cast and myriad details can be overwhelming, but overall Goldman manages a clear narrative (aided by a dramatis personae and chronology). Drawing on a wealth of sources, including interviews, declassified documents and court records, his meticulously researched book is an impressive organizational achievement, as well as a vital moral accounting. Goldmanwho was baptized in Gerardi's church of San Sebastian, attended by his Guatemalan-born motherinvests this eye-opening account with a layer of personal reflection. Like Latin American writers García Márquez, Vargas Llosa or Carlos Fuentes, his journalism isn't so much a departure from his fiction as an extension of his concerns with the fraught landscapes where truth is as contested as the soil underfoot, yet central to battles waged over it.

Head and Heart: American Christianities

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Booklist: The history of Christianity in the U.S. is a dialectic of the intellect and the emotions, Wills maintains in this big new book, which ought to be the one volume everyone interested in the subject reads--it is lucid and grandly informative--and reacts to, thus keeping the conversation alive. Although intransigently theocratic, the Puritans brought both heart (passion) and head (reason) to their religious practice, passionately persecuting dissidents unto death, reasonably fostering broad tolerance and social justice in the words and deeds of Roger Williams and repentant witch-trial judge and abolitionist pioneer Samuel Sewall. Eighteenth-century Quakers merged head and heart to spread antislavery sentiment. The deist Founding Fathers observed the head-heart conflicts and with the First Amendment opted the new federal government out of them by forbidding a national church. That "disestablishment" has been a godsend because, ever since, head and heart have seesawed in influence. Although the Puritans and disestablishment occupy the best pages in the book, Wills' traversal of nineteenth- and twentieth-century developments is full of what will be not only revelations to most Americans but also, they may decide, things they really ought to know. If it is disappointing that Wills ends in contention, arguing that the Bush II administration poses the greatest threat ever to disestablishment, it is also true that his case for seeing abortion as a nonreligious issue is as cogent as it is refreshing. Olson, Ray

Infidel

Sat, 06 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: Readers with an eye on European politics will recognize Ali as the Somali-born member of the Dutch parliament who faced death threats after collaborating on a film about domestic violence against Muslim women with controversial director Theo van Gogh (who was himself assassinated). Even before then, her attacks on Islamic culture as "brutal, bigoted, [and] fixated on controlling women" had generated much controversy. In this suspenseful account of her life and her internal struggle with her Muslim faith, she discusses how these views were shaped by her experiences amid the political chaos of Somalia and other African nations, where she was subjected to genital mutilation and later forced into an unwanted marriage. While in transit to her husband in Canada, she decided to seek asylum in the Netherlands, where she marveled at the polite policemen and government bureaucrats. Ali is up-front about having lied about her background in order to obtain her citizenship, which led to further controversy in early 2006, when an immigration official sought to deport her and triggered the collapse of the Dutch coalition government. Apart from feelings of guilt over van Gogh's death, her voice is forceful and unbowedlike Irshad Manji, she delivers a powerful feminist critique of Islam informed by a genuine understanding of the religion. 8-page photo insert.

Christian Today

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Christian Today newspaper is an operating division of Christian Today Limited. The Company is a multimedia organisation whose principal member productions include digital publications (www.christiantoday.com), web portal, search engine and directories (www.crossmap.co.uk).

Christian Today is an independent, inter-denominational, christian media company which serves to provide direct, and current news information to the general christian public.

Model Mosque

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Model Mosque is a national competition to find the best mosque in the UK. The ultimate aims of the show are to improve standards within UK mosques and to share best practice amongst mosques. The show has nothing to do with the size, layout or architecture of a mosque. It has everything to do with the services the mosque provides for its local community and how well the mosque manages relations with the local host community.

New Time Religion

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Forward literary critic considers John J. Clayton's Wrestling with Angels: New and Collected Stories (The Toby Press, 616 pages, $27.95) and Kuperman's Fire (The Permanent Press, 304 pages, $28).

The Spiritual Brain

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: Following C.S. Lewis's dictum that to 'see through' all things is the same as not to see, neuroscientist Beauregard and journalist O'Leary mount a sweeping critique of a trend in the pop science media to explain away religious experience as a brain artifact, pathology or evolutionary quirk. While sympathizing with the attraction such neurotheology holds, the authors warn against the temptation to force the complex varieties of human spirituality into simplistic categories that they argue are conceptually crude, culturally biased and often empirically untested. In recently published research using Carmelite nuns as subjects, Beauregard's group at the University of Montreal found specific areas of brain activation associated with contemplative prayer. But these patterns are quite distinct from those associated with hallucinations, autosuggestion or states of intense emotional arousal, resembling instead how the brain processes real experiences. Insisting that we have never entertained the idea of proving the existence of God, the authors concede that the results of our work are assumed to be a strike either for or against God and that on the whole, we [don't] mind. Never shrinking from controversy, and sometimes deliberately provoking it, this book serves as a lively introduction to a field where neuroscience, philosophy, and secular/spiritual cultural wars are unavoidably intermingled.

What Teenagers Look for in a Church

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

(Ventura, CA) - experience look like, and what do teens look for in a church? What do they learn in church settings? A new study from The Barna Group explores the spiritual lives and expectations of today's teenagers.

What's So Great About Christianity?

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Is Christianity obsolete? Can an intelligent, educated person really believe the Bible? Or do the atheists have it right? Has Christianity been disproven by science, debunked as a force for good, and discredited as a guide to morality? Bestselling author Dinesh D'Souza (What's So Great About America) looks at Christianity with a questioning eye, but treats atheists with equal skepticism. The result is a book that will challenge the assumptions of both believers and doubters and affirm that there really is, indeed, something great about Christianity. D'Souza reveals:

*Why Christianity explains what modern science tells us about the universe and our origins--that matter was created out of nothing, that light preceded the sun--better than atheism does
*How Christianity created the framework for modern science, so that Christianity and science are not irreconcilable, but science and atheism might be
*Why the alleged sins of Christianity--the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Galileo affair ("an atheist's fable")--are vastly overblown
*Why atheist regimes are responsible for the greatest mass murders of history
*Why evolution does not threaten Christian belief, but actually supports the "argument from design"
*Why atheists fear the Big Bang theory and the "anthropic principle" of the universe, which are keystones of modern astronomy and physics
*How Christianity explains consciousness and free will, which atheists have to deny
*Why ultimately you can't have Western civilization--and all we value from it--without the Christianity that gave it birth.

Provocative, enlightening, a twenty-first-century successor to C. S. Lewis' Mere Christianity, Dinesh D'Souza's What's So Great About Christianity is the perfect book for the seeker, the skeptic, and the believer who wants to defend his faith.

Religion News Service

Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

................THIS WEEK'S COLUMNISTS....................

Tuesday: Tom Ehrich
Wednesday: Phyllis Zagano
Thursday: James Rudin

.......THIS WEEK IN THE RNS CALENDAR...........

Oct. 10-11

Evangelical Climate Initiative: Washington Leadership Forum, Washington. Contact: Debbie Payton at 404-245-8500; e-mail dpayton@rooftopmediaworks.com;

Oct. 11-12

National Association of Evangelicals: Global Leaders Forum, Arlington, Va. Contact: Jennifer Haglof at (703) 731-9620.

Oct. 12-14

Freedom from Religion Foundation: national convention, Madison, Wis. Contact: Annie Laurie Gaylor at 608-256-8900; Web site: www.ffrf.org

Oct. 13

Eid al-Fitr begins (Muslim holiday commemorates the end of Ramadan. Actual date may vary depending on sighting of the moon.)

Oct. 14

Georgetown University: "Poison or Cure? Religious Belief in the Modern World" debate between Christopher Hitches and Alister McGrath, Washington, D.C. Contact: Jacques Arsenault at 202-687-4328, e-mail: arsenauj@georgetown.edu

............UPCOMING NEWS AND FEATURES..........

RNS-HUCKABEE-FAITH: Huckabee Has One Unique Line on His Resume: Pastor

(UNDATED) Years after he was no longer pastoring a Southern Baptist church in Texarkana, Ark., then-Gov. Mike Huckabee would pick up the phone with a pastoral touch. "He found out when my mom and dad died," recalled Roger Booth, an electronics distributor and lifelong member of Beech Street First Baptist Church. "He called and expressed his condolences and his wife came to their funerals. ... It tells me that he's still the same Mike now as he was when people didn't know who he was." Huckabee, though considered a second-tier Republican candidate, has at least one characteristic that stands out from his competitors: he's been a pastor who preached each Sunday in an Arkansas pulpit. "I think it's the greatest preparation that a person can have for public service," Huckabee said. Adelle M. Banks reports in a 900-word story that includes photos.

RNS-NCC-FUTURE: National Council of Church Cuts Back, Looks Ahead

(RNS) On the heels of cutbacks in budget and staff, the National Council of Churches has nominated a long-time educator and ecumenical leader to be its next General Secretary. If affirmed next month by the NCC's governing board and General Assembly, the Rev. Michael Kinnamon will assume the helm of the ecumenical agency next January. Kinnamon is a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) clergyman and professor of ecumenical studies at Eden Theological School in St. Louis. The Kinnamon announcement comes just days after the NCC said it will eliminate 14 staff positions -- including two deputy general secretaries and six associate general secretaries -- to cope with budget deficits for the last two fiscal years. Daniel Burke reports in a 500-word story.

RNS-LITERAL-FAITH: Man Takes Bible Literally For a Year -- and Survives

(UNDATED) A.J. Jacobs, an editor for Esquire magazine, spent a year of his life living the Bible as literally as possible in New York City. In that time, he grew a beard of terrifying proportions, sacrificed a chicken and attempted to stone adulterers with pebbles gathered from Central Park. In addition to the Ten Commandments, he finds more than 800 rules to follow, ranging from not touching women to no gossiping. In his quest to find a meaningful interpretation of the Bible, Jacobs travels to Israel, hangs with snake handlers in Tennessee and visits an Amish household in Pennsylvania. Of his own spiritual journey, Jacobs says he started out as a secular Jew and ended up as a "reverent agnostic." Shona Crabtree profiles Jacobs in an 800-word story that includes photos.

RNS-CHRISTIAN-IMAGE: Young People See Christians as Judgmental, Anti-Gay

(UNDATED) Young people have graded Christianity, and so far, the grades aren't looking good. Majorities of American young people describe Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-homosexual, and many in the Christian faith don't even want to call themselves "Christian" because of the baggage that accompanies the label. A new book based on research by The Barna Group found that church attitudes about people in general and gays in particular are driving a negative image of the Christian faith among people ages 16-29. "The anti-homosexual perception has now become sort of the Geiger counter of Christians' ability to love and work with people," said David Kinnaman, the Barna Group's president and author of the book, "UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity." Adelle M. Banks looks at the findings in a 600-word story that includes photos.

RNS-TOOMANY-CHURCHES: Orlando Feels Squeeze of Rapid Church Growth

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Some neighbors tend to complain about too many Wal-Marts or too many strip joints. In southeast Orlando, it's too many churches. About a dozen churches are within only a few miles of each other here on the outskirts of the city, and more are under construction. Neighbors venturing out on Sunday mornings for bagels and errands often find themselves stuck in traffic, heads bowed not in faith but frustration. Some complain the traffic persists all week as religious, youth, sports and other activities draw crowds after work and school, too. Unmitigated in many places by taxes, zoning and other restrictions, development by places of worship poses a delicate quandary for municipal leaders who want to balance the valuable services they provide neighbors' concerns. In some places too many churches -- because of their tax-exempt status -- also strain the economy. Amy Green reports in a 900-word story.

..............ALSO IN THE WORKS .............................

RNS-POLY-AMORY: Andrea Useem talks with polyamorists who say their multiple romantic relationships are intimately linked to their faith and values -- even as they receive a cool reception from others.

.........STILL GOOD: RECENT NEWS AND FEATURES...........

RNS-HARPER-FAITH: Canadian Leader's Evangelical Faith Remains Under Wraps

CALGARY, Alberta -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has virtually never talked publicly about his evangelical Christian beliefs. And political biographer Lloyd Mackey says he understands why Harper won't talk more about his loyalty to evangelicalism -- even to sympathetic biographers such as himself. Harper is one of many conservative Christians in Canadian politics, says Mackey, who have been striving to downplay the public's fears about evangelicals being "scary." Mackey says Harper could suffer politically if he were more open about his form of Christianity in diverse, multicultural and largely secular Canada. By Douglas Todd. 1,000 words. With photo. Moved Oct. 3.

RNS-10-MINUTES: 10 Minutes With ... Yvonne Ridley

TORONTO -- Ron Csillag catches up with British journalist Yvonne Ridley, who was captured by the Taliban, was told to read the Quran and later raised eyebrows with her embrace of a conservative Islam that seems to say violence may not be all bad. About 900. With photo. Moved Oct. 3.

RNS-AMISH-FORGIVE: Amish Show the World How -- and Why -- to Forgive

(UNDATED) The murder last year of five young Amish schoolgirls in Nickel Mines, Pa., shocked the world. But within 24 hours of the crime, the Amish had forgiven the shooter, Charles Roberts, and extended mercy to his family. The Amish set up a special fund for Roberts' widow and children, attended his burial and brought meals to his family. The news of Amish forgiveness soon spread as an anxious world took note. As scholars of Amish life explain in their new book "Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy," a predisposition to forgive is "woven into the very fabric of Amish life." The threads are spun from faith in God, scriptural mandates, and a history of persecution. However, the Amish turn conventional Christian ideas of forgiveness upside down, the authors note, and offer some thoughts on salvation and God's mercy that might surprise mainstream Christians. By Daniel Burke. 950, with optional trim to 775. Moved Sept. 25.

RNS-CALENDAR-BOYS: Mormon Men Drop the White Shirt for No Shirt at All

(UNDATED) There've been calendars of New York City firefighters, Playboy bunnies and even Italy's hottest Catholic priests. Now you can throw Mormon missionaries into the mix. Hoping to debunk the stereotypes that Mormons are all straight-laced, clean-cut corporate types, the new risque calendar shows former missionaries -- Bibles in hand -- shirtless and sculpted. Brandon Beckham, who spent two years on a mission in Mozambique, said that as a Mormon in the entertainment industry, he's used to having to make some tough decisions. "I made up my mind a long time ago that I wouldn't engage in things I wouldn't approve of, that I wouldn't show my kids," he said. By Lilly Fowler. 800. With photos. Moved Sept. 27.

RNS-INGOD-WETRUST: 50 Years Later, `In God We Trust' Still Controversial

(RNS) Fifty years after "In God We Trust" first appeared on U.S. paper money, those 12 little letters continue to be the source of debate in the courts. Michael Newdow, the California atheist known for attempting to remove "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance, has asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to declare "In God We Trust" a violation of the Constitution's Establishment Clause. Why, 50 years after they were first printed on our dollar bills and became the motto of our country, do the words still inspire ire? "A great many Americans are angry ... when the government promotes religion and a great many other Americans believe that this is not promoting religion -- they're just representing who we are as a nation," said Charles Haynes, senior scholar at the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center. By Adelle M. Banks. 700. With photos. Moved Sept. 20.

RNS-CATHOLIC-POLS: Ministers Must Be Communion Cops, Archbishop Says

(UNDATED) A hardline U.S. Roman Catholic archbishop is urging ministers to deny Holy Communion to politicians who support abortion rights, arguing that it's a "mortal sin" to offer the sacrament to "the unworthy." St. Louis Archbishop Raymond Burke, a veteran of clashes between Catholic bishops and politicians, has attempted for years to enlist fellow bishops to deny communion to wayward politicians. Now the conservative cleric is invoking the church's highest punishment -- mortal sin -- to convince the lay and ordained Catholics who distribute Communion at Mass to safeguard the sacrament. That argument could place Communion ministers on the frontlines of the "wafer wars" as the 2008 presidential race heats up, and as bishops debate a document on "faithful citizenship." By Daniel Burke. 650. With photo. Moved Sept. 20.

RNS-CATHOLIC-SCHOOLS: Jesuits Find a Working Model for Urban Schools

BALTIMORE -- A year ago, after his father died and his grades plummeted, Arthur Williams couldn't imagine going to high school. The slender 14-year-old thought his future lay on a street corner, selling drugs. But now, on Tuesday mornings, Williams dons slacks and tie and goes to work at M&T Bank in Baltimore, one of the region's largest banks. The rest of the week he's a student at this city's Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, the newest node in a network that specializes in turning young lives around. Founded 10 years ago in Chicago after the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin asked Jesuits to save the city's Catholic schools, the Cristo Rey Network has quickly become one of the nation's top performers. Seven new Cristo Rey schools -- including Baltimore's -- opened this fall, bringing the total to 19. Taking only students from low-income families, who help pay tuition with a unique work-study program, the network schools place 96 percent of their students in college. Meanwhile, Cristo Rey has drawn the gratitude -- and donations -- of high-profile personalities like Bill and Melinda Gates. By Daniel Burke. 950. With photos. Moved Sept. 19.

RNS-GREEN-EVANGEL: Some Evangelicals Going Green As Skepticism Lingers

(UNDATED) When Bishop Harry Jackson saw melting glaciers and devastated forests on a recent trip to Alaska, he decided that global warming should be a higher priority on his list of key issues for evangelicals. "I thought the globe was warming but I thought that there was a whole lot of hype attached and there were not a lot of practical solutions presented," said Jackson, pastor of a megachurch in Beltsville, Md. Some evangelical leaders, often one by one, have stories of conversion from merely believing they're commanded to care for the Earth to actually feeling they need to take some action on the environment. Supporters of the Evangelical Climate Initiative say the numbers of signatories has grown from about 86 in early 2006, when the movement called for addressing climate change, to 106. But the support is nuanced at best and there are many prominent -- and often older -- evangelicals who remain unconvinced. By Adelle M. Banks. 950. With photos. Moved Sept. 18.

RNS-ROADSIDE-FAITH: Photographer Captures Faith on the Side of the Road

(UNDATED) Over the last 25 years, photographer Sam Fentress has snapped shots of religious signs by the roadside. His recent book, "Bible Road: Signs of Faith in the American Landscape," is a collection of about 150 photographs from every state except Hawaii. From John 3:3 on an Ohio farm silo topped by a life size horse to colorful murals of Jesus as an alternative to a glass of wine in San Diego, Calif., to "Obey God or Burn" scratched into a rock in Harlem, N.Y., his photographs capture the gamut of Christian religious expression in America. By Shona Crabtree. 850. With photos. Moved Sept. 18.

RNS-RAMADAN-PRAY: Extra Prayers During Ramadan Test Patience, Endurance

(UNDATED) Every night during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Kamran Riaz and his younger brother Rehan perform a sort of spiritual sound-check, each listening to the other's recitation of Quranic verses and offering corrections as needed. When the fine tuning is complete, the Riaz brothers will leave their parents' suburban Chicago home and lead congregations gathered for "Taraweeh," special prayers performed only during Ramadan, which this year began Sept. 13. While Ramadan is most commonly associated with obligatory fasting, Taraweeh is also an integral Ramadan ritual -- but one that requires a hafiz, someone who has memorized the Quran. With an aging population of immigrants who know the Quran, on top of tightened immigration rules, more congregations are entrusting Taraweeh to American-born hafiz like the Riaz brothers. By Omar Sacirbey. About 900. Moved Sept. 11.

RNS-AMISH-EVANGEL: Growing Evangelical Influence Concerns Amish Leaders

(RNS) Bushy-bearded and black-vested Steve Lapp, dressed like a traditional Amishman, stood near the pulpit of a Pentecostal church on a recent Sunday night to offer his services as a healer. For the next half-hour, according to those who accepted his offer, he performed miracles, mending broken bones and broken hearts. Though they still consider themselves Amish, Lapp and the five other families that comprise Light of Hope Ministries were excommunicated from the Amish church 18 months ago. Their language, theology and emphasis on the supernatural draw as much from Pentecostal streams as traditional Anabaptism. Still, they want to "bridge the gap" between the rest of the "Christian community" and the Amish. In fact, the Lapps are but the most extreme example, some Amish say, of a creeping evangelical influence. By Daniel Burke. 1,100. With photos. Moved Sept. 6.

RNS-QUAKER-BELIEFS: Quakers Ask a Key Question: What Do We Believe?

(UNDATED) About 300 years ago in the Delaware River valley, a group of Christian idealists banded together to create a family-based agricultural society that valued individuals equally, regardless of race, gender or religion. In doing so, the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, essentially created America, according to syndicated columnist David Yount, author of the recently published book "How the Quakers Invented America." As much as Quakers changed America, however, America changed Quakers, according to contemporary Friends. And William Penn, who founded the Pennsylvania commonwealth, might be bewildered by the variety of people practicing his faith today. In some ways, Quakerism itself is to blame for the variety of Friends it's bloomed. By Daniel Burke. 1,000, with optional trim to 850. With photos and sidebar, RNS-QUAKER-GLANCE. Moved Aug. 16.

RNS-STPETERS-CLEAN: Acrobatic, Delicate Touch Needed to Clean St. Peter's

VATICAN CITY -- As the tomb of the first pope and the principal church of most of his 264 successors, St. Peter's Basilica is Roman Catholicism's greatest shrine. It's also a treasure trove of artistic riches, with works by such artists as Michelangelo, Raphael and Bernini. At more than 600 feet long, with a dome 450 feet high, it is one of the biggest churches in the world. And with millions of visitors per year, it is one of the busiest tourist attractions anywhere. Keeping the mother church of Catholicism running -- and tidy -- is, not surprisingly, a monumental task. The job is entrusted to a corps of 75 men. Whether the job is reminding visitors to doff their baseball caps, or dusting a cornice 175 feet above the marble floor, it falls to one of the basilica's "Sanpietrini." By Francis X. Rocca. 900 words. With photos. Moved Aug. 9.

Discovering God

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Booklist: Skeptics such as Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennett have just lost their monopoly on the topic of religious evolution. Only a believer, Stark asserts, can fathom the origins and subsequent unfolding of the world's great faiths. In this wide-ranging investigation, Stark detects sacred realitynot pious deceptionat the heart of transcendent beliefs shared by Aborigines and Anglicans. In their myths of the high gods, Stark contends, early tribal peoples glimpsed divine truths obscured in later civilizations when pharaohs and emperors lent government support to temple priesthoods more interested in maintaining a comfortable lifestyle than in serving God. The eventual emergence of a religious marketplace in ancient Rome opened a wide range of metaphysical options. Yet in a culture of religious pluralism, the insistent claims of tightly knit communities of Jews and Christians appeared threatening to Roman leaders, who defended the status quo by persecuting adherents to these unsettlingly intense faiths. Yet it is in these revelatory faithsand not the meditative religions of Eastern Asiathat Stark discerns the fullest manifestation of God. Some readers will resist Stark's comparative judgments; others will dispute his religious interpretation of modern science. But serious students of religion will recognize this as an essential sourcebook.

The FundamentaList

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Introducing a new regular feature at TAP Online in which Sarah Posner, author of the forthcoming book God's Profits: Faith, Fraud, and the Republican Crusade for Values Voters, counts down the week's top news about the religious right. Look for it every Wednesday.

Religion & Ethics

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A plethora of resources, including news, multifaith calendar, and message boards.

Forum18

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Forum 18 is an instrument for promoting the implementation of Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and concentrates on serious and obvious breaches of religious freedom, and particularly on situations where the lives and welfare of individual people or groups are being threatened and where the right to gather around one's faith is being hindered.

Journal of Religion and Film

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Journal of Religion and Film examines the description, critique, and embodiment of religion in film.

Reel Faith

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

A faith-based look at the latest films. Updated each Friday.

Journal for Cultural and Religious Theology

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory is a peer-reviewed journal devoted to both disciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship of a cutting-edge nature that deals broadly with the phenomenon of religious and cultural theory.

Knowledge of Reality

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Knowledge of Reality (KOR) is a magazine that started out as a publication of SETA (Society of Eastern Thought and Awareness) a student group at Sydney's, New South Wales University, Australia. Knowledge of Reality has now been publishing articles about Eastern religions in print and online for more than a decade.

Sojourners Magazine

Fri, 26 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Sojourners Magazine is the mouthpiece of Sojourners, whose mission is to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world.

Retrying Galileo

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

"This is must reading for historians of science and a delight for the interested public. From his access to many primary sources in the Vatican Library and from his broad knowledge of the history of the 17th century, Finocchiaro acquaints readers in an interesting manner with the historical facts of Galileo's trial, its aftermath, and its repercussions. Unlike many other works which present predetermined and, at times, prejudiced judgments, this work provides exhaustive evidence to allow readers to develop their own informed opinion on the subject."--George V. Coyne, Director, Vatican Astronomical Observatory

Churchill and the Jews

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: This work by acclaimed Churchill biographer Gilbert examines an often-neglected aspect of the British leader's career: his relationship to Jews and Jewish issues. Drawing on a treasure trove of primary documents, Gilbert shows how Churchill grew beyond the kind of friendship with individual British Jews that his father enjoyed into a supporter of Jewish causes-most notably a Jewish state in Palestine. (In later years, Churchill even referred to himself as an "old Zionist.") Gilbert shows that Churchill recognized as early as 1933 that Hitler's regime posed a grave danger for European Jewry. Yet, as Gilbert shows, in the late 1930s, Churchill upset Zionist leaders with his support for limiting Jewish immigration to Palestine out of a concern for British interests in the Arab world. The work is chock-full of narrative, with little interpretation, and some readers might wish for more discussion of questions, such as Churchill's description of Bolshevism (which he loathed) as a "Jewish movement." But this work is a must-read for those interested in Churchill and in Jewish history.

Everything Must Change

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: McLaren, a leader in the emerging church, issues a salvo of arguments for "radical hope" in the face of profound dilemmas. The prolific author and pastor identifies the earth's "four deep dysfunctions" that have created a "suicide machine": crises in prosperity, equity, security and spirituality. "What could change," he asks, "if we applied the message of Jesus-the good news of the kingdom of God-to the world's greatest problems?" Here McLaren builds on the theme of his 2006 book The Secret Message of Jesus-that bringing about the kingdom means transforming the world we live in-to propose that we create a "hope insurgency." Using a close reading of the Gospels to challenge conservative evangelicals' emphasis on individual salvation, not to mention end-times theology and, by implication, the prosperity gospel, McLaren argues for establishing a "beloved community" based on justice, peace, equality and compassion. McLaren's conclusions are not new, but his ability to be clear and persuasive-and get the attention of a segment of America's Christians-are exceptional. While his critics will find yet more material for challenging McLaren's views, his supporters will consider this book a riveting call to a new conversion.

The Jesuit and the Skull

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

In The Jesuit and the Skull, bestselling author Amir D. Aczel vividly recounts how the discovery of Peking Man by, among others, a young Jesuit priest named Pierre Teilhard de Chardin helped to open the eyes of the world to new theories of humanity's origins that alarmed the traditionalists within the Church. A deft mix of narrative history and a poignant personal story, The Jesuit and the Skull brings fresh insight to a debate that still rages today.

So what do they really believe?

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

So what exactly do Jews believe? Or Muslims? Or, for that matter, Christians, Buddhists and Druids?
And please explain each in 100 pages or so. Trying to distill any belief to primal elements is perilous given the millions of faithful worldwide, some of whom can't agree on the shape of the faith they share.
But a series of slim, soft-cover, pocket-sized books is walking down that thorny path with 10 topics published so far and another two in the wings. The "What Do We Believe" series from Britain's Granta Publishing, part of which is sold in North America by New York's Walker & Company, was conceived by editor George Miller, who was in New York City at the time of the Sept 11, 2001 attacks.

Ekklesia

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Ekklesia runs a free email service that sends the latest Christian news headlines by email every day straight to your inbox. Taken by literally thousands of journalists, churches, decision-makers and others around the globe, it contains breaking news stories from a Christian perspective.

Worldwide Faith News

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Worldwide Faith News is a data base of full text official news releases and other documents, including policy statements, from the news offices of national and world faith groups. This collection indexes more than 18,000 documents.

Debating Christianity & Religion

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The purpose of this site is to engage in civil debates on anything pertaining to Christianity and religious issues between people of different persuasions. Everyone of any belief system is welcome to participate, this includes, but is not limited to, atheists, agnostics, deists, theists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Wiccans, Taoists, and Hindus.

Idol Chatter

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Blogs on religion and pop culture by Donna Freitas, Douglas Howe, Paul O'Donnell, Kris Rasmussen, and Esther D. Kustanowitz. Plus a number of Beliefnet editors will also be posting to Idol Chatter as the mood strikes.

Sisters of the Buddha

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Like all other world religions, Buddhism has had its share of controversies regarding women's roles. Yifa, a Chinese Buddhist nun, looks at the role of women in early Buddhism, appraises the controversial "eight rules" that women have to obey in order to become Buddhist nuns and examines the social conditions of women throughout the Buddhist world.

Yifa concentrates on the still largely unknown Chinese tradition, bringing to light new insights into this important strand of Buddhist culture and the women who were embedded in it. Using her twenty-year experience as a Buddhist nun, Yifa reveals the opportunities and challenges that await any woman who seeks to become a Buddhist, and in so doing uncovers the heart of the spiritual calling.

Jewels of Authority

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The essays in this collection address the problem of Hindu women's relationship to authority, both within and without the textual traditions of Sanskrit, Tamil, Hindi, and English. The authors adopt a method of close textual and ethnographic reading, which results in some surprisingly new and subtle ways of interpreting older, more "classical" discourses, such as Veda and Mimamsa, as well as newer discourses, such as the RSS use of the Devimahatmya.

Intelligent Design: William A. Dembski and Michael Ruse in Dialogue

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

The subject of intelligent design has been much in the news in recent months but is often treated in a piecemeal fashion or one-sidedly. This volume highlights points of agreement and disagreement between two leading intellectuals on the subject: William A. Dembski, senior fellow with Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, and Michael Ruse, an internationally known philosopher of science. Each of the contributors presents his or her position in light of the other's, providing readers with a fair and balanced case for both sides and allowing readers to decide for themselves. The following noted scientists, philosophers and theologians then explore the many facets of this debate.

Dark Mission

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

For most Americans, the word NASA suggests a squeaky-clean image of technological infallibility. Yet the truth is that NASA was born in a lie, and has concealed the truths about its occult origins. documents this seemingly wild assertion. Why is the Bush administration intent on returning to the moon as quickly as possible? What are the reasons for the current "space race" with China, Russia, even India? Remarkable images reproduced within this book provided to author Richard C. Hoagland by disaffected NASA employees provide clues why, including information about suppressed lunar discoveries. Mystical organizations quietly dominate NASA, carrying out their own secret agendas behind the scenes. This is the story of men at the very fringes of rational thought and conventional wisdom, operating at the highest levels of our country. Their policies are far more aligned with ancient religions and secret mystery schools than the facade of rational science NASA has successfully promoted to the world for almost fifty years. Dark MissionDark Mission is proof of the secret history of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the astonishing, seminal discoveries it has repeatedly suppressed for decades.

unChristian

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: Kinnaman, president of the Barna Institute, was inspired to write this book when Lyons (of the Fermi Project) commissioned him to do extensive research on what young Americans think about Christianity. Lyons had a gut-level sense that something was desperately wrong, and three years of research paints exactly that picture. Mosaics and Busters (the generations that include late teens to early 30-somethings) believe Christians are judgmental, antihomosexual, hypocritical, too political and sheltered. Rather than simply try to do a PR face-lift, Kinnaman looks at ways in which churches' activities actually may have been unchristian and encourages a return to a more biblical Christianity, a faith that not only focuses on holiness but also loves, accepts and works to understand the world around it. It would be possible to get lost in the numbers, but the authors use numerous illustrations from their research and life experiences and include insights at the end of every chapter from Christian leaders like Charles Colson, John Stott, Brian McLaren and Jim Wallis. This is a wonderful, thoughtful book that conveys difficult truths in a spirit of humility. Every Christian should read this, and it will likely influence churches for years to come.

Sacred Earth

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Acclaimed photographer and anthropologist Martin Gray spent the last 20 years on an amazing pilgrimage: he visited 1,000 sacred sites in 80 countries around the world. His journey unfolds in a remarkable compilation of images that reveals just how devoutly pre-industrial cultures everywhere worshipped and respected our Earth. From the Western Wall to the Great Mosque of Damascus, Mt. Olympus to Assisi, Tibet's Potala Palace to Hawaii's Mauna Kea, Teotihuacán in Mexico to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, these are the awe-inspiring places from which all the world's great religions sprang, along with our finest culture, art, and architecture. Gray's stunning photographs and fascinating text provide unique insight into why these powerful holy places are the most venerated and visited sites on the entire planet. Maps adapted from the National Geographic Society show the locations of all the sites presented, and a thorough appendix includes a comprehensive list of over 500 of the world's sacred sites.

Hijabi Monologues

Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Islam is the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, and it is also one of the fastest-growing faiths in the United States today. Some Muslim women in America are working to foster understanding of their faith and lifestyle through theater performances.

World Religious News

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

WorldWide Religious News is a non-profit service providing the international academic and legal community with up-to-date religious news from around the world. Events in recent years ranging from government suppression of the Falun Gong in China, to the Aum Shinrikyo gas attacks and subsequent legal proceedings in Japan, as well as the terrorist attacks of September 11th, have motivated an increased awareness and focus on the unique interplay of religion and society, as well as the role of novel religions and alternate lifestyles within a religious context.

WWRN news articles and information are researched and compiled daily, encompassing a wide array of religious topics currently highlighted in the international news media, with a particular focus on religious freedom, church and state issues, governmental legislation as it relates to religious organizations, as well as new religious movements (NRMs). News stories also highlight religious freedom issues, such as the effects of government anti-sect legislation; , the recent anti-"mind control" legislation being debated in Italy; religion-related court decisions in Russia and elsewhere; religious response to the cloning controversy; religious and ethnic struggles in Africa; as well as a myriad of other topics.

Association of Religion Data Archives

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The ARDA allows you to interactively explore the highest quality data on American and international religion using online features for generating national profiles, maps, church membership overviews, denominational heritage trees, tables, charts, and other summary reports. Over 350 data files are available for online preview and most can be downloaded for additional research.

God's Mechanics: How Scientists and Engineers Make Sense of Religion

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Sidestepping the acrimony of recent science vs. religion debates, Consolmagno, a Vatican astronomer and self-described "techie," intends that "demonstrating the existence of a lot of people like me, who flourish as scientists while practicing a religion, should be proof enough that science and religion can be perfectly compatible." Combining personal memoir with conversations within the techie world, Consolmagno describes questions about the universe and the meaning of life that attract techies into religious belief and practice, concluding that "techies are not looking for proof. They're looking for confidence." When he tests his initial hypotheses with a survey project, Consolmagno finds that for many religiously-involved techie types, the value of community and moral support may actually be more important than the search for religious answers. As one atheist interviewee puts it, "You think you are selling truth, but your audience has already brought their own truth with them to church. All you are selling them is tech support." Is this all there is to religion? Certainly not for Brother Guy, who defends a specifically Christian and Catholic version of religious truth. Yet Consolmagno's adroit and self-effacing style defuses any suggestion of theological point-scoring, as in his dryly Dilbertian defense of papal infallibility: "Unlike some of the other bosses I've worked for in my life, this one admits that he's only infallible under certain extremely limited conditions."

Review
"Brother Guy Consolmagno speaks in the softest, sanest voice imaginable as he enters the current firestorm of opinion re science and religion. His engaging commentary exposes the mindset of a true 'techie'--but one who equates science with a sacred act."--Dava Sobel, author, Galileo's Daughter

Religious Groups' Presidential Candidate Preferences

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

As the races for the 2008 presidential nominations heat up, two recent surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press make it possible to examine how the candidates in both political parties are faring among a variety of religious groups. The parties' front-runners, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, sit at or near the top of the list of preferred candidates among a variety of religious groups. Giuliani, though, garners considerably less support from white evangelical Protestants than from white mainline Protestants and white Catholics. These surveys were conducted in September and October, prior to evangelical broadcaster Pat Robertson's endorsement of Giuliani on Nov. 7.

The Democrats

Overall, the contest for the Democratic nomination has been fairly stable, with Clinton leading her opponents by wide margins in most recent surveys. An aggregation of surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center in September and October finds that Clinton is the clear front-runner among all Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters, with close to half (44%) of this group saying that they would most prefer Clinton to be the nominee in 2008. A quarter prefers Barack Obama, while slightly more than one-in-ten (13%) favor John Edwards.

But support for the three leading candidates varies considerably among certain religious traditions. Support for Clinton crosses religious boundaries, with pluralities of Democrats in every major religious tradition preferring her as the nominee. Meanwhile, Obama and Edwards receive different levels of support depending on voters' religious affiliation. For instance, Obama does more than twice as well among black Protestants (36% of whom name him as their preferred candidate) than among white Catholics (17% of whom prefer him). Edwards, on the other hand, does poorly among black Protestants (only 5% express support for him) and is supported by only one-in-ten among the religiously unaffiliated. But he does much better among white Catholics, who express slightly more support for Edwards (19%) than for Obama (17%).

Interestingly, Dennis Kucinich, who has only 3% support among all Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters, is the first choice of almost one-in-ten religiously unaffiliated voters, nearly equal to this group's level of support for Edwards (10%).

The Republicans

In recent Pew surveys, roughly one-third (32%) of all Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters say they would prefer to see Rudy Giuliani atop the Republican ticket in 2008. John McCain and Fred Thompson have about equal support among this group (17% and 19%, respectively). One-in-ten Republicans prefer Mitt Romney, with Mike Huckabee generating nearly as much support as Romney in recent surveys. (A separate analysis of the surveys finds that Thompson's support declined slightly between September and October, while Huckabee's support rose slightly during the same period.)

Among white evangelicals, however, Giuliani's level of support (23%) is about equal to Thompson's (24%) and only slightly higher than McCain's (19%). One-in-ten white evangelicals express support for Huckabee, with nearly as many (9%) saying they prefer Romney for the GOP nomination.

Giuliani fares better among other religious groups than among white evangelicals. White Catholics, for instance, prefer Giuliani over his competitors by more than a two-to-one margin; among white mainline Protestants, he has a 15-point advantage over Thompson, his closest competitor.

For more on religion and public life visit pewforum.org.

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About the Survey

This analysis is based on the combined results of two recent telephone surveys conducted by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press. Combined, the two surveys include responses from a nationwide sample of 3,508 adults, 18 years of age or older. The first survey was conducted September 12-16, 2007, among 1,501 adults; the second survey was conducted October 17-23, 2007, among 2,007 adults (including 500 interviews with respondents using cell phones). The Pew Research Center also has done a recent analysis of candidate preferences for the public as a whole.

In both surveys, respondents were asked to pick their first and second choices for the presidential nominations from separate, randomly ordered lists of seven Democrats (Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, Joe Biden, Chris Dodd, Dennis Kucinich and Bill Richardson) and seven Republicans (Rudy Giuliani, Fred Thompson, John McCain, Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Ron Paul and Tom Tancredo). The September survey included Sam Brownback and Newt Gingrich in the list of Republicans. This analysis is based on the respondents' first candidate choice.

Widespread Negativity: Muslims Distrust Westerners More than Vice Versa

Fri, 09 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

News headlines bombard us almost daily with examples of conflict between the Muslim world and the West, whether the war in Iraq, the search for al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan, or efforts to stop Iran's nuclear program. In Europe, long running tensions over whether to admit Turkey to the European Union and how to integrate and assimilate the continent's growing Muslim minorities have been exacerbated in recent years by terrorist attacks in Madrid and London, rioting in France, and an international controversy over the publication of cartoons in a Danish newspaper portraying the prophet Muhammad.

In 2006, the Pew Global Attitudes Project set out to explore these tensions, examining how non-Muslims in the West and elsewhere view Muslims, as well as how Muslims think about people in western nations. The results reveal a disturbingly high level of negativity on both sides, with Muslims and non-Muslims associating a wide array of negative characteristics with one another. There is generally more antagonism in Muslim countries toward the West than vice versa, with Turkey, despite its longstanding ties with the West, now recording the most negative views of Westerners. European Muslim publics have the least negative views of Westerners, although there are significant variations among the four European Muslim publics surveyed. In particular, British Muslims have far more negative attitudes toward non-Muslims than do Muslims in France, Germany, or Spain.

The 2006 survey asked non-Muslims in eight countries whether they associate a series of positive and negative characteristics with Muslims, and it asked Muslims in 10 countries the same set of questions about Westerners.1 The eight non-Muslim publics included five "western" nations -- Britain, France, Germany, Spain, and the United States -- as well as Russia, India, and Nigeria, which is roughly divided between Christians and Muslims. The 10 Muslim publics included the predominantly Muslim countries of Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, and Turkey, as well as Muslim populations in Nigeria, Britain, France, Germany, and Spain.

The results show that many non-Muslims associate negative traits with Muslims. Majorities in Nigeria, India, Spain, Russia, and Germany see Muslims as violent. Large numbers, including majorities in India, Nigeria, and Russia, also consider Muslims arrogant. Many also associate selfishness with Muslims, although India is the only country where a majority does so. Non-Muslims are less likely to rate Muslims as greedy or immoral -- in France for instance, only 10% say Muslims are greedy and just 18% label Muslims as immoral.

Neither of the two positive traits included in our analysis are consistently associated with Muslims. Still, many do characterize Muslims as honest and generous. Roughly two-in-three (64%) French, 56% of the British, and 52% of Germans consider Muslims honest, and majorities in France (63%) and Nigeria (55%) see Muslims as generous.

The data on Muslim attitudes towards Westerners also reveal a variety of negative views. In the five majority Muslim countries, as well as Nigeria, at least 40% of Muslims characterize Westerners as arrogant, violent, greedy, and immoral; meanwhile, relatively few say Westerners are generous or honest. Muslims in these countries are also especially likely to say Westerners are selfish -- in all six countries, majorities suggest selfishness is common among people in Europe and the United States. Negative assessments of Westerners are fairly common across all six of these countries, although they are slightly more prevalent in Jordan and Indonesia. In contrast, European Muslims are consistently less likely to associate negative characteristics with Westerners and are more likely to label them as generous and honest.

To further compare the level of religious-cultural negativity among the various publics, we combined these seven characteristics into a single measure, which we call the religious-cultural negativity (RCN) index. First, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis, which showed that these seven characteristics relate to a common factor. Next, we calculated an RCN index score for each respondent based on the seven items. Scores on the index range from "0" (the most positive possible score) to "7" (the most negative).2 The mean index score for these publics ranges from a low of 2.1 in France to a high of 5.2 in Turkey.

Overall, the Muslim publics are more likely to associate negative traits with Westerners than vice versa. However, there is significant variation among Muslim populations. Turkey emerges as the country with the most negative views of Westerners, perhaps a surprising finding, given Turkey's longstanding ties with many western countries and its membership in NATO. Fueled by frustration with the stalled negotiations over their country's bid to join the EU and by deep opposition to American foreign policy, Turks have soured on both Europe and the U.S. The most recent Pew Global Attitudes survey, conducted in April and May of 2007, found that the percentage of Turks with a favorable view of the U.S. had plummeted from 52% at the start of this decade to 9% in 2007. And the favorability rating for the EU dropped from 58% in 2004 to 27% in 2007.

Similar dynamics may be influencing opinions in other Muslim countries as well. Among Muslims in Indonesia, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, and Nigeria, attitudes toward the U.S. and American foreign policy also tend to be quite negative, although the EU is held in somewhat higher regard. Still, many sense antagonism from Europe -- at least half of the Muslims surveyed by Pew in 2006 in Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, and Nigeria said that most or many Europeans are hostile toward Muslims.

Indeed, perceptions of hostility or threat from the West may be leading to negative views of people in the West. The 2007 Pew survey found that solid majorities in all 11 predominantly Muslim countries included in the survey believed the United States could become a military threat to their country someday. And in a 2005 Pew survey, at least 46% in the five Muslim countries included in the study said they believe there are serious threats to Islam today (in Jordan, for example, the proportion saying so was a remarkably high 82%).

The findings among European Muslims generally support the notion that familiarity breeds favorability -- the four European Muslim publics have the least negative views of Westerners. However, there are significant variations among these four Muslim publics, variations that are reflected throughout the Pew survey.

In particular, British Muslims stand apart from their coreligionists elsewhere in Europe. They receive the highest religious-cultural negativity score, indicating more negative attitudes. In fact, the score for British Muslims is closer to those for Muslims in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa than to France, Germany, or Spain. Muslims in Britain differ from those elsewhere in Europe on other measures as well. They are more inclined to see a conflict between Islam and modernity, more likely to primarily identify with their religion rather than their nationality, and more deeply concerned about the future of Muslims in their country -- 80% say they are very or somewhat concerned. Of course, the British Muslim community has been a major focus of attention from writers, policymakers, and religious leaders since the July 2005 London bombings.

The French and Spanish Muslim populations, on the other hand, are the least negative Muslim publics on the survey. The findings regarding France may be surprising to some, especially in the U.S., where the dominant images of the French Muslim community probably stem from the autumn 2005 rioting by Muslim and other youths in banlieues of Paris and throughout the country. However, in their study of Islam in France, Jonathan Laurence and Justin Vaisse argue that these riots were mainly about economics rather than religion or culture, and they suggest that in many ways the French model of integration and assimilation has been more successful than many presume.3 Similarly, after reviewing the Pew data, Jodie Allen concludes that "despite their problems -- prime among them joblessness among youth generally, not just Muslim youth -- the French need take no integrationist lessons from their European neighbors."4

Among non-Muslim publics included in the study, Indians tend to be the most negative in their views of Muslims. Of course, at points over the last few years, India has experienced considerable tensions between its Hindu majority and Muslim minority, including clashes in 2002 that left as many as 2,000 dead in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Opinions are also relatively negative in Russia, which has also experienced tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims, punctuated by attacks by Chechen separatists in Moscow and Beslan. Nigeria, which has the third most negative non-Muslim public on our index, has also suffered violence as a result of religious and ethnic conflict, resulting in as many as 15,000 deaths since 1999.5

On the whole, the five western nations associate the fewest negative characteristics with Muslims, although there are important differences among these countries. The Spanish have the most negative views, although that is part of a broader pattern in the 2006 survey results: favorability ratings for Muslims, Jews, and Arabs, as well as for Americans, were lower in Spain than in any other western country. In addition, the belief that a large number of Muslims support extremist groups is especially widespread in Spain, where terrorist attacks on commuter trains in Madrid killed 191 people in March 2004. Roughly four-in-ten Spanish (41%) believe most or many Muslims in their country support extremists like al Qaeda.

Other research by the authors suggests that concerns about security threats posed by Islamic extremism are associated with a greater likelihood of assigning negative traits toward Muslims.6 Thus, just as negative attitudes held by Muslims about Westerners may be due in part to perceptions of threat, threat perceptions related to security concerns are important drivers of Western views toward Muslims.

The U.S. and Germany occupy something of a middle ground on the religious-cultural negativity index. In the former, views differ by age and party identification, with younger Americans holding somewhat less negative opinions, and independents voicing fewer negative opinions than Democrats or Republicans. Meanwhile, the British and French hold the least negative views, despite high profile tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims in both countries over the last few years, including the 2005 bombings and subsequent concerns about "homegrown" terrorist cells in Britain, as well the 2005 riots in France. Interestingly, Britain and France emerge as the two countries with the least negative views despite the facts that they have very different models for dealing with their Muslim communities and that their Muslim populations have considerably different attitudes toward their host countries. As the Pew Forum's David Masci has noted, Britain "aims not to change immigrants into Englishmen, but to get them to accept Britain's core institutions and to learn English," while France pursues "a vigorous policy of assimilation through its educational and other institutions."7

In a global climate affected by the continuing concerns over terrorism and the war in Iraq, the ways that Muslims and non-Muslims perceive one another will be of ongoing interest. This is especially true in light of recent research indicating that social negativity itself can trigger an ongoing cycle of negativity and violence.8

For a longer version of this article, see "Levels of Negativity: How Muslim and Western Publics See One Another," by Richard Wike and Brian J. Grim. Public Opinion Pros, October 2007.

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Notes

1Questions: The positive qualities from the survey included in our analysis are "generous" and "honest", while the negative characteristics are "arrogant", "greedy", "immoral", "selfish", and "violent". In Britain, France, Germany, India, Nigeria, Russia, Spain, and the United States, non-Muslim respondents were read the lists of positive and negative traits, and for each one, were asked whether they associate it with Muslims. In Britain, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Spain, and Turkey, Muslim respondents were read the same lists and asked whether each one applies to people in western countries such as the United States and Europe. The question stem for the battery of characteristics read as follows: "Which of these characteristics do you associate with (Muslims / people in Western countries such as the United States and Europe)? The first is (INSERT). Do you associate this with (Muslims / people in Western countries) or not?"

2Details about the index: We calculate a Religious-Cultural Negativity index score for each respondent based on the seven items, each of which was scored "1" if a respondent indicated that the characteristic applied to the other group and "0" if the respondent indicated it did not apply. The index for an individual thus ranges from 0 (all positive assessments) to 7 (all negative assessments). The score for each country is calculated by taking the weighted mean of a country's individual scores. In order to make the index consistent across items, the two positive characteristics -- generous and honest -- were coded so that a respondent received a "1" if he or she said the trait did not apply and a "0" if the trait did apply. For each of the seven items, "Don't know" and "Refused" responses were recoded to .5, making it the equivalent of a neutral score between 0 (no) and 1 (yes). The authors also conducted the factor analysis and calculated the country mean index scores with "Don't know" and "Refused" responses recoded as missing values, and the impact on the results was minimal.

3Laurence, Jonathan and Justin Vaisse. 2006. Integrating Islam: Political and Religious Challenges in Contemporary France. Washington, D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.

4Allen, Jodie T. 2006. "The French-Muslim connection: Is France doing a better job of integration than its critics?" Pew Research Center, Washington, DC, August 17.

5According to a recent article by Jean Herskovits, July/August, 2007. "Nigeria's Rigged Democracy." Foreign Affairs.

6Wike, Richard, and Brian J. Grim. 2007. "Western Views of Muslims: Evidence from a 2006 Cross-national Survey." Presented at the Annual Meeting of the World Association for Public Opinion Research, Berlin, Germany, 2007.

7Masci, David. 2005. An Uncertain Road: Muslims and the Future of Europe. Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

8Grim, Brian J., and Roger Finke. 2007. "Religious Persecution in Cross-National Context: Clashing Civilizations or Regulated Religious Economies?" American Sociological Review, 72: 633-658.

Active Parishioner

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The mission of ActiveParishioner.com is to serve as an online Catholic information center providing resources to help people bridge the gap between their Catholic faith and their daily lives. ActiveParishioner.com is a resource for lay and ordained Catholics and for others interested in the Catholic tradition.

The Idea of Women in Fundamentalist Islam

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

From Reed Business Information: Shehadeh (American Univ. of Beirut) carefully studies the lives and writings of nine 20th-century Islamic fundamentalist ideologs.... Revealing contradictions between what is advocated for urban women and what is advocated for rural women who must work in the fields...Shehadeh synthesizes her findings and constructs a powerful theory of gender dynamics in contemporary Islam. Important for its political as well as its religious and gender insights, this book is highly recommended for all academic collections in politics and religion. (Paperback edition of 2003 publication.)

NCC Eco-Justice Program

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The Eco-Justice Program office of the National Council of Churches works in cooperation with the NCC Eco-Justice Working Group to provide an opportunity for the national bodies of member Protestant and Orthodox denominations to work together to protect and restore God's Creation. Eco-justice includes all ministries designed to heal and defend creation, working to assure justice for all of creation and the human beings who live in it. A major task of the Working Group is to provide program ideas and resources to help congregations as they engage in eco-justice.

Do You Believe?

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

From Publishers Weekly: Monda, a Catholic who teaches film at NYU, offers 18 interviews with renowned writers, thinkers, artists and film directors in this brief collection about God and faith. Though many subjects express skepticism about religion, some reveal a deep longing for faith: Novelist Michael Cunningham discusses his childhood fascination with religion, when he painted religious scenes and made communion wafers out of Wonder Bread, and Jonathan Franzen speaks of being influenced by the simultaneously terrifying and comforting character of Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia. Most of the interviewees voice concern about religious absolutism and fundamentalism, particularly when connected to politics; when Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., states that there is nothing more dangerous than a person in politics who is certain that he is acting in the name of God, he represents the group well. But there are also key differences here, from the Catholicism that infuses Martin Scorsese's films to the pantheism that Paula Fox espouses to Toni Morrison's idea of God as an infinite growing that discourages definitions but not knowledge. As a collection, there are uneven moments; Monda refers throughout to his interview with poet Derek Walcott, but Walcott's interview doesn't appear until almost the end of the book. Overall, though, this is a thoughtful, provocative and concise volume.

Twentieth Century Catholic Theologians

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

From David Burrell, University of Notre Dame: An engaging biblio-biographical study designed to show the critical influence of ten theologians in transforming twentieth-century Catholicism. Kerr's keen sense for trajectories reveals how startling has been the transformation more than half had been disciplined by Vatican authorities. In the face of these lives, no one will ever be able to doubt the potential for intellectual regeneration, while the rich perspective they offer may also help defuse trivial tensions exacerbated by needless ideological polarization. This narrative of theology-in-action is meant for literate faithful as well as pastoral workers from acolyte to bishop.

Before Thunder Rolls: Devotions for NASCAR Fans

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Inspirational insights gleaned from the popular sport of stock-car racing, authored by the former Nextel Cup series chaplain, Dale Beaver. Featuring anecdotes about the racers and crew members, all of whom make profound and witty connections between the behind-the-scenes details of the sport to the Christian life. Includes the eulogy preached at the funeral of the late, great Dale Earnhardt Sr.!

John Templeton Foundation

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The mission of the John Templeton Foundation is to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for discovery in areas engaging life's biggest questions. These questions range from explorations into the laws of nature and the universe to questions on the nature of love, gratitude, forgiveness, and creativity. Of particular interest: each month the Foundation hosts an online exchange on a question that illuminates its philanthropic mission.

Christian Answers Network

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Billing itself as "a mega-site freely providing biblical answers to contemporary questions," Christian Answers is a worldwide evangelism, education and discipleship ministry of Films for Christ (also known as Eden Communications). The primary goal is to provide accurate, biblical answers on a wide variety of questions asked by Christians and non-Christians. Questions can be submitted on-line. Also containsresources related to Christianity, Christian education, discipleship, media, and more.

tricycle: The Buddhist Review

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The Tricycle Foundation was established in 1990 as a not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to the introduction and dissemination of Buddhist views and values. In 1991 it boldly launched Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, the first magazine intended to present Buddhist perspectives to a Western readership. Tricycle soon became the leading journal of Buddhism in the West. Winner of the 2005 Folio Award for Best Spiritual Magazine in the United States, Tricycle is still the best-selling magazine in its field.

Tricycle provides a uniquely independent public forum for exploring contemporary and traditional Buddhist ideas and their integration with Western disciplines, a home for Buddhists of different traditions to come together, and an accessible voice in the dialogue between Buddhism and the broader culture.

Read~Verse

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Read~Verse a Company based in California, USA offers free search facility for the entire Koran in Arabic and English. Specialists (Jews, Christians, and Muslims) designed and built a set of very powerful tools to search the entire Koran in Arabic by 1 word, 2 words, topic, and chapter and verse. In English, visitors can search by topic and chapter and verse.

Manga Bible

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Its the greatest story ever toldnow illustrated with Manga art. Pick up this Bible with all-new art by some of the best Manga artists in Japan and see the Bible in a new way. Includes the full Bible text interspersed with 96 pages of Manga that bring out the intense drama of great Bible stories. Features the entire text of the New Living Translation Bible, words of Christ in red, and special Manga presentation pages.

Parabola Magazine

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Published by the Society for the Study of Myth and Tradition, a not-for-profit organization devoted to the dissemination and exploration of materials relating to the myths, symbols, rituals, and art of the world's religious and cultural traditions.

Religion in the News Magazine

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

DOUBLE ISSUE WITH A SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:
Science Education & Secular Values

From the Editor:
Potterdämmerung
by Mark Silk

Romney and the Mormon Moment
Mitt Romney's candidacy puts pressure on the church to open up.
by Jan Shipps

The Democrats Get Religion
But, journalists ask, are the candidates religious enough?
by Mark Silk

No More Mr. Nice Pope
Pope Benedict's conservative proclivities emerge.
by Andrew Walsh

Establishing Religion by Executive Order
The Supreme Court defends the Bush faith-based initiative.
by John Cosgriff

The Gospel According to South Park
A cartoon series takes on religion in America.
by Abe Silk

People Who Loved Tammy Faye
In the end, the gay community returned her embrace.
by Christine McCarthy McMorris

Clinton, Giuliani, Hot in Pursuit of Key Religious Groups, Expert Says

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

BRIARCLIFF MANOR - At a time when presidential candidates of both parties are hustling to win over religious voters, Sen. Hillary Clinton is dominating all religious groups in the Democratic world, while Rudy Giuliani is doing well with all Republican groups - except evangelicals.

Will Pat Robertson's surprising endorsement of Giuliani help?

"I think these endorsements matter, but it's hard to say how much," John C. Green, perhaps the country's top expert on why people of different faiths vote the way they do, said during a presentation last night at St. Theresa's Church.

Green said that while some 800,000 people watch Robertson's "700 Club" each day, many people will be confused by the televangelist's endorsement of a candidate who supports abortion rights. And the endorsement of different Republican candidates by various evangelical leaders will water down the effect of any particular blessing, he said.

"They are not happy people these days," Green said of evangelicals.

Green, a senior fellow in religion and American politics at the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, is certain to be one of the most quoted men in America in the next year about which candidates are appealing to evangelicals, Catholics and other faith groups that could swing a close vote.

Green explained that recent polls show Giuliani comfortably winning the support of Catholic and mainline Protestant Republicans. But only 23 percent of evangelical Republicans prefer him compared with 24 percent for Fred Thompson, endorsed yesterday by the National Right to Life Committee.

"This community is very much up for grabs," Green said.

Clinton, on the other hand, has big leads with all significant religious groups in the Democratic community - Catholics, black Protestants and mainline white Protestants. She has the support of 48 percent of black Protestants versus 36 percent for Barack Obama.

"If these numbers hold, Hillary Clinton will be the nominee," Green said.

For a general election, though, Clinton has high "unfavorable" ratings with most religious groups across party lines. Key groups like observant Catholics and mainline Protestants - those who attend church weekly - and less observant Catholics still see Clinton quite unfavorably, Green said.

Giuliani has higher favorability ratings almost across the religious spectrum, he said, with black Protestants being the main exception.

"While Giuliani is behind in the polls (vs. Clinton), as are many Republicans, among key religious groups there aren't as many negative views of him," Green said. "Millions of dollars will be spent to change that."

Political analysts are divided over whether Giuliani, if he gets the GOP nomination, should choose an evangelical Christian like Mike Huckabee as his running mate, Green said. Others feel that it's not vital since evangelical dislike of Clinton would ultimately give Giuliani the evangelical vote.

"The antipathy toward Hillary Clinton in this community is very real," he said.

No one should count out former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Green said. He is doing very well in appealing to evangelical Republicans in Iowa and Catholic Republicans in New Hampshire.

Despite tremendous media attention on Romney's Mormon faith, Green said he believes the Mormon question to be somewhat overstated, not a difference-maker.

Many Americans Uneasy with Mix of Religion and Politics

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Navigate this report
Introduction and Summary
Section I - Religion and Public Life
Section II - Religion and Politics
Section III - Religion and Science
Section IV - Religious Beliefs
About the Survey
Topline Questionnaire

Introduction and Summary

The relationship between religion and politics is a controversial one. While the public remains more supportive of religion's role in public life than in the 1960s, Americans are uneasy with the approaches offered by both liberals and conservatives. Fully 69% of Americans say that liberals have gone too far in keeping religion out of schools and government. But the proportion who express reservations about attempts by Christian conservatives to impose their religious values has edged up in the past year, with about half the public (49%) now expressing wariness about this.

The Democratic Party continues to face a serious "God problem," with just 26% saying the party is friendly to religion. However, the proportion of Americans who say the Republican Party is friendly to religion, while much larger, has fallen from 55% to 47% in the past year, with a particularly sharp decline coming among white evangelical Protestants (14 percentage points).

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, conducted July 6-19 among 2,003 adults, finds that most Americans (59%) continue to say that religion's influence on the country is declining, and most of those who express this view believe that this is a bad thing. The public is more divided on the question of whether religion's influence on government is increasing (42%) or decreasing (45%). And in contrast to views of religion's influence on the country, most of those who think that religion is increasing its influence on government leaders and institutions view this as a bad thing.

The survey finds that religious conservatives, and white evangelical Christians specifically, have no equal and opposite group on the religious left. About 7% of the public say they identify with the "religious left" political movement. That is not much smaller than the 11% who identify themselves as members of the "religious right," but the religious left is considerably less cohesive in its political views than the religious right.

The survey traced the spiritual roots of the religious right and left to two broader faith communities. On the right, white evangelical Christians comprise 24% of the population and form a distinct group whose members share core religious beliefs as well as crystallized and consistently conservative political attitudes.

On the left, a larger share of the public (32%) identifies as "liberal or progressive Christians." But unlike evangelicals, progressive Christians come from different religious traditions and disagree almost as often as they agree on a number of key political and social issues.

These differences in the makeup of the religious left and right are an important reason why white evangelicals remain a more politically potent force. On issues ranging from the origins of life to Christ's second coming, evangelicals express distinctly different views from those held by the rest of the public and even other religious groups.

For example, six-in-ten white evangelical Protestants say that the Bible should be the guiding principle in making laws when it conflicts with the will of the people, a view rejected by an equally large majority of Americans, including most Catholics and white mainline Protestants.

Seven-in-ten white evangelicals (69%) believe God gave Israel to the Jewish people and a solid majority (59%) believes that Israel is the fulfilment of biblical prophecy views rejected by majorities of the rest of the public, including most mainline Protestants and Catholics. Significantly, those who believe that God gave Israel to the Jews and that the state of Israel fulfills biblical prophecy are much more likely than others to sympathize with Israel in its dispute with the Palestinians.

On matters of faith, fully 62% of white evangelicals say the Bible is the actual word of God, to be taken literally. In contrast, only 35% of the public including just 24% of Catholics and 17% of white mainline Protestants share this literal view of the scriptures, with most believing that although the Bible is God's word, not everything in it is literally true.

The survey also finds continuing tension in the public's views of science and religion, especially in opinions about evolution and the origins of life. However, there is broad agreement across the religious spectrum that scientific advances will help rather than harm mankind. Nearly two-thirds of all Americans (65%) express a positive opinion of scientific advances, compared with 19% who feel such advances harm mankind.

Despite the ongoing conflicts over the role of religion in public life, contemporary policy issues are being widely addressed in churches and other houses of worship. More than half of those who attend services at least monthly say members of the clergy in their place of worship have spoken out about such politically charged issues as abortion (59%), the situation in Iraq (53%), laws regarding homosexuals (52%), and the environment (48%). Smaller proportions report hearing their clergy talking about evolution and intelligent design (40%), the death penalty (31%), embryonic stem cell research (24%) and immigration (21%). But nearly everyone 92% says that their clergy has spoken out about poverty and homelessness.

Finally, while an overwhelming percentage of Christians (79%) say they believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ, far fewer see Christ's return as imminent. Overall just 20% of all Christians expect Christ to return to earth in their lifetime; even among those who say that the Bible is the literal word of God, just 37% expect Christ to return to earth in their lifetime.

Roadmap to the Report

Section I, which begins on page 5, covers public attitudes toward religion's role in the nation, including opinions about whether the Bible or the will of the people should have greater influence on the country's laws. Section II, beginning on page 9, shows continuing differences over issues involving religion, politics and policy. Section III highlights attitudes toward religion and science; it begins on page 16. Section IV, which starts on page 21, focuses on people's religious beliefs. Following the report, beginning on page 25, is a statement on the survey's methodology followed by complete topline results.

Is God Green

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The American Hotel and Lodging Association said the number of U.S. luxury hotels placing Bibles in rooms has dropped 18 percent since 2001.

However, the association said the number of hotels, motels and inns with Bibles in each room has risen from 79 percent in 1988 to 95 percent this year, ABC News reported Friday.

Mike DeFrino, senior vice president of hotel operations for the Kimpton Hotels chain, said his company removed individual religious materials from the rooms as part of an initiative aimed at making the chain friendlier to the environment. Phone books also were removed from the rooms.

Instead, DeFrino said, hotel guests may receive copies of the New Testament, Old Testament, Book of Mormon, the Koran and Buddhist and Hindu texts at the front desk of the hotel.

Elon Kenchington, chief operating officer of the Gansevoort Hotel Group, said the company's hotels kept Bibles out of the rooms in an attempt to "not be sheep" who blindly follow the practices of other companies. He said the hotels offer a library of religious materials that can be requested at the front desk.

"The industry, like most things, evolves and changes," he said. A new holy war is growing within the conservative evangelical community, with implications for both the global environment and American politics. For years liberal Christians and others have made protection of the environment a moral commitment. Now a number of conservative evangelicals are joining the fight, arguing that man's stewardship of the planet is a biblical imperative and calling for action to stop global warming.

But they are being met head-on by opposition from their traditional evangelical brethren who adamantly support the Bush administration in downplaying the threat of global warming and other environmental perils. The political stakes are high: Three out of every four white evangelical voters chose George W. Bush in 2004. "Is God Green?" explores how a serious split among conservative evangelicals over the environment and global warming could reshape American politics.

What Would Jesus Buy?

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

From producer Morgan Spurlock (SUPER SIZE ME) and director Rob VanAlkemade comes a serious docu-comedy about the commercialization of Christmas.

Turkey and Its (Many) Discontents

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Earlier this month, Turkey threatened to curtail U.S. military access to Turkish bases and recalled its ambassador from Washington for consultations. These actions came in response to the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee's approval of a resolution asserting that the Turkish massacre of Armenians nearly a century ago constitutes genocide. Compounding these tensions, and despite strong objections from the United States, the Turkish parliament recently authorized its government to conduct military incursions into northern Iraq in order to combat the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, which uses northern Iraq as a staging area for incursions into Turkey.

Turkey is a strategic American ally. It not only serves as a bridge between East and West but also is one of the few Muslim-majority countries to have friendly relations with Israel, so these strong reactions from the Turkish government could be quite ominous. But do these actions reflect some deeper discontent among the Turkish public, or are they simply the Turkish government's response to current, and perhaps temporary, crises in the international arena?

Views of America
Recent Pew Global Attitudes surveys show that negative views of the United States are indeed widespread and growing in Turkey. In fact, the United States receives a lower favorability rating (9%) in Turkey than in any of the 47 countries in the 2007 Pew Global Attitudes survey. This is down considerably from a 30% favorability rating in Pew's 2002 poll and from 52% in a 2000 State Department poll. There also has been a correspondingly sharp drop in the favorability rating for the American people (from 32% in 2002 to a mere 13% in 2007).

These negative views are also seen in Turks' opinions on American foreign policy. For example, just 9% of Turks support the U.S.-led war on terror, and only 14% think the U.S. considers the interests of countries like Turkey when making foreign policy decisions. Moreover, according to a 2006 Pew poll, a large majority (64%) of Turks believe that the efforts to establish a stable democratic government in Iraq will fail. This is the largest percentage in any of the 15 countries surveyed in 2006, including four other predominantly Muslim countries (29% in Jordan expressed this view, 25% in Egypt, 16% in Indonesia and 14% in Pakistan). Not surprisingly, in light of these negative views of the U.S. and American foreign policy, 86% of Turks now favor removing U.S. troops from Iraq, according to the 2007 Pew poll.

View of the EU and the West
Negative views also appear to be growing among Turks with respect to the European Union and to Westerners in general. Such negativity toward the EU is likely associated with disillusionment over Turkey's stalled bid to join the union. For instance, the favorability rating for the EU dropped from 58% in 2004 to 27% in 2007.

A combination of all these factors seems to be generating more negative views of Westerners generally. Of the 10 Muslim publics surveyed in the 2006 Pew Global Attitudes poll, for instance, the Turkish public showed the most negative views, on average, toward Westerners. The survey asked Muslims whether they associate people in Western countries such as the U.S. and European nations with a series of negative and positive characteristics, including "arrogant," "greedy," "immoral," "selfish," and "violent," as well as "generous" and "honest." The two positive characteristics were reverse coded to reflect the opposite. For this analysis, a negativity index that ranges from zero (extremely positive) to 7 (extremely negative) was created using this series of questions.1

On this scale, the average for Turkey is 5.2, which is a higher level of negativity than is found in the other four Muslim-majority countries surveyed (Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan and Pakistan) as well as among the Muslim populations in Nigeria, Britain, Germany, France and Spain. The fact that German Muslims, who are predominantly of Turkish background, score much lower (3.2) on the index indicates that the negativity toward Westerners is not particular to Turks but rather to Turks in Turkey.

But Turkish discontent extends beyond views of the U.S. and Europe. For example, according to the same 2006 Pew poll, Turks also express lukewarm attitudes toward Arabs. While Muslims among other non-Arab publics overwhelmingly say they have a positive view of Arabs, only 46% of Turks express a positive opinion, among the lowest of the 10 Muslim publics surveyed; only German Muslims (who, as noted above, are predominately of Turkish origin) were less positive toward Arabs. And when asked whether they sympathize more with Israel or the Palestinians, fewer Turks expressed sympathies with Palestinians (64%) than did other countries in the Middle East.

Large and increasing majorities of Turks also hold unfavorable views of Christians and Jews. From 2004 to 2006, favorability toward Christians dropped by 15 percentage points, from 31% to 16%. Likewise, favorability toward Jews dropped 12 points, from 27% to 15%.

Secular-Religious Divide
This increasing negativity toward other countries and groups is taking place as Turkey experiences considerable internal conflicts related to the ongoing tensions between the country's secular establishment and followers of the ruling, Islamic-oriented Justice and Development Party (known in Turkey as the AKP).

Despite the strong tradition of secularism in Turkey, Islam remains central to the identity of most Turks. Indeed, religious identification is on the rise. Roughly half of Turkish Muslims (51%) surveyed in 2006 say they think of themselves first as Muslim rather than Turkish, while 19% identify primarily with their nationality, and 30% volunteer that they think of themselves as both. This represents a significant change from just one year earlier, when only 43% identified primarily as Muslim.

Although the percentage of Turks saying they have a very or somewhat favorable opinion of Muslims has varied only slightly over time (88% in 2004, 83% in 2005 and 88% in 2006), the number of Turks saying that they are very favorable toward Muslims has increased from 66% in 2004 to 74% in 2006.

The result of these trends is that Turkey today is increasingly more religious. And, unlike in the days of Turkey's founder and first president Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, it is less inclined to look to the West for its solutions. In light of Turkey's many discontents, it is perhaps not surprising that U.S. relations with this key ally are proving increasingly complicated.

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Additional Materials

Analysis: Widespread Negativity: Muslims Distrust Westerners More than Vice Versa

How to Cook Your Life

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Move over "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance!" Here comes Zen and the Art of a Good Meal! Filmmaker Doris Dörrie turns her attention to Buddhism and that age-old saying, you are what you eat. In How To Cook Your Life, Dörrie enlists the help of the charismatic Zen Master Edward Espe Brown to explain the guiding principles of Zen Buddhism as they apply to the preparation of food as well as life itself. "How a person goes about dealing with the ingredients for his meals" explains Dörrie "says a lot about him. How To Cook Your Life teaches us to be attentive in our everyday dealings with the most mundane things and also open our eyes to one of the most beautiful occupations: cooking."

Judaism 101

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

A plethora of information, including FAQs.

Human Events

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Human Events gives voice to the great conservative thinkers of our era -- Robert Novak, Michelle Malkin, L. Brent Bozell, Terence Jeffrey, Bruce Bartlett, Thomas Sowell, David Limbaugh, Oliver North, Pat Buchanan and many more.

Beyond Stereotypes

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

A CAIR initiative to enhance understanding of Islam in the media.

One Nation: Religion and Politics 2008

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Golden Compass Author Talks about His Agenda

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Catholic author and religion scholar Donna Freitas has interviewed His Dark Materials author Philip Pullman in an effort to unearth Pullman's true intentions and religious agenda in the fantasy series and forthcoming major motion picture that has been attacked by the Catholic League.

The Golden Compass

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

emel: the muslim lifestyle magazine

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Britain's first Muslim lifestyle magazine for the mainstream market.

Seven

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Comic book series relying heavily on Kabbalah.

Templeton Prize Speech: Translation Pitfalls of Religion Writing

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

It's said that there are three things even polyglots do in their own mother tongue - count, curse and pray. Count - anyone who has tried to do mental arithmetic with four-digit numbers knows how difficult this can be without doing it in a foreign language. Curse - our unguarded outbursts show how deeply our emotions can be linked to certain terms we've learned to express them. Pray - religion challenges both the rational and the emotional sides of our being - sometimes in ways we cannot express even in our own language. No wonder it's such a complex subject. Complete speech here.

Jesus - the gap year

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Hollywood proposes to fill in the "missing" years of Jesus' life (being a carpenter in Nazareth is just so static, darling) with a film The Aquarian Gospel, based on a hoary old hippie tract about him as a wandering mystic who travelled across India with the Three Wise Men, living in Buddhist monasteries and speaking out against the caste system. It sounds like a cross between the Da Vinci Code and a road movie, and appears in 2009.

"We think that Indian religions and Buddhism, especially with the idea of meditation, played a big part in Christ's thinking," say the producers. Catholic clergy in India are pretty huffy about it. In the UK, of course, the legend is that Jesus visited Glastonbury with his uncle Joe. Moral for Evangelists: never leave an 18-year gap in your biography of the holy man, just saying he "grew in wisdom and stature". People will rush to fill it up.

Hanukkah Flow Chart

Fri, 07 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Fiqh Council of North America

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The Fiqh Council of North America traces its origins back to the Religious Affairs Committee of the then Muslim Students Association of the United States and Canada in the early 1960s. This Religious Affairs Committee evolved into the Fiqh Committee of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) after the founding of ISNA in 1980. As the needs of the Muslim community and the complexity of the issues they faced grew, the Fiqh Council was transformed into the Fiqh Council of North America in 1986. The Council continues to be an affiliate of ISNA, advising and educating its members and officials on matters related to the application of ShariÌah in their individual and collective lives in the North American environment.

Ask a Monk

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The historical Buddha Shakyamuni is said to have "turned the Wheel of Dharma" when he decided to share his Compassion and Wisdom with all beings so as to enable them to end their suffering. The traditional way of requesting a Ch'an or Buddhist teacher to answer one's questions about teachings or practice is known as Turning the Wheel. All questions, whether general or specific in nature, will be given respectful consideration by a qualified Buddhist teacher as time permits.

Bible and Koran

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

By making accessible the texts of the Christian and Islamic holy books, BibleandKoran.net hopes to encourage study of both sources and promote mutual understanding.

The 'Christmas Wars'

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Every year as the holiday season gets underway, debates break out across the country over the appropriateness of religious displays in public spaces, such as crèches and menorahs placed in town halls. But the so-called "Christmas wars" are only a small part of a much larger debate concerning the proper place of religion in public life, a debate that began at the nation's founding. How did America's founders view religion and its role in our country's development? And how does the debate over church and state continue to inform politics today?

The Pew Forum has assembled a variety of resources to put this debate in its historical and legal contexts.

South Korea's Coming Election Highlights Christian Community

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The coming presidential election in South Korea on Dec. 19 is drawing attention to the growing presence of Christianity in a country that as recently as 1960 had fewer than a million Christians. The odds-on favorite in the race, Lee Myung-bak of the conservative Grand National Party, is a leader in one of South Korea's largest churches, Somang Presbyterian Church. Lee, a former mayor of Seoul who once ran one of the country's largest construction companies, is strongly supported by South Korea's significant Protestant population.

By South Korean standards, Somang Presbyterian is not unusually large. South Korea, in fact, is home to 15 megachurches with an adult attendance of more than 10,000 people on a given Sunday1. This includes the largest church in the world, the Yoido Full Gospel Church, which reports a membership of upwards of 800,000 and has an adult attendance of more than 230,000 on a given Sunday.

Approximately 30% of South Korea's population now identifies as Christian, according to the 2005 national census. The growth in South Korean Christianity has been fueled at least in part by the rapid spread of pentecostal varieties of Protestantism.

These pentecostal groups now represent approximately four-in-ten among the 25% of South Koreans in urban areas who self-identify as Protestant, according to a recent Pew Forum survey2. The rapid growth in the number of Christian adherents in South Korea in the past 40 years has come largely at the expense of those who do not identify with any religion, whose percentage of the population decreased from 57% in 1985 to 47% in 2005. The number of South Koreans who identify themselves as Buddhist increased only slightly from approximately 20% in 1985 to 23% in 2005.

South Korea now has the largest percentage of Christians in East Asia, according to estimates of church statistics gathered by the World Christian Database. By contrast, the percentage of Christians in China and Taiwan is below 10%; in Japan and North Korea it is below 5%.

Not only are their numbers growing, but the level of religious intensity of South Korean Christians is much higher than that of other religious groups in the country. This is reflected in a recent survey by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, in which more than a third (35%) of South Korean Christians say that religion is very important in their lives. The comparable numbers among Buddhists and the unaffiliated are 3% and 1%, respectively.

This strong religious commitment on the part of South Korean Christians seems to drive their efforts to convert their fellow countrymen. Indeed, the Forum survey finds that a third (33%) of South Korean Christians share their faith with nonbelievers at least once a week, and another third (36%) share their faith at least several times a year.

This strong evangelistic impulse does not stop at the water's edge; it extends abroad as well. According to the Korean World Mission Association, there are now at least 14,000 South Korean Protestant missionaries, second only to the number of American Protestant missionaries. The targets of these missionary activities include places such as China, North Korea and Afghanistan, where the kidnapping of South Korean church volunteers by the Taliban last summer again called attention to these assertive missionary efforts.

The standoff with the Taliban generated considerable divisions back home, where resentment of the country's Christian community appears to be growing. This resentment may be fed at least in part by the increasingly high public profile many South Korean Christians are assuming not only in church life but also in corporate boardrooms and the National Assembly. Indeed, according to an August 2007 report in The Independent (U.K.), "the chairmen of all of South Korea's top-10 companies are Christians, as are the majority of National Assembly members."

Not only are more South Koreans identifying as Christian, but the Forum survey finds that they are very active in their congregations, with more than three-in-four (77%) saying they attend church at least once a week. In addition, the survey finds that half (50%) of South Korean Christians believe that religious groups should express their views on social and political questions, compared with slightly more than a quarter (28%) among their fellow countrymen. Moreover, the survey finds that two-thirds of South Korean Christians (67%) agree that it is important for political leaders to have strong religious beliefs, compared with fewer than one-in-four (22%) among the country's non-Christian public.

If elected, Lee would not be the first Christian, nor the first Protestant, president of South Korea; the country's first president, Syngman Rhee, for instance, was a convert to Methodism. But Lee's election could serve to further underscore the growing public presence of the Christian community in South Korea as well as the increasing influence of South Korean Christians throughout Asia.

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1Hong Young-gi, "Encounter with Modernity: The 'McDonaldization' and 'Charismatization' of Korean Mega-churches," International Review of Mission, April 2003.

2"Sprit and Power: A 10-country Survey of Pentecostals," October 2006.

In God's Name

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The filmmakers behind the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning "9/11" are bringing their next project to the airwaves. Jules and Gedeon Naudet's film "In God's Name" premieres on CBS Dec. 23 at 9pmET.

Nearly Two-thirds of U.S. Adults Believe Human Beings Were Created by God

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Earlier this year, the State Board of Education in Kansas reignited an old debate whether or not creationism should be taught in public schools and shone the spotlight on a new theory, intelligent design. While many in the scientific community may question why this issue has been raised again, a new national survey shows that almost two-thirds of U.S. adults (64%) agree with the basic tenet of creationism, that "human beings were created directly by God."

At the same time, approximately one-fifth (22%) of adults believe "human beings evolved from earlier species" (evolution) and 10 percent subscribe to the theory that "human beings are so complex that they required a powerful force or intelligent being to help create them" (intelligent design). Moreover, a majority (55%) believe that all three of these theories should be taught in public schools, while 23 percent support teaching creationism only, 12 percent evolution only, and four percent intelligent design only.

Sounds Jewish

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

New podcasts for the Jewish community.

Church Investors Group

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

The Church Investors Group began in 1973 as an informal ecumenical gathering of those with trustee responsibility for church investments to come together to discuss ethical issues related to investment. Since then, membership has grown to around 30 with representatives of all the main denominations in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including pension funds, charitable trusts and religious orders. There is also a growing affiliate membership of Churches in other countries. The group seeks to increase the witness and influence of the Church in society by empowering each other to reflect the moral stance and teachings of our faith via members' investment portfolios.

Bad Faith: The Danger of Religious Extremism

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

rom Publishers Weekly
Are some religions, doctrines and practices more apt to inspire hatred and extremism than others? Are people who commit evil acts in the name of their faith carrying out or corrupting the true message of their religion? What sorts of people are most prone to extremism? Psychologist Kressel, of William Paterson University, attempts to answer these and other questions in a facile study of the perils of religious extremism. Drawing on examples of extremism from the history of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, he defines religious extremists as persons whofor reasons they themselves deem religiouscommit, promote, or support purposely hurtful, violent, or destructive acts toward those who don't practice their faith. Although much of the book centers on Islamic religious extremism, Kressel investigates the cases of Christians responsible for bombing abortion clinics in the name of their religion. He concludes that militant faith may help some believers, among other things, establish a stronger self-esteem, give life meaning and eradicate a sense of their shortcomings, or sin. Kressel urges toleration for the array of destructive religious beliefs, even as he condemns the destructive conduct that sometimes grows out of such beliefs. Regrettably, Kressel offers no startlingly new insights into the nature of religious extremism. (July 31)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Harvey Cox, Professor of Divinity, Harvard University; author of The Secular City and When Jesus Came to Harvard
"Kressel's work could not be more timely. It has the advantage of taking religious movements with thoughtful seriousness and making vital distinctions clear. It is also written in a lucid and readable style."

The Missing Years of Jesus

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

More information at http://smallscreen.monstersandcritics.com/news/article_1380302.php.

Divine Impulses: Tim Russert

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Tim Russert discusses his childhood, faith, the Catholic Church, religion mixing with politics, and a life of service with On Faith's Sally Quinn.

God and Gold: Britain, America and the Making of the Modern World

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Review
"Persuasively optimistic . . . he knows more theology and church than do most public intellectuals, and more Anglo-American history than do many of the more theologically learned; this makes for an interesting combination."
-American Heritage

"Entertaining . . ."
-The Economist

"Walter Mead's new book is both delightful and outrageous: delightful in his mischievous, well-chosen use of poems, pamphlets, and political speeches to illustrate his arguments; and outrageous in the proper sense of the wordfor it will outrage lots of readers: American know-nothings who assume life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness only began in 1776; liberal Brits who will be furious at the idea that they are the true and only forebears of our neocons' obsession with changing the world and making a profit from it; and foreigners everywhere, especially in French-speaking and Arabic-speaking countries, who will have their worst historical myth confirmed, that the Anglo-Saxons have been intent on dominating world affairs for at least the past four centuries and have no plans to give up the habit now."
-Paul Kennedy

"Ingenious . . . Mead enlivens the text with numerous amusing and illustrative anecdotes, artful literary allusions and helpful invocations of great historians and philosophers. A remarkable piece of historical analysis bound to provoke discussion and argument in foreign-policy circles."
-Kirkus

"Walter Russell Mead has done it again. With his distinctive sweep and penetration, America's premier archeologist of ideas and their consequences unearths the cultural roots of large political movements and developments. Readers of this scintillating volume will see the modern world afresh."
-George F. Will

"Walter Russell Mead has written yet another fascinating, thought-provoking book about America's global role. Mead weaves together history, theology, economics and politics to tell the story of the rise of the English speaking peoples and the world that they made. Churchill would have approved."
-Fareed Zakaria

Book Description

An illuminating account of the birth and rise of the global political and economic system that, sustained first by Britain and now by America, created the modern world.

Walter Russell Mead, one of our most distinguished foreign policy experts, makes clear that the key to the predominance of the two countries has been the individualistic ideology of the prevailing Anglo-American religion. Mead explains how this helped create a culture uniquely adapted to capitalism, a system under which both countries thrived. We see how, as a result, the two nations were able to create the liberal, democratic system whose economic and social influence continues to grow around the world.

With wit, verve, and stunning insight, Mead recounts what is, in effect, the story of a centuries-long war between the English-speaking peoples and their enemies. Sustained by control of the oceans that surround them, the British and their American heirs built a global system of politics, power, investment, and trade over the past three hundred years. Along the way, the two nations developed a sophisticated grand strategy that brought the English-speaking powers to a pinnacle of global power and prestige unmatched in the history of the world.

Since Oliver Cromwell's day, the English-speakers have seen their enemies as haters of liberty and God who care nothing for morality, who will do anything to win, and who rely on a treacherous fifth column to assure victory. Those enemies, from Catholic Spain and Louis XIV to the Nazis, communists, and Al-Qaeda, held similar beliefs about their British and American rivals, but we see that though the Anglo-Americans have lost small wars here and there, they have won the major conflicts. So far.

The stakes today are higher than ever; technological progress makes new and terrible weapons easier for rogue states and terror groups to develop and deploy. Where some see an end to history and others a clash of civilizations, Mead sees the current conflicts in the Middle East as the latest challenge to the liberal, capitalist, and democratic world system that the Anglo-Americans are trying to build. What we need now, he says, is a diplomacy of civlizations based on a deeper understanding of the recurring conflicts between the liberal world system and its foes. In practice, this means that Americans generally, and especially the increasingly influential evangelical community, must develop a better sense of America's place in the world.

Mead's emphasis on the English-speaking world as the chief hero (and sometimes villain) in modern history changes the way we see the world. Authoritative and lucid, God and Gold weaves history, literature, philosophy, and religion together into an eminently important worka dazzling book that helps us understand the world we live in and our tumultuous times.

Godly Republic: A Centrist Blueprint for America's Faith-Based Future

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Book Description
"Do you know if you are going to heaven?" Shortly after being appointed the first Director of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives--the "faith czar"--John J. DiIulio Jr. was asked this question. Suddenly DiIulio, a Catholic Democrat who pioneered programs for inner-city children, was acutely aware that he was no longer a private citizen who might have humored the television evangelist standing before him. Now he was, as he recalls in his introduction--"responsible for assisting the president in faithfully upholding the Constitution . . . and faithfully acting in the public interest without regard to religious identities." Using his brief tenure in the Bush administration as a springboard, this lively, informative, and entertaining book leaps into the ongoing debate over whether as a nation America is Christian or secular and to what degree church-state separation is compelled by the Constitution. Avoiding political pieties, DiIulio makes an impassioned case for a middle way. Written by a leading political scholar, Godly Republic offers a fast-paced, faith-inspired, and fact-based approach to enhancing America's civic future for one and all.

From the Inside Flap
"John DiIulio's Godly Republic: A Centrist Blueprint for America's Faith-Based Future is a splendid book. It is a much needed book. It is a book that will raise eyebrows and raise hackles-at both edges of the political spectrum. It will also raise the consciousness of readers who are willing to consider dispassionately the careful, thoughtful, and quite penetrating argument Professor DiIulio makes for a via media on the question of public aid to religiously based providers of social services to our fellow citizens who are in need. I hope and--dare I say it?--pray that there will be many such readers."--Robert P. George, Princeton University

"DiIulio's manuscript explodes myths that have surrounded our understanding of constitutional history, law and religion, the public administration of social services programs, the nature of religious service organizations, and the politics surrounding faith based programs. His style is casual, breezy, often funny, and filled with autobiographical detail. Only DiIulio, who is not only a streetwise activist for the poor, but also a prominent social scientist and political figure, could have written this important book."--Steven Shiffrin, Cornell Law School

"John DiIulio has done his country another important service. Godly Republic makes a compelling case that respect for religious influence and genuine pluralism go hand in hand in American history. John is a voice of reason and civility in a debate that needs more of both."--Michael Gerson, Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Former Chief Speechwriter for President George W. Bush

"John DiIulio is a person of faith, learning, and wisdom. He brings his passion for truth and history to his examination of the right relationship between religion and government, faith and politics. This illuminating book is a must read for all who seek insight and guidance on these difficult questions."--Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Former Lt. Gov. of Maryland, Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University, and author of Failing the Faithful

"Godly Republic is lively, stimulating, and thought provoking--just what we have all come to expect from John DiIulio, one of America's leading political thinkers."--William Kristol, Editor, The Weekly Standard

"John DiIulio has done more than anyone in America to unleash the power and capacity of sacred places to serve the poor and needy. In Godly Republic, he lays a foundation for splitting the atom of faith-based civic power. This sage and saint of the compassion agenda might just pull it off-and bring our country around a faith-based agenda that could ignite millions of Americans in service to the nation."--John M. Bridgeland, Former Director, White House Domestic Policy Council and USA Freedom Corps

"John DiIulio presents a succinct and authoritative statement on what the Founding Fathers actually intended as operating principles for a healthy democratic society... A scholar and a man of deep religious faith, he brings to this book first-hand experience... Godly Republic will be of enormous value to leaders in political, academic, and religious circles as well as citizens in all walks of life."--George Gallup, Jr., Pollster and Founding Chairman, George H. Gallup Institute

"John DiIulio rejects the kind of Evangelical triumphalism that declares America to be a Christian nation, even as he turns from that secularity which leaves no room for religion in the public sector. Writing in a lucid style, he shows how religion and government can maintain a legal relationship that addresses some of the greatest social needs of our time."--Reverend Tony Campolo, Professor Emeritus, Eastern University

"No one in the country better understands the connection between policy and on-the-street results than John DiIulio. In Godly Republic he combines his experiences, from urban neighborhoods to the White House, to convincingly show how faith can be a unifying force for citizens and their communities all across the country."--Stephen Goldsmith, Chairman, Corporation For National Service, Former Mayor, Indianapolis

"John DiIulio's renowned leadership in the faith-based initiatives debate is here complemented by his keen scholarship. James Madison's erudition shines in glory as DiIulio explains how the framer of the Constitution balances John Witherspoon's orthodox Christianity and Thomas Jefferson's deistic perspective, thereby creating the 'Godly Republic.' This is a must read for friend and foe alike of the faith-based movements that will impact American government for generations to come."--Reverend Peter Lillback, President, Providence Forum and Westminister Theological Seminary

"Having excelled at opening government's doors to a greater role for faith-based social work, John DiIulio in Godly Republic makes clear that the pedigree for such openness lies deep in our founding principles. Like it or not, America has entered a wide-ranging debate about religion's place in our civil life.ÝGodly Republic supplies an indispensable framework for this debate."--Jeffrey Bell, Washington political consultant and author of Populism and Elitism

"John DiIulio is likely the only person writing today who combines stellar academic credentials and first-hand experience in the corridors of political power and on the streets with faith-based and community organizations. Often compelling, at times challenging, but always thought-provoking, Godly Republic offers sharp insights and insider stories to provide a much needed corrective to many myths about religion and government in America."--Amy E. Black, Wheaton College, co-author of Of Little Faith

"John DiIulio has made a brilliant contribution to the ongoing debate on the place of religion in the public square. Through good, sound research and reader-friendly language, he has presented our nation with a unique and valuable book that should bring much clarity to the issue of the separation of church and state... It should be read by every elected official, policy maker and religious leader."--Rev. W. Wilson Goode, Sr., Director, Amachi Mentoring Program; Former Mayor, Philadelphia

"At a time when we struggle with the role and status of religious faith in the public square, John DiIulio, in his usual urbane and scholarly manner, clarifies the misconceptions of the liberal left and religious right. Thank you, John, for providing us the Good News that faith and religion have always been part of the public square."--Rev. Luis Cortés, Jr., President, Esperanza, America's largest Latino faith-based organization

"With his trademark combination of candor and intellectual rigor--and a powerful gift for weaving a story--John DiIulio seeks a middle ground in today's increasingly rancorous church-state debates... With him, we travel back to the start of our 'Godly Republic' and into the minds of our nations' framers; peer into the most private rooms of the White House, where he served as a top aide; and glimpse what the future can hold in a nation that both respects religious pluralism and allows faith-based institutions to help the most disadvantaged among us."--Gigi Georges, Former State Director, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Partner, The Glover Park Group

"Take a brilliant analytical mind, add in a huge heart, a passion for justice and a deep religious faith, combine all that with a lively facility of expression, and you have John DiIulio. This is a book so many have been waiting for, the tough-minded reflections of a man who went into the White House trenches to pursue his carefully thought-through dreams of how compassion might be realized through social policy. By offering an honest, searching and deeply intelligent explanation for why things did not quite work out as he planned, DiIulio offers hope that we can get things right the next time around. And he makes clear how urgent it is that we try. DiIulio is a national treasure."--E.J. Dionne, The Washington Post Syndicated Columnist, and author of Why Americans Hate Politics

"This wise and engaging book accomplishes an awesome feat-it is both important and a pleasure to read."--Jane Eisner, Vice President, National Constitution Center, and editor of The Philadelphia Inquirer

"In Godly Republic, John DiIulio gives us a timely book for the elevation of our public policy and public discourse. It is a terrific read that reminds us that tolerance is both a religious and an American virtue."--Martin O'Malley, Governor of Maryland, Former Mayor of Baltimore

"In the White House and in his scholarship and civic service, John DiIulio has explored the theory and practice of allowing faith to inform government action. The unending--indeed, unendable--debate on the proper relationship between religion and government will be livelier and more civil because of this book."--George Will, ABC News and Syndicated Columnist

"God and America, what could be more important? And no one is better qualified to explore one of the most important issues of our time than John DiIulio. In a book that weaves a seamless web between superb social science and his own experiences in government, DiIulio has written a must read for any serious citizen-religious or not."--Elaine Kamarck, Public Policy Lecturer, Harvard University; former Senior Advisor to Vice President Al Gore

"A must-read gem written by a rarity: a respected and courageous former public servant who is also one of America's most influential academics on the intersection of religion, politics and social policy. His brilliance and decency shine through on every page."--Rabbi David Saperstein, Director, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism

"This is a very impressive book, exactly what one would expect from a political scientist as able as John DiIulio. He takes seriously the flawed arguments and popular myths promoted by extremists on the political right and left, and he writes calmly about issues that many are shouting about. He is a scholar ...

Persepolis

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Mother Teresa, not Diana, first saint of the celebrity age

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Creative use of internet search engine.

Guardian of the Veil

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

RNA Top Ten News Stories of 2007

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Eternally Eve: Images of Eve in the Hebrew Bible, Midrash, and Modern Jewish Poetry

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

"In this wide-ranging work, Lapidus Lerner shows how the typical depiction of Eve as a subservient, and as an evil temptress is wrong. Through a close reading of biblical and rabbinic texts, as well as modern Hebrew, Yiddish, and English poems, she shows a much more complex and interesting Eve. Her method, which allows each text to speak for itself, and to gain more depth through juxtaposition to other texts, yields significant insights into a wide variety of compositions, and offers an important addition to the growing body of Jewish scholarly feminist literature." Marc Z. Brettler, Dora Golding Professor of Biblical Studies, Chair of Near Eastern and Judail Studies, Brandeis University

The Torah: A Woman's Commentary

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0600

"This is wonderful rendition of our most sacred text, the Women's Commentary will bring a fresh perspective to our people's story. It will be an extraordinary resource that will prove both useful and meaningful to all - men and women alike - who delve into its pages." Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President Union for Reform Judaism

Religion and Politics 2008

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The site features a new resource as we head into the presidential primary season: profiles of 11 key states, including Iowa. These profiles offercomprehensive background information on the intersection of religion and politics in each state, including religious demographics, analyses of religion's influence on past elections, previous election results, listsof state religious organizations and more.

Liberty of Conscience

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

From Publishers Weekly: In this engrossing history of the religion clauses of the First Amendment, Nussbaum (Cultivating Humanity) makes a strong, thoroughgoing case for America as a haven of religious liberty for believers of all stripes. Beginning with an illuminating rehabilitation of Rhode Island founder Roger Williams as America's earliest defender of religious equality, Nussbaum continues by examining how Williams's ideals have been both upheld and abandoned throughout the nation's history. After detailing the adoption of the establishment and free exercise clauses, Nussbaum comments at length on how these fairly general, vague clauses have been fleshed out by more than two centuries of case law. Refreshingly, Nussbaum does not add to the acrimonious cacophony around the idea of separation of church and state. Rather than pushing for strict separation, she argues for what philosopher John Rawls calls "overlapping consensus," which echoes Williams's belief that citizens who differ greatly on matters of ultimate meaning can still agree to respect each other's liberty of conscience. Nussbaum writes engagingly and with generosity; her critiques, particularly those of opinions written by Justices Scalia and Thomas, are pointed but respectful, and she demonstrates warm regard for Supreme Court plaintiffs who have braved persecution as they have followed the dictates of conscience.

Conceiving Parenthood

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

From Publishers Weekly: Hall, who teaches theological ethics at Duke, combines perceptive reading with stirring criticism of the corporate-inspired family ideals that have come to pervade the American Christian mainstream. Focusing on the Methodist experience, Hall's narrative potentially resonates across the theological spectrum. How did a denomination with roots in gospel activism come to be so captivated by images of material and technological progress delivered by corporate marketing? Hall mines church publications and popular media to reveal several dynamics at work. Partly because of its attempts to market itself as part of the American dream, the mid-century church became infatuated with an image of the ideal family that inevitably, if unintentionally, encouraged middle-class Protestants to insulate their families from their troubled neighbors. At the same time, corporate and scientific messages undermined the confidence of parentsand particularly mothersin natural or traditional ways of providing for their children without commercial products and expert advice. Aspiration and anxiety combined to create families that were more focused on themselves, less secure in their Christian identity and less engaged in mission to others. Contrasting these trends with the example of Christ and the unifying message of the sacraments, Hall invites her readers to wage a "resistance" and reconsider "the least of these."

Spirituality and Health

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Brands of Faith

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

In a society overrun by commercial clutter, religion has become yet another product sold in the consumer marketplace, and faiths of all kinds must compete with a myriad of more entertaining and more convenient leisure activities. Brands of Faith argues that in order to compete effectively faiths have had to become brands easily recognizable symbols and spokespeople with whom religious prospects can make immediate connections

Mara Einstein shows how religious branding has expanded over the past twenty years to create a blended world of commerce and faith where the sacred becomes secular and the secular sacred. In a series of fascinating case studies of faith brands, she explores the significance of branded church courses, such as Alpha and The Purpose Driven Life, mega-churches, and the popularity of the televangelist Joel Olsteen and television presenter Oprah Winfrey, as well as the rise of Kaballah. She asks what the consequences of this religious marketing will be, and outlines the possible results of religious commercialism good and bad. Repackaging religion updating music, creating teen-targeted bibles is justifiable and necessary. However, when the content becomes obscured, religion may lose its unique selling proposition the very ability to raise us above the market.

Edge: World Question Center

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The Edge Annual Question 2008

When thinking changes your mind, that's philosophy.
When God changes your mind, that's faith.
When facts change your mind, that's science.

WHAT HAVE YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND ABOUT? WHY?

Science is based on evidence. What happens when the data change? How have scientific findings or arguments changed your mind?"

165 contributors; 112,600 words

Diplomacy and Religion in the 21st Century

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The greatest threat in the post-Cold War world, says Douglas Johnston, is the prospective marriage of religious extremism with weapons of mass destruction. Yet the U.S. spends most of its time, resources, and weapons fighting the symptoms of this threat, not the cause. The diplomacy of the future, he is showing, must engage religion as part of the strategic solution to global conflicts.

Peace Be Upon You

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

"The clash between Muslims, Christians, and Jews dominates the news these days, but as Zachary Karabell highlights, there is more to the relationship between these three faiths than violence. In a book that sweeps the reader across fourteen centuries from the birth of Islam to present-day Dubai, he tells the forgotten stories of coexistence and cooperation. Peace Be upon You reminds us of the possibility of a better future." -Fareed Zakaria, editor, Newsweek International

New York Times Sunday Book Review

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The January 6 edition is titled "The Islam Issue" and contains numerous resources.

The Jewish Americans

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

THE JEWISH AMERICANS is a three-night documentary that explores 350 years of Jewish American history. Written and directed by award-winning filmmaker David Grubin, THE JEWISH AMERICANS is a story of great achievement despite great odds. From the First Settlement in the 17th century to the present, the six-hour series is a journey in time. While the story of Jewish life in America is emblematic of the American immigrant story, it is also a story of how a people overcame discrimination and eventually created some of the most remarkable accomplishments in American history, arts, commerce, science and academia. Premiers mid-January.

What Can Be Found in LOST?

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

What can Christians learn from one of the most popular TV series of all time?

In its first season, LOST averaged 15.5 million viewers per episode. The show features a cast that struggles with the eternal issues of identity, conflict, relationships, and spirituality. Though the show does not have a Christian foundation or theme, there is much believers can learn about social and cultural attitudes and perspectives through its episodessuch as...

    * the selfish bent of human nature
    * the darkness of evil
    * the hunger people have for acceptance and success
    * the realization of our need for God
    * the hope for a positive future

Many of the problems and difficulties of everyday life are captured succinctly in LOSTmaking it a useful point of reference for understanding how different people view issues of a spiritual nature. Ankerberg and Burroughs offer practical suggestions for Christians who desire to talk effectively to others about the various themes in the show.

Science and Religion News

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Astronomer and Assistant Professor of Integrated Science & Humanities at Hampshire College, Massachusetts, Salman Hameed tracks news relevant to the interplay of science & religion - including scientific debates taking place in the Islamic world.

Religioscope

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Launched in January 2002, Religioscope is a independent website about religions in today's world. It offers news and analyses. Religioscope pays attention to current developments and trends, but also like to puts them into historical perspective when needed, offering its readers some keys for a better understanding of the role and place of different religions.

The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Religious Intelligence

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

ReligiousIntelligence.Com publishes this website providing impartial and unbiased information about the world's religious news and developments. Based in London, England, our sources are drawn from around the world and across the religious groups.

WorldWide Religious News

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

God's Profits

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Book Description from Amazon: Keenly observed and meticulously reported, "God's Profits" examines the unholy alliance between a new breed of corrupt televangelists and the Republican Party, which is eagerly courting "values voters" in the nation's largest megachurches.

Author Sarah Posner exposes the activities of Kenneth Copeland, John Hagee, Rod Parsley, T.D. Jakes, and other politically connected, skillfully marketed, and increasingly influential religious leaders. Preaching the "prosperity gospel"???the notion that faith and tithing alone can ensure financial security???both in their churches and over the airwaves, these charismatic leaders scam the gullible even as they enjoy unprecedented access to top Bush Administration officials. Admired by Republican strategists for their antigovernment ideology and authoritarian leadership styles, these televangelists work together to maximize profits; protect themselves legally; influence elections, judicial nominations, and promote their pro-war, apocalyptic ideas.

SoulForce

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The mission of Soulforce is to cut off homophobia at its source -- religious bigotry. Soulforce uses a dynamic "take it to the streets" style of activism to connect the dots between anti-gay religious dogma and the resulting attacks on the lives and civil liberties of LGBT Americans. We apply the creative direct action principles taught by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. to peacefully resist injustice and demand full equality for LGBT citizens and same-gender families.

Irreligion: A Mathematician Expalins Why the Argument for God Just Doesn't Add Up

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Review

"He's done it again. John Allen Paulos has written a charming book that takes you on a sojourn of flawless logic, with simple and clear examples drawn from math, science, and pop culture. At journey's end, Paulos has left you with plenty to think about, whether you are religious, irreligious, or anything in between." Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist, American Museum of Natural History and author of Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries

"For years John Allen Paulos has been our guide for reading newspapers, playing the stock market, and understanding what all those graphs and charts and formulas really mean. No one knows how to dissect an argument better than Paulos. Now he has turned his rapier wit to the grandest question of them all: is there a God? Those who are religious skeptics will find in Paulos's analysis new ways of looking at both old and new arguments, and those who believe that God's existence can be proven through science, reason, and logic will have to answer to this mathematician's penetrating analysis." Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American, and the author of How We Believe, The Science of Good and Evil, and Why Darwin Matters

"Using the methods of mathematics, reason and logic, Paulos wrestles religious belief systems to the ground and in the process proves he is as good a writer as he is a mathematician. The book is short, to the point and humorous, and God knows, this subject could use more humor."Joan Konner, Dean Emerita of the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism and editor of The Atheist's Bible

"Another virtuoso performance from a master in the use of mathematics to explore the conundrums and mysteries of everyday life."--Sylvia Nasar, author of A Beautiful Mind

"John Allen Paulos has done us all a great service. Irreligion is an elegant and timely response to the manifold ignorance that still goes by the name of 'faith' in the 21st century."-- Sam Harris, author of the New York Times best sellers, The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation

Book Description

A Lifelong Unbeliever Finds No Reason to Change His Mind

Are there any logical reasons to believe in God? Mathematician and bestselling author John Allen Paulos thinks not. In Irreligion he presents the case for his own worldview, organizing his book into twelve chapters that refute the twelve arguments most often put forward for believing in God's existence. The latter arguments, Paulos relates in his characteristically lighthearted style, "range from what might be called golden oldies to those with a more contemporary beat. On the playlist are the firstcause argument, the argument from design, the ontological argument, arguments from faith and biblical codes, the argument from the anthropic principle, the moral universality argument, and others." Interspersed among his twelve counterarguments are remarks on a variety of irreligious themes, ranging from the nature of miracles and creationist probability to cognitive illusions and prudential wagers. Special attention is paid to topics, arguments, and questions that spring from his incredulity "not only about religion but also about others' credulity." Despite the strong influence of his day job, Paulos says, there isn't a single mathematical formula in the book.

Beyond Belief: Enlightenment 2.0

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The aim of Beyond Belief: Enlightenment 2.0 is to invite participants to undertake together an ongoing reconnaissance of Enlightenment ideas in the light of advances in primarily cognitive neurosciences, evolutionary biology, physics etc. though not by any means scanting history, philosophy, law. The word reconnaissance is used advisedly. Although reconnaissance now usually means a military information-gathering exercise, the preference is for original root - recognoscere - which roughly suggests 'to get to know again'. The hope is to explore our current sense of Reason, Truth, Belief, Human Nature, Progress, Virtue and the Good Life in this light. It could be argued that the Enlightenment was not quite the disaster that some critics have suggested, and that version 2.0, and subsequent releases, could conceivably be a dynamic improvement if we set our minds to it, guided by that eudaemonic impulse.

This is the sequel to Beyond Belief 1 - and the second in what we now are planning to be an annual series of conversations on this topic. There were over 3 million hits and over half a million downloads of some or all of the 15 hours of conversation, which is unedited, free of the tyranny of the soundbite; hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube and hundreds of blogs and e-mails. Beyond Belief: Enlightenment 2.0 will also be videotaped and subsequently webcast as part of TSN's educational mission - To Enlarge the Constituency of Reason. It will be highly interactive: the emphasis is less on formal presentation than on participation. Invitees play multiple roles - as presenters, panelists, and participating audience members. Above all, this is a conversation.

Clearly, the religion/faith/belief issue will come up again - as it has most recently concerning Islamic science in the pages of Nature (with thoughts of Ziauddin Sardar's Commentary on 12 July, and Sam Harris' letter on August 23). But we would also like to consider exploring what Ed Wilson (with a nod to Condorcet) would call a Consilience direction. So as well as many of the participants from last year an additional contingent has been invited from the humanities "tribe" to help us better understand, amongst other things, The Sea of Faith, the Sleep (or Dream) of Reason, the Perils of Scientism, the possibly premature reports of the Death of Utopia and the reason for the recurrent calls for Re-Enchantment.

We shall also re-visit some of last year's questions including: Can evolutionary biology, anthropology and neuroscience help us to better understand how we construct beliefs, and experience empathy, fear and awe? Can science help us create a new rational narrative as poetic and powerful as those that have traditionally sustained societies? If not God, then what? And we shall hopefully be weaving a rich tapestry including historical threads from sources including Spinoza, Shakespeare, Milton, Blake, Thomas Paine, William James, Beethoven, Bacon, Rawls and Alhazen.

We really do think of this as an ongoing project to foster and promote the use of reason in formulating social policy. It is interesting that both ends of the political spectrum are currently gnashing teeth and blaming the others for either a "Retreat from Reason" or an "Assault on Reason". It would be refreshing to have a rational discussion about this!

Purgatorio

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

"A panoply of evangelical eccentricities, un-orthodox oddities & christian cultural curiosities"

Inspired by...The Bible Experience

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Description on Amazon: The most ambitious, critically-acclaimed presentation of the Bible ever produced, Inspired By ... The Bible Experience Old Testament features a star-studded cast of almost 200 performers. Highlighting the cast is 2007 Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker as the voice of Moses, along with Angela Bassett (Esther), Cuba Gooding, Jr. (Jonah), Denzel and Pauletta Washington (Song of Songs), LL Cool J (Samson), Eartha Kitt (Serpent), Bishop T.D. Jakes (Abraham), and Bishop Eddie L. Long (Joel) among others.

The Cure Within

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Description on Amazon: People suffering from serious illnesses improve their survival chances by adopting a positive attitude and refusing to believe in the worst. Stress is the great killer of modern life. Ancient Eastern mind-body techniques can bring us balance and healing. We've all heard claims like these, and many find them plausible. When it comes to disease and healing, we believe we must look beyond doctors and drugs; we must look within ourselves. Faith, relationships, and attitude matter.

But why do we believe such things? From psychoanalysis to the placebo effect to meditation, this vibrant history describes our commitments to mind-body healing as rooted in a patchwork of stories that have allowed people to make new sense of their suffering, express discontent with existing care, and rationalize new treatments and lifestyles. These stories are sometimes supported by science, sometimes quarrel with science, but are all ultimately about much more than just science. 36 illustrations.

2007 Annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The data reported here are from the 2007 Annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion, sponsored by the American Jewish Committee, detailing the views of American Jews about a broad range of subjects. Among the topics covered in the present survey are the campaign against terrorism and the war in Iraq, the Israel-Arab conflict, the attachment of American Jews to Israel, political and social issues in the United States, Jewish perceptions of anti-Semitism, and Jewish identity concerns. Some of the questions appearing in the survey are new; others are drawn from previous American Jewish Committee surveys, including the Annual Survey of American Jewish Opinion carried out in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006.

Classic African American Gospel from Smithsonian Folkways

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Read the review at NPR.org.

Relevant Magazine

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

"Covering God, Life and Progressive Culture"

Thumpin' It: The Use and Abuse of the Bible in Today's Presidential Politics

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Review
This book uniquely combines the author s expertise as a biblical scholar with his canny perception of the American political scene in a volatile presidential election year. Events move quickly and unpredictably, but this kind of analysis may prove useful for a long time to come. --J. Philip Wogaman, author of From the Eye of the Storm: A Pastor to the President Speaks Out, and former pastor of Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington, DC.

Product Description
In one of the most insightful, provocative, and witty books yet to explore the fascinating relationship between the Bible and American politics, author Jacques Berlinerblau looks at how the left, right, and everyone in between have used and misused the Bible to advance their political causes and careers.

The Bible s raw power is surging into American politics with an intensity perhaps not equaled since the nineteenth century, Berlinerblau writes in his introduction. Politicians, especially those seeking the presidency, know the importance of having, as Berlinerblau calls it, a good Scripture game. And no longer do Republicans have a grip on this; blue-state Democrats have begun quoting Scripture, employing religious advisors, and telling their own faith stories in an effort to court the religious vote.

In this engaging book Berlinerblau looks at the recent history of how Scripture has influenced public policy debates about the environment, abortion, stem-cell research, and foreign policy; how recent U.S. presidents have employed the Bible; and how each of the major candidates in the 2008 presidential elections is using and often misusing the Bible in his or her race for the White House.

He concludes that politicians would do well to invoke Scripture with caution because, as he says, too often it can be used to argue both sides of a position. It is an abuse of the Bible to claim that the answer to highly nuanced and complex modern problems simply sits on its pages. . . . It is a cynical business, politics is. It becomes no less so when public servants and interest groups get it into their heads that God Himself provided proof texts for their policy initiatives two thousand years ago.

God in the White House: How Faith Shaped the Presidency from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Book Description

How did we go from John F. Kennedy declaring that religion should play no role in the elections to Bush saying, "I believe that God wants me to be president"?

Historian Randall Balmer takes us on a tour of presidential religiosity in the last half of the twentieth centuryfrom Kennedy's 1960 speech that proposed an almost absolute wall between American political and religious life to the soft religiosity of Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society; from Richard Nixon's manipulation of religion to fit his own needs to Gerald Ford's quiet stoicism; from Jimmy Carter's introduction of evangelicalism into the mainstream to Ronald Reagan's co-option of the same group; from Bill Clinton's covert way of turning religion into a non-issue to George W. Bush's overt Christian messages, Balmer reveals the role religion has played in the personal and political lives of these American presidents.

Americans were once content to disregard religion as a criterion for voting, as in most of the modern presidential elections before Jimmy Carter.But today's voters have come to expect candidates to fully disclose their religious views and to deeply illustrate their personal relationship to the Almighty. God in the White House explores the paradox of Americans' expectation that presidents should simultaneously trumpet their religious views and relationship to God while supporting the separation of church and state. Balmer tells the story of the politicization of religion in the last half of the twentieth century, as well as the "religionization" of our politics. He reflects on the implications of this shift, which have reverberated in both our religious and political worlds, and offers a new lens through which to see not only these extraordinary individuals, but also our current political situation.

About the Author

Randall Balmer is professor of American religious history at Barnard College, Columbia University, and visiting professor at Yale University Divinity School. He is editor-at-large for Christianity Today, and his commentaries on religion in America have appeared in Sojourners, The Nation, the New York Times, and in newspapers across the country. He regularly appears on television and radio to discuss contemporary religious issues in America. Balmer has published eleven books including, Thy Kingdom Come: An Evangelical's Lament and Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: A Journey into the Evangelical Subculture in America, which was made into a three-part documentary for PBS. He lives in Woodbury, Connecticut, with his wife, Catherine Randall, who is also a professor and an author.

World Economic Forum Report Ranks Islam and West Relations

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Geneva, Switzerland, 21 January 2008 The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with Georgetown University, launched today the Islam and the West: Annual Report on the State of Dialogue. This first of its kind report is a systematic and thorough overview of how Muslim and Western societies perceive and relate to each other at the political, social, economic and cultural levels.

The report which is the result of in-depth research carried out by leading academics and experts in the field, finds that majorities in populations around the world believe that violent conflict between the West and the Muslim world can be avoided, but they also share a great deal of pessimism about the state of the relationship.

Among both Muslim majority and non-Muslim majority nations, the proportion who say they think the "other side" is committed to better relations rarely rises above a minority of 30%. Notwithstanding the prevalent sense of scepticism, majorities of residents in nations around the world say that better interaction between the Muslim and Western worlds is important to them.

"The World Economic Forum believes that like all other global challenges, it will take the collaborative effort of all stakeholders from government, business, religion, media, academia and civil society to pre-empt any crisis, create alliances and find solutions," said Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. "Over the course of 2008, the Community of Islam and the West Dialogue will invite leaders from various walks of life to engage in a concerted dialogue and debate of the most important issues, in particular the area of citizenship and integration."

The report features a Gallup Muslim-West Dialogue Index, which is a ranking of countries based on citizens' degree of optimism about the state of relations between the West and the Muslim world. The Report also presents an analysis of the portrayal of Islam and the West in newspapers and television across 24 countries by Media Tenor; and a survey by Georgetown University of international, national and local efforts to improve Muslim-West relations.

An important finding of the report is the emergence of citizenship and integration as the second most powerful shaper of the state of dialogue after international politics.

Growing Muslim minorities committed to active and full citizenship, particularly in Europe, are increasingly finding a voice in the public sphere. Governments committed to ideals of equality and recognition, but eager to maintain majority support and national cohesion, are seeking to engage Muslim groups in structured dialogue; with mixed results. Greater interaction with the Muslim world is actually seen as a threat by 60% of the citizens in many European countries but not in America or Israel.

"As an annual global reference on the state of West and Islam dialogue, the report will elevate the visibility of dialogue activities around the world and strengthen efforts to advance greater understanding and cooperation at a critical juncture in history," remarked the report's lead author, John J. DeGioia, President of Georgetown University.

Notes to Editors

Read the full report: http://www.weforum.org/pdf/C100/Islam_West.pdf
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Hope Matters:The Untold Story of How Faith Works in America

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Product Description from Amazon: Mary Gonzales strolls the streets of Chicago's meatpacking district every evening, keeping a watchful eye over "her" neighborhood kids. Tony Ortiz encourages young men in California state prisons to break free of the brutal gang life he once knew all too well. Joe Hynes, Brooklyn's district attorney, champions women and children, not wanting them to suffer as he suffered.

They, and the twenty-one other amazing people interviewed by Jack Calhoun, are reshaping lives and communities across America. They include Christians of every denomination, Muslims, Jews, and others, some who pray five times a day and some who are, frankly, "not that religious."

But each tells Calhoun, there's much more to the story.

You may have heard of some of these Americans. Several are in the news. The good words of all shine brightly in their communities. What you haven't heard about is the underlying force, the hidden source of their seemingly endless energy and selflessness.

It is faith -- a deep and, in some cases, unsuspected spirituality. They have the unshakeable sense that they work not only for their organizations -- and each individual they encounter -- but especially for God.

Calhoun was once an eager divinity school student, hungry to make a difference. Through the years he rose to national prominence in the field of public policy, spending twenty-plus years as the founding president of the National Crime Prevention Council. However, something wasn't right. Caught up in a parade of committee meetings, speaking engagements, and policy and program initiatives, he had lost touch with the bedrock of his vocation. It took an encounter with an unusually clear-sighted volunteer to reconnect his daily work to his faith in God.

Reinvigorated, Calhoun embarked on a two-year cross-country quest to find out how faith motivates some of America's hardest-working public servants. They pursue a range of innovative and ambitious plans to help their communities, and their accomplishments are impressive. But just try telling them so.

They have been chosen, they'll explain, to fulfill a larger purpose. Their paths have been rocky, their burdens heavy, and the work hasn't always been fun. Yet they feel blessed, emboldened by their trust in a higher power to live lives of acceptance and unbounded love.

Some recent books have laid divisiveness and hostility at faith's door. "Hope Matters" brings to light the togetherness and reconciliation that faith truly engender when good people heed its call to action.

You won't hear Mary, Tony, Joe or the rest preching from the pulpit, or even in the streets. They have no sermon or script to follow. Their is a ministry of open arms and second chances, of waking up each morning with new challenges and going to bed each night with renewed faith. Their stories just might inspire you to make your own "place of worship" a little bigger.

Young, Jewish and Left

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

A celebration of diversity, Young Jewish and Left weaves queer culture, Jewish Arab history, secular Yiddishkeit, anti-racist analysis, and religious/spiritual traditions into a multi-layered tapestry of Leftist politics. Personal experiences from many of today's leading Jewish activists reframe the possibilities of Jewish identity. It presents a fresh and constructive take on race, spirituality, Zionism, queerness, resistance, justice, and liberation.

Young, Jewish, and Left was shot throughout the US and focuses on Jews who came of age after the New Left movements of the 60's and 70's. Activists from the previous generation provide historical context. Music by Mirah, Nomy Lamm, and the Divahn.

Jesus in 2008

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

From the site:

Welcome to the Jesus in 2008 Presidential Nominating and Platform Convention!

Just as Democrats and Republicans meet every four years to chose candidates for President and Vice President, and to build political platforms declaring where they stand on important issues, we are here to do the same and to invite Americans to join us.

We have convened our gathering with a Presidential nominee already in place: Jesus but not Jesus the deity. This is a political convention, after all, not a religious one. Our candidate is Jesus the man, the revolutionary individual who comes to us through history as a model for ethical and moral human behavior the exemplar whose first instinct in any situation was, simply, to do the right thing.

Now, we bring Jesus forward 2,000 years into contemporary America, place him in a leadership role, and ask Americans to decide what his political platform should be in a campaign for the White House.

Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith and Politics After the Religious Right

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Review
Susannah Heschel, author of "Abraham Geiger and the Jewish Jesus" : E. J. Dionne gives us a thoughtful and nuanced exploration of Christianity's contributions to American politics. Critical of the exclusionary politics of both the Left and the Right, he calls for a new bond between religious conservatives and progressives rooted in our shared moral values and inspired by the wonder and awe that give birth to faith.

Jim Wallis, author of "God's Politics" and president of Sojourners : E. J. Dionne is my favorite columnist. He is one of America's most insightful social commentators and a persistent articulator of the powerful but neglected vision of the common good that calls both Left and Right to moral accountability. Souled Out is a crucial contribution to the new American discourse on faith and politics.

Cokie Roberts, political analyst for ABC News and National Public Radio : E. J. Dionne is this country's single most knowledgeable writer on religion and politics. Approaching this subject so central to the American experiment as a person of faith as well as a seasoned political reporter, Dionne brings an understanding and knowledge to the topic unique in the current debate.

Andrew Greeley, author of "The Catholic Revolution" : For much of the last decade the notion has been abroad in the land that religion is a conservative influence in American politics. E. J. Dionne, a liberal and a Catholic and one of the wisest of American journalists, challenges this myth. As the country emerges from a dreadful era, Dionne provides a perspective from which to recover the wisdom that religion, like everything else in America, is politically pluralistic.

Richard Wightman Fox, author of "Jesus in America" : E. J. Dionne has a unique voice and special authority as a liberal spokesman on religion and politics in America. Here, he models how to lower the temperature of the public discussion about religion and politics so that real advances in understanding can take place. This book will further cement Dionne's standing as the leading voice in the mounting campaign to revive a broad-based, religiously liberal politics--something that we haven't seen since the days of Martin Luther King Jr.

Robert Wuthnow, Princeton University : Any book by E. J. Dionne is a treat, and one about religion is especially to be savored. This is not simply the work of an astute political commentator but of a person of faith who writes gracefully and often prophetically. He has an enviable flair for moving the reader along almost effortlessly and yet making clear and compelling arguments. There are fresh insights here in abundance.

Book Description

The religious and political winds are changing. Tens of millions of religious Americans are reclaiming faith from those who would abuse it for narrow, partisan, and ideological purposes. And more and more secular Americans are discovering common ground with believers on the great issues of social justice, peace, and the environment. In Souled Out, award-winning journalist and commentator E. J. Dionne explains why the era of the Religious Right--and the crude exploitation of faith for political advantage--is over.

Based on years of research and writing, Souled Out shows that the end of the Religious Right doesn't signal the decline of evangelical Christianity but rather its disentanglement from a political machine that sold it out to a narrow electoral agenda of such causes as opposition to gay marriage and abortion. With insightful portraits of leading contemporary religious figures from Rick Warren and Richard Cizik to John Paul II and Benedict XVI, Dionne shows that our great religions have always preached a broad message of hope for more just human arrangements and refused to be mere props for the powers that be. Dionne also argues that the new atheist writers should be seen as a gift to believers, a demand that they live up to their proclaimed values and embrace scientific and philosophical inquiry in a spirit of "intellectual solidarity."

Written in the tradition of Reinhold and H. Richard Niebuhr, Souled Out will help change how we think and talk about religion and politics in the post-Bush era.

Factbox: Policies on Muslim Scarves and Veils in Europe

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

(Reuters) - The wearing of Muslim face veils and headscarves in schools and at work is a sensitive topic across Europe. Here is a summary of policy in some key countries:

TURKEY

Mainly Muslim but secular Turkey bans Islamic head-dress in universities and public offices. The Islamist-rooted ruling AK Party and a key opposition party agreed on Thursday to cooperate to lift the ban for female university students. But they face stiff resistance from the powerful secular elite which includes judges, army generals and university rectors.

The secularists see the garment as a threat to the country's strict separation of state and religion. Opinion polls show a majority of Turks back an easing of the ban in a country where about two-thirds of all women cover their heads. Face coverings such as the Afghan-style burqa or Middle Eastern-style niqab are relatively rare in secular Turkey, which traditionally follows a moderate brand of Sunni Islam and where segregation of the sexes is very much the exception, not the rule.

NETHERLANDS

The Dutch government is set to retreat from a plan for a general ban on Muslim face veils but stop women wearing them in schools and government offices, media reported on Wednesday.

The cabinet has decided against a broad ban on the burqa or niqab in public as that would violate the principle of freedom of religion, the reports said.

The issue is expected to be discussed by cabinet next week.

The Muslim community says only about 50 women wear the head-to-toe burqa or the niqab, a face veil that conceals everything but the eyes. They said a general ban would heighten alienation among the country's about 1 million Muslims.

The previous centre-right Dutch government proposed a complete ban on face-veils in public, citing security concerns, but the centrist government that took power last year has taken a more conciliatory line on immigration.

FRANCE

France, with Europe's largest Muslim minority, banned headscarves from its state primary and secondary schools in 2004 under a law against conspicuous religious symbols that also included Jewish kippas and large Christian crosses. The government argued that wearing religious garb in state schools violated the legal separation of church and state. Supporters of the law also argued that impressionable young girls were forced to wear headscarves and the ban would help them decide for themselves if they wanted to cover their hair.

Women at university can wear headscarves, since they are adults. Teachers and other civil servants may not wear any religious symbols at work at all.

There were protests and warnings of unrest before the anti- headscarf law was passed, but it went into effect smoothly with very few girls being expelled from school for refusing to take off their headscarves.

BRITAIN

Britain has no official policy on headscarves or veils, but the issue has been hotly disputed. Schools are allowed to set their own dress codes, which have sometimes been challenged by girls unhappy with the rules.

Solicitors and legal advisers have been told they can wear headscarves in court providing they do not interfere with proceedings.

Most observers agree more and more British Muslim woman are wearing veils or headscarves.

In 2006, British politician Jack Straw caused controversy by saying he would rather Muslim women did not wear veils and that he asked those who visited him in his constituency office to remove them.

GERMANY

Policy on face veils and headscarves is a matter for individual states in Germany, not the federal government. The Interior Ministry says there are no plans for any federal laws.

Seven of Germany's 16 states have banned teachers in state schools from wearing Islamic headscarves, a policy which angers Muslim groups who say it discriminates against them.

Hesse's conservative premier Roland Koch -- who is fighting for reelection -- called for a ban on pupils wearing a burqa in schools a few weeks ago. But his idea backfired when he discovered the state had no pupils who wore a burqa.

The majority of Germany's roughly 3.2 million Muslims are of Turkish origin.

BishopAccountability

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The site's goal is to assemble on the Internet a collection of every publicly available document and report on the crisis.

The God Strategy

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

From Library Journal: Religion has always been a part of the political subtext in the United States, but it is now a defining fault line, with Democratic and Republican leaders undertaking partisan use of faith. Domke and Coe, both in communication programs at universities, use texts of presidential speeches and other documents to show how politicians craft text to demonstrate their idea of religious faith. Asserting that the turning point for political religious language started with Ronald Reagan in 1981, the authors analyze and graph the language of faith and God of presidents from the 1932 election of Franklin D. Roosevelt to the beginnings of the 2008 presidential race. Their findings are part of the "God strategy" in which the nation is invoked, set apart, renewed, and sanctified with God's blessings in speeches.

ReligionDispatches

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

"Critical analysis for the common good": Religion Dispatches is a daily online magazine dedicated to the analysis and understanding of religious forces in the world today, highlighting a diversity of progressive voices and aimed at broadening and advancing the public conversation.

Sacred Then and Sacred Now

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

An excellent introduction to the traditional Latin Mass for Priests and lay persons who want to know more about the Extraordinary Form of the Mass which is now an official part of the liturgy of the Catholic Church....It is obvious from what Woods says and quotes that the old Mass has made a dramatic comeback in the liturgical life of the Catholic Church and is the wave of the future. -Fr. Kenneth Baker, SJ, Editor, Homiletic & Pastoral Review

You Don't Have to Be Wrong for Me to Be Right

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Grounded in biblical scholarship and interwoven with personal stories, You Don't Have to Be Wrong for Me to Be Right provides a pragmatic path to peace, understanding, and hope that appeals to the common wisdom of all religions.

First Amendment Polls

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Christian views on the entertainment industry from the American Bible Society and Zogby International.

Praying with Lior

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The winner of numerous Audience Awards for Best Documentary, Praying with Lior asks whether someone with Down syndrome can be a "spiritual genius." Many believe Lior is close to God -- at least that's what his family and community believe - though he's also a burden, a best friend, an inspiration and an embarrassment, depending on who is asked and when. As this moving and entertaining documentary moves to its climax, Lior must pass through the gateway to manhood - his Bar Mitzvah.

Online from Asia

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Crumm writes: "Traveling in Asia this month, the vibrancy of new media is nearly overwhelming. I traveled with a small group of senior U.S. journalists from Taiwan to Thailand to Singapore, inlcuding a 4-day Asian-Pacific media conference in Bangkok where we served as speakers as well as careful listeners, sharing with more than 150 participants from 23 countries. The most striking discovery was all of the exciting new ways that professionals here are using newspapers, magazines, books and emerging Web projects to explore a whole host of issues - including fascinating new approaches to spirituality and religious diversity." The five-day series includes a host of resources.

Godtube.com's candidate poll

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Godtube.com was recently featured on CNN's "The Situation Room" as one of the new outlets being used by presidential candidates this year. Along with a way for candidates to get their messages out and address the issues, it is also being used to poll Christians on the internet about what they think is important and who they want to support in the upcoming election.

Apocalypse 2012

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

From B&N: Don't look now, but it's almost over: According to science consultant Lawrence E. Joseph, Planet Earth is cruising towards a bruising. Citing a convergence of ancient calculations, prophecies, and cutting-edge scientific theories, he pinpoints a global disaster date that's right around the corner. Author Joseph isn't the only one who is worried: NASA scientists, seismologists, volcanologists, paleontologists, geologists, meteorologists, and astronomers are also quaking in their boots. And those Mayan shamans are none too confident about our prospects, either. So our advice is, buy this book and run for the hills.

New Statesman's God Issue

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Is the Divine dead? In this special issue, we weigh up the evidence. Andrew Marr opens by revealing the roots of Britain's deep-seated distrust of fanaticism.

Mormon Archipelago: Gateway to the Bloggernacle

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Mormon Archipelago (ldsblogs.org) is a gateway to the Bloggernacle, the popular community of Mormon-themed blogs.

It is designed to be a useful real-time guide to the best Mormon blogs. Recent posts from these blogs are aggregated and divided into separate groups (of "islands") that make it easier to keep the most recent content available.

The Mormon Archipelago (MA) began as a small grouping of blogs and expanded to feature this portal. The MA is not a comprehensive listing of every Mormon blog nor is it the only portal into the Bloggernacle.

US Conference of Catholic Bishops - Office for Film and Broadcasting

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The Office for Film and Broadcasting is responsible for reviewing and rating theatrical motion pictures, previewing and evaluating television programming as well as providing the Catholic public with information about the role of the entertainment and news media in influencing societal and personal values.

Young Nuns

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

In the latest figures for 2006, there were just over 945,000 monks and nuns, down about 7,000 from the year before. The overwhelming majority, 753,000, about 80 percent, were women. Around the U.S. the number of nuns has also been going down, and their average age rising. But there are a few places where the reverse is true.

Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion (DoSER) facilitates communication between scientific and religious communities. The program builds on AAAS's long-standing commitment to relate scientific knowledge and technological development to the purposes and concerns of society at large.

The Panda's Thumb Blog

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

From the About page: "The Panda's Thumb" is many things. First, it is an example of jury-rigged evolutionary adaptation made famous by the late Stephen Jay Gould in an essay of the same name. Second, it is the legendary virtual bar serving the community of the legendary virtual University of Ediacara somewhere in the Ediacaran hills of southern Australia, growing out of the lore of the Usenet talk.origins newsgroup. And now it is a weblog giving another voice for the defenders of the integrity of science, the patrons of "The Panda's Thumb".

Busted Halo

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the About page: We live in an age filled with seekers in their twenties and thirties who are desperately trying to find deeper meaning in their lives but whose journey has little to do with traditional religious institutions. BustedHalo.com believes that the experiences of these pilgrims and the questions they ask are inherently spiritual. Based in wisdom from the Catholic tradition, we believe that the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the people of this age are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of all God's people. Nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. BustedHalo.com strives to reveal this spiritual dimension of our lives through feature stories, reviews, interviews, faith guides, commentaries, audio clips, discussions and connections to retreat, worship and service opportunities that can't be found anywhere else.

National Center for Science Education

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Welcome!
The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) defends the teaching of evolution in public schools. We are a nationally-recognized clearinghouse for information and advice to keep evolution in the science classroom and "scientific creationism" out. NCSE is the only national organization to specialize in this issue. We provide:

Reviews of current anti-evolution activity in the United States and around the world
Background to the fundamentally creationist and anti-evolution movement known as "Intelligent Design"
Detailed information on the Creation/Evolution controversy from 1859 to the present
Resources for parents, teachers, school boards, and the general public
Contact NCSE if you need advice, information, or help in defending the teaching of evolution. We also work to increase public understanding of evolution and of the nature of scientific knowledge.
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Evolution/Creationism News
(From the past 60 days. See News Room for older items).

The second issue of Evolution: Education and Outreach National

The second issue of Evolution: Education and Outreach -- the new journal aspiring to promote accurate understanding and comprehensive teaching of evolutionary theory for a wide audience -- is now available on-line. Featured are original scientific articles on such topics as evolu ...

see full story

Evolution: Education and Outreach 1:2

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March 10, 2008

Pro-science board member wins primary challenge Texas

In the March 4, 2008, primary election, Pat Hardy won the Republican nomination for the District 11 seat on the Texas state board of education, with 59% of the vote. A two-term veteran of the board, Hardy was challenged for the nomination by Barney Maddox, a urologist from Cleburne, Texas, who told the board in 2003 that the state standards were ...

see full story

Associated Press story (via the Dallas Morning News)

WOW Gospel 2008

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Spirituality in Higher Education: A National Study of College Students' Search for Meaning and Purpose

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Spirituality in Higher Education:
A National Study of College Students' Search for Meaning and Purpose

What is the level and intensity of spiritual experiences among today's college students? How are spiritual searching and behavior changing on campus? And what does this mean for higher education institutions and students?

These important questions are being investigated through a multi-year research project that assesses and tracks the spiritual growth of students during their undergraduate college years.

Following a pilot survey conducted in 2003, a comprehensive questionnaire was administered to 112,000 entering freshmen at a nationally representative sample of colleges and universities in Fall 2004. We followed up a subsample of 15,000 of these students in Spring 2007 to chart changes in their spiritual development.

In order to understand the impact of faculty on students' spiritual development, a national survey of 65,000 faculty members from participating universities was also conducted during the 2004-05 academic year.

The study is designed to:

Provide a framework for colleges seeking to expand opportunities for students to explore spirituality;
Bring to light the beliefs, behaviors and attitudes of American college students; and

Stimulate discussion of curricular and other transformations in higher education.

The study is being conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) housed in the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies at UCLA, and made possible through a generous grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

A National Advisory Board is providing general oversight for the entire project, and a Technical Advisory Panel is assisting in the development of the survey instruments.

Eureka Dejavu's Dispatches from a Virtual World

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

"...on our quest to discover ways to create greater understanding between Muslim and non-Muslim cultures through use of virtual worlds, [we] paid a visit to the IslamOnline.net sim to see what we might learn. We more than got what we came for."

Americans Embrace Various Alternatives to a Conventional Church Experience as Being Fully Biblical

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

For decades, American Christians, who comprise more than four of our every five adults, assumed they had one legitimate way to practice their faith: through involvement in a conventional church. But new research shows that this mind set is no longer prevalent in the U.S. The latest Barna study shows that a majority of adults now believe that there are various biblically legitimate alternatives to participation in a conventional church.

Constantine's Sword

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

An xploration of the dark side of Christianity by Oscar-nominated documentarian Oren Jacoby, Constantine's Sword follows acclaimed author and former priest James Carroll on a journey of remembrance and reckoning.

Islam and the Secular State

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

What should be the place of Shari'aIslamic religious lawin predominantly Muslim societies of the world? In this ambitious and topical book, a Muslim scholar and human rights activist envisions a positive and sustainable role for Shari'a, based on a profound rethinking of the relationship between religion and the secular state in all societies.

US Religious Landscapes Survey

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans age 18 and older, this extensive survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life details the religious affiliation of the American public. This online section includes dynamic tools that complement the full report.

God & Hollywood

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

From the transcript: This year's Oscar nominees for best picture portray some complex moral dilemmas: a pregnant teen figuring out what to do; a lawyer in an ethical crisis; a Western saga overwhelmed by evil; a romance doomed by lies; a clash between an oil man and a greedy evangelist. But except for the unsavory clergyman in "There Will Be Blood," and perhaps the title "Atonement," there's little explicit treatment of religion.

In 2004, Mel Gibson's controversial movie "The Passion of the Christ" took in more than half a billion dollars. Film studios began looking for the next big hit to rake in what became known as "the Passion dollars."

Real: The Complete New Testament Biblezine

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The diverse Hip Hop culture has its own music, its own fashion sense, and its own language. Now it also has its own connection to the timeless truths of the New Testament: REAL, the one BibleZine(TM) designed and written especially for this vibrant urban crowd.

Secular Students Alliance

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The mission of the Secular Student Alliance is to organize, unite, educate, and serve students and student communities that promote the ideals of scientific and critical inquiry, democracy, secularism, and human based ethics.

Answers Research Journal

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Cutting-edge creation research. Free. Answers Research Journal (ARJ) is a professional, peer-reviewed technical journal for the publication of interdisciplinary scientific and other relevant research from the perspective of the recent Creation and the global Flood within a biblical framework.

U.S. Religious Landscape Survey 2008

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Main Main Affiliations Maps Portraits Comparisons Reports
Welcome to the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey
Based on interviews with more than 35,000 Americans age 18 and older, this extensive survey by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life details the religious affiliation of the American public. This online section includes dynamic tools that complement the full report. View Full Report. For a video overview and related material, go to the resource page.

Obama Religion Question

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

With major primaries coming up this week (March 4), Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama have been competing for faith-based voters. But for Obama, this was a week of new religious controversy on several fronts.

Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Mission Statement: The resurgence of religion and, with it, religious and cultural intolerance and conflict are emerging as powerful forces in the new century. In order to address this unexpected and rapidly changing situation, the Institute for Religion, Culture and Public Life will bring together scholars and students in religion, cultural anthropology, history, political science, economics, social psychology and other allied fields to sustain multi-disciplinary analysis, reflection and response to historical and contemporary issues that are of great significance. The Institute will also engage political and economic figures and policy practitioners, as well as religious and cultural leaders, in its programs. The scope of the Institute will encompass a broad range of phenomena, but will also focus on questions relating to the role of difference, identity, and practice within larger national and international contexts. While seeking to understand the bases of conflict and unrest, it will examine traditions, practices and historical examples that demonstrate the potential for understanding, tolerance and ecumenical values within religious traditions, as well as patterns of social institutions that may facilitate coexistence and mutual support. By taking an expansive rather than a restricted view of religious thought and practice, the Institute will recast the traditional opposition between the secular and the religious in ways that promote innovative approaches to familiar problems.

The Poverty and Justice Bible

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Description from the site: Almost every page of the Bible speaks of God's heart for the poor. His concern for the marginalised. His compassion for the oppressed. His call for justice. The Poverty and Justice Bible megaphones his voice as never before. Using the clear Contemporary English Version (CEV) text, it highlights more than 2,000 verses that spell out God's attitude to poverty and justice.

Politics and the Pulpit

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

During every election cycle, many religious congregations find themselves wondering what role, if any, they can play in the political process. Can a minister, rabbi, imam or other member of the clergy endorse a candidate from the pulpit or speak on political issues of interest to voters? Is a church or other house of worship legally permitted to register voters or distribute voter guides? Answers to these and many other questions are contained here.

Most Americans believe in sin, but differ widely on just what it is

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Study results released today from Ellison Research (Phoenix, Arizona) show the vast majority of Americans (87%) believe in the concept of sin. "Sin" was defined in the research as "something that is almost always considered wrong, particularly from a religious or moral perspective."

How Jesus Became Christian

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

"Jesus was thoroughly Jewish. Mary, his mother, was Jewish and Judaism was the religion he practiced throughout his life. Jesus' teachings focused on the important Jewish issues of the dayBut, what happened? How did Jesus the Jew become a Gentile Christ?"

So begins Barrie Wilson in How Jesus Became Christian where Wilson confronts one of the simplest questions of religious history and yet one that anyone rarely thinks about: How did a young, well-respected rabbi become the head of a cult that bears his name, espouses a philosophy that he wouldn't wholly understand and possesses a clear streak of anti-Semitism that has sparked hatred against the generations of Jews who followed him?

Who Speaks for Islam

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Amazon description: In a post-9/11 world, many Americans conflate the mainstream Muslim majority with the beliefs and actions of an extremist minority. But what do the world's Muslims think about the West, or about democracy, or about extremism itself? Who Speaks for Islam? spotlights this silenced majority. The book is the product of a mammoth six-year study in which the Gallup Organization conducted tens of thousands of hour-long, face-to-face interviews with residents of more than 35 predominantly Muslim nations urban and rural, young and old, men and women, educated and illiterate. It asks the questions everyone is curious about: Why is the Muslim world so anti-American? Who are the extremists? Is democracy something Muslims really want? What do Muslim women want? The answers to these and other pertinent, provocative questions are provided not by experts, extremists, or talking heads, but by empirical evidence the voices of a billion Muslims.

God's Troublemakers

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Library Journal description: After interviewing 11 women making a difference in their communities through the founding of relief organizations, Presbyterian minister Henderson (executive VP, Auburn Theological Seminary, New York), herself a "social entrepreneur," wrote this book to recognize their efforts and inspire others. The 11 women profiled are from all walks of life, religious backgrounds, and beliefs.

Virgin: The Untouched History

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Barnes & Noble synopsis: Why has an indefinable state of being commanded the attention and fascination of the human race since the dawn of time? In Virgin, Hanne Blank brings us a revolutionary, rich and entertaining survey of an astonishing untouched history.

From the simple task of determining what constitutes its loss to why it matters to us in the first place, Blank gets to the heart of why we even care about it in the first place. She tackles the reality of what we do and don't know about virginity and provides a sweeping tour of virgins in historyfrom virgin martyrs to Queen Elizabeth to billboards in downtown Baltimore telling young women it's not a "dirty word." Virgin proves, as well, how utterly contemporary the topic isthe butt of innumerable jokes, center of spiritual mysteries, locus of teenage angst, popular genre for pornography and nucleus around which the world's most powerful government has created an unprecedented abstinence policy. In this fascinating work, Hanne Blank shows for the first time why this is, and why everything we think we know about virginity is wrong.

Fundamentalism

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Barnes & Noble synopsis: The new edition of Steve Bruce's Fundamentalism grapples with the combination of social strains and religious ideas that have produced an explosion of fundamentalist activity in the wake of 9/11.

In a direct and punchy style, the new edition of his book investigates what lies behind the actions of Al-Qaeda, suicide bombings and the 'war against terror', and also gets to grips with the continuing rise of the Christian Right in the USA. It offers new insights into the Protestant fundamentalism of the American political right-wing, looking at the influence issues such as abortion, gay rights and 'intelligent design' have had on US foreign policy and domestic politics.

Founding Faith

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Publishers Weekly review: Starred Review. Various American evangelicals have claimed the founding fathers as believing and practicing Protestants who intended America to be a Christian nation. Secularists, on the other hand, see in the same historical record evidence that the founders were often Deists at best. Both views are grossly oversimplified, argues Waldman, cofounder and editor-in-chief of Beliefnet.com. In this engaging, well-researched study, Waldman focuses on the five founding fathers who had the most influence on religion's role in the stateFranklin, Jefferson, Washington, Adams and Madisonand untangles their complex legacy. They were certainly diverse in religiosity, with Jefferson a self-diagnosed heretic, for instance, and Washington a churchgoing Anglican who was silent on points of doctrine and refrained from taking communion. All, however, were committed to the creation of religious freedom in the new nation. Waldman deserves kudos for systematically debunking popular myths: America was not primarily settled by people seeking religious freedom; the separation of church and state did not result from the activism of secularists, but, paradoxically, from the efforts of 18th-century evangelicals; and the American Revolution was as much a reaction against European theocracy as a struggle for economic or political freedom. Waldman produces a thoughtful and remarkably balanced account of religion in early America.

American Association for the Advancement of Science

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Institute on Religion in an Age of Science

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the Mission Statement: IRAS is a non-denominational, independent society with three purposes:

to promote creative efforts leading to the formulation, in the light of contemporary knowledge, of effective doctrines and practices for human welfare;
to formulate dynamic and positive relationships between the concepts developed by science and the goals and hopes of humanity expressed through religion;
to state human values and contemporary knowledge in such universal and valid terms that they may be understood by all peoples, whatever their cultural background and experience, and provide a basis for world-wide cooperation.

American Scientific Affiliation

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the "About" page: The American Scientific Affiliation (ASA) is a fellowship of men and women of science and disciplines that can relate to science who share a common fidelity to the Word of God and a commitment to integrity in the practice of science. ASA was founded in 1941 and has grown significantly since that time. The stated purpose of the ASA is "to investigate any area relating Christian faith and science" and "to make known the results of such investigations for comment and criticism by the Christian community and by the scientific community."

FaithFilm

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

"The resource for Christians in the film industry": includes directories, trailers, news, articles, and links.

National Study of Youth and Religion

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the site's description: The purpose of the NSYR is to research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of American youth; to identify effective practices in the religious, moral, and social formation of the lives of youth; to describe the extent and perceived effectiveness of the programs and opportunities that religious communities are offering to their youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about the influence of religion in youth's lives, in order to encourage sustained reflection about and rethinking of our cultural and institutional practices with regard to youth and religion.

Venice Summer School on Science & Religion

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti hosts a select group of scholars for annual week-long schools investigating themes in science and religion. The School's BuildingThe school promotes science-and-religion scholarship of the highest quality.

The Venice School on Science and Religion intends to be a key venue for expanding and deepening the scholarship of promising graduate students and young scholars, while also guiding established scholars interested in contributing to some of the most important interdisciplinary conversations of our time.

Theos Think Tank

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Theos is a public theology think tank which exists to undertake research and provide commentary on social and political arrangements. It aims to impact public opinion about the role of Christianity in society.

Music, Morocco & the Sacred

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In this special Link TV presentation, director Stephen Olsson is joined by Charles Gibbs, Executive Director of the United Religions Initiative, to talk about the power of sacred music in this sneak preview of his film Sound of the Soul and series Global Spirit.

Pope Watch

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

News and notes on Benedict XVI's visit to America

A "one-stop-shopping" guide to Pope Benedict's U.S. visit

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This week's column is intended as a "one-stop-shopping" guide to the April 15-20 visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States, a useful overview not just of the highlights of the pope's schedule, but also the trip's background and context.

Sundays in America

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Book description from Amazon: When Pope John Paul II died, Suzanne Strempek Shea, who had turned away from the Catholic Church of her childhood, recognized in his mourners a faith-filled passion that she wanted to recapture. She set out on a yearlong to visit a different church every Sunday for a yeara journey that would take her through the broad spectrum of contemporary Christianity lived in this country, from her New England home to the West Coast, the Deep South, the Midwest, and even to Hawaii.

More in an NPR interview.

The Beauty Behind the Mask

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

While research shows that millions of Americans are daily Bible readers - let's all be honest for a moment, shall we? The Bible isn't the first thing that most Americans reach for when they want a gripping "good read" on a business trip or for those final moments before falling asleep at night. John Grisham-style thrillers are our cultural mainstays when we really want to lose ourselves in a book, right?

That's tragic, because some of the world's greatest literature is right there in the Bible. That's why countless literary lights down through the centuries from Shakespeare to J.R.R. Tolkien have echoed the Bible - and it's why billions of men and women around the world consider it sacred to this day.

Smith spent a long time studying this problem and, in his book, he summarizes the long history of Bible complication and division.

Public Pulpits

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From Martin Marty: "Tipton's rich, revelatory study of conflict and crisis in the United Methodist Church at the heart of mainline Protestantism enables us to grasp the place of churches in the American polis, and judge their political moves and moral advocacy, as no nonpartisan has done to date. With a gift for finding the issues behind the issues, this book brings into full focus the churches' seething struggles. All the way from the Cold War through the culture wars to the war in Iraq, it shows how alive these struggles have come to be for the faithful on every side, and how fateful for our society."

The Open Road

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: This is a brilliant pairing of writer and subject. Iyer has known the Dalai Lama, spiritual and political leader of Tibet, for more than 30 years, thanks to a long-ago connection between the writer's father, an Oxford don born in India, and a young Dalai Lama. And so the acute global observer Iyer, a travel writer, essayist and novelist, has long followed the fortunes of the astute globalist Tibetan Buddhist, who travels the world but can never go home to his Chinese-occupied country. This is not a biography but an extended journalistic analysis of someone deep enough for several lifetimes, as Tibetan Buddhists believe. Iyer organizes his observations by smart descriptions of aspects of the Dalai Lama's work and character: icon, monk, philosopher, politician. This allows him to plumb different sides of His Holiness, whom he demythologizes even as he expresses a clear-eyed respect for the leader's achievements. Iyer reminds readers of paradoxes: the Dalai Lama is highly empirical, yet holds beliefs such as reincarnation that defy observation. He is a public figure who is diligent about elaborate and private religious practices. Like its subject, the aim of this book is ultimately simple: behold the man.

History of Religion Map

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

How has the geography of religion evolved over the centuries, and where has it sparked wars? Our map gives us a brief history of the world's most well-known religions: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Judaism. Selected periods of inter-religious bloodshed are also highlighted. Want to see 5,000 years of religion in 90 seconds? Ready, Set, Go!

Religion Not New to American Politics

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Divisive preachers are nothing new in the annals of American politics. From time to time, they have upended presidential contests and bedeviled presidents. Two examples come to mind in tandem with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Barack Obama's longtime mentor.

They are the Rev. Samuel Burchard (1812-1891), whose slur "Rum, Romanism and Rebellion," uttered two weeks before the 1884 presidential election, likely cost the Republicans the presidency, and Charles Coughlin (1891-1979), a Catholic priest and anti-Semite whose weekly radio broadcasts reached tens of millions of Americans in the 1930s.

In 1884, many people, including James Blaine, the Republican candidate, attributed his defeat to Burchard's alliterative rant against the Democrats. Blaine was present at the rally, and he never disavowed the New York Protestant clergyman's insulting phrase.

"Rum" meant the "wets," who opposed prohibition and who recoiled from government-imposed moral codes. "Romanism" meant Catholics, who immigrated in large numbers, particularly from Ireland. "Rebellion" meant Democratic sympathy for the Confederate cause, still an issue at a time when Civil War wounds had yet to heal.

From 1860 to 1912, the Republicans held a virtual lock on the White House. It appeared that Blaine a former House speaker, a senator from Maine, a two-time secretary of state and the dominant GOP figure of the period would extend the party's streak.

Moreover, many newly enfranchised Irish voters were inclined to support Blaine, whose mother was an Irish Catholic. That changed, however, after Burchard hurled his smear. By a mere 1,000 votes, Blaine lost New York and the election to New York Gov. Grover Cleveland. (Sex was also a campaign issue: Cleveland had scandalously fathered a child out of wedlock.)

With a tweak or two, Mark Wahlgren Summers' study of the Cleveland-Blaine contest, "Rum, Romanism and Rebellion: The Making of a President, 1884," published in 2000, could illuminate today's opinion pages.

Summers observed: "If in the making of the president, 1884 shows political managers in a new way, coping with grass-roots democracy at its most persnickety and issues raised by those that the political system shortchanged or excluded women and blacks especially it has a more disturbing message about Gilded Age politics. For Americans in general, the election demonstrated how far from democratic the political rules had made representative government."

Fast-forward 54 years to a political rally in the Bronx, where another preacher, Father Coughlin, gave the Nazi salute and said: "When we get through with the Jews in America, they'll think the treatment they received in Germany was nothing."

At the time, Jewish homes in Germany were being looted and synagogues were being burned. In 1938, Coughlin's supporters marched down New York's Fifth Avenue by the thousands in protest of an asylum bill pending in Congress that would have let more refugees seeking to escape Nazi persecution into the country. "Send Jews back where they came from in leaky boats!" they chanted.

Earlier in the decade, Coughlin had broken with President Franklin D. Roosevelt, whom Coughlin now denounced as a tool of Wall Street and the Jews. FDR, concerned over Coughlin's role in the 1940 presidential race, dispatched Joseph Kennedy, the father of a future president, to Rome to meet with Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII, in an effort to get the Vatican to shut Coughlin down.

Known as the Father of Hate Radio, Coughlin stressed political and economic rather than religious themes. With upward of 40 million devoted listeners, he held real power to skew elections, had not the advent of World War II curbed his influence.

Coughlin finally went off the air in 1940, after an FBI raid found a weapons cache at his Michigan lair, known as the Christian Front. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover said the Front was planning to murder Jews, communists and "a dozen congressmen."

Although many prominent Catholics criticized Coughlin, he was never defrocked for his hate mongering and political campaigning, and continued to churn out his virulent screeds until his death.

Souled Out: Reclaiming Faith & Politics after the Religious Right

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600

The Middle East and the American Elections

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

53% - American Muslims

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Only about a third (32%) of Buddhists in the United States are Asian; a majority (53%) are white, and in sharp contrast to Islam and Hinduism, Buddhism in the America is primarily made up of native-born adherents, whites and converts.

After Obama's Speech

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Senator Barack Obama this week gave what many are calling the most important speech on race in America since Martin Luther King, Jr. Obama made the speech after weeks of controversy surrounding remarks made over the years by his longtime pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright Jr. Here, an assortment of reactions.

A New Calling

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0500

On a dark Sunday morning in a slumbering Ellicott City neighborhood, Bhaskar Sastry, freelance Hindu priest, drove down a private drive toward his 6 a.m. assignment. A stone-front colonial came into view, its porch light revealing a large family waiting in the drizzle, parkas over their vibrant silk saris and kurta pajamas. It was move-in day, but they could not proceed without Sastry.

Soon Sastry, 44, was cracking a white pumpkin on the stoop and chanting prayers to a Hindu goddess, his deep voice piercing the pre-dawn silence. Once inside, he sat cross-legged on the floor and adorned an altar with fruits and flowers. He lit a fire in a roasting pan -- modest enough to abide by fire codes -- and led mantras beseeching deities to ward off evil and bless the new home.

It was just another day in the life of Sastry -- and, increasingly, in the wildly diverse Washington suburbs, where in some places Hindu rituals seem as ordinary as cookouts and kickball.

As the region's Indian population swells, so soars the demand for Hindu ceremonies -- baby-naming services, engagements, blessings for new cars -- that are traditionally performed outside the many priest-staffed temples that dot the area. So, for eight years, Sastry has kept busy as one of the region's few freelance Hindu priests. He navigates suburbs where Indians have bought houses, bringing ancient Hindu rites to modern American landscapes.

"Driving, driving, driving. Our work, a little bit difficult. Driving, a little bit tiring," Sastry said as he steered his sky-blue BMW -- license plate PRIEST-B -- around the Capital Beltway from his Ashburn home to the Ellicott City housewarming, a ceremony considered most auspicious if performed before sunrise. "But this is a respected thing," he said.

Freelance priests are bountiful in India, but just seven serve one of the Washington region's largest ethnic communities. Census data from 2006 indicate that 105,000 Indians live in the area, about 60 percent of whom are immigrants; most have settled in Fairfax, Loudoun, Montgomery and Howard counties. To those who regularly call upon them, Sastry and his counterparts become trusted family priests, akin to family doctors or accountants.

Unlike the traveling preachers of the American frontier, Sastry does not proselytize. The affable priest is booked -- months in advance -- purely for his expertise in the elaborate ceremonies and Sanskrit mantras he studied in his native India. Sastry calls his work "community service." His clients say it is crucial in a nation where second-generation immigrants have little interest in Hindu religious careers.

"He knows it in and out and can guide us," said Lakshminarayana Peri, 37, a software engineer who was a guest on a recent Saturday at a prayer ceremony, or puja, at a townhouse in Stone Ridge, a Loudoun subdivision. As he spoke, Sastry's recitations resonated from a nearby room. "He takes the time."

The hosts were Perraju and Laxmi Vadrevu, who book Sastry every few months. On this night, they were holding an all-occasion rite said to bring prosperity and fulfillment. The ceremony marked the upcoming birthday of their son, Aditya, and their second year in the house.

There were no freelance priests in the region when the Vadrevus arrived 12 years ago, so the couple would conduct ceremonies using recordings of chants brought from India. That involved frequent hits of the "pause" button, making for a functional but "less fulfilling" experience, Laxmi Vadrevu said. Sastry, whom they call a friend, changed that.

"He has the best voice," said Laxmi Vadrevu, 35. "It's perfect."

"Some priests will do the prayer like a business. If you do puja like a business, you cannot impress the gods," said Perraju Vadrevu, 44. "Sastry is really a good guy."

Aditya, 13, said it is "pretty fun having the puja," although he confessed that during a long ceremony, he sometimes steps out to play video games.

For two hours, the Vadrevus sat before the altar as Sastry chanted, cracked coconuts and bathed a statue of a deity in a mixture of milk, yogurt, honey, sugar and ghee (clarified butter). Three dozen relatives and guests, most of whom were also Sastry's clients, filed in and out.

Sastry, whose first language is Telugu, grew up in a village in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, the youngest of 13 children born into a long line of priests. Starting at age 11, he spent eight years learning the vedas, or sacred Hindu texts, eight hours a day. He worked at a temple in New Delhi until a Lanham temple recruited him in 1995. It was "software time," Sastry said, and Indian technology workers were pouring into the Washington region.

By 2000, temple priests could not keep up with the demand for off-site rituals and weddings. So Sastry and a colleague, Venkatrama Sastrigal, struck out on their own to become the region's first freelance priests. Clients find them by word of mouth or on their Web site, http://www.vedicpriest.com. Sastry performs about 25 ceremonies a month, which he schedules after consulting astrological charts for auspicious dates.

Some elements of ceremonies must be adapted to the surroundings. In the United States, unlike in India, it is fairly impossible to get a cow to lead through the home during a housewarming ritual. Mango leaves are rare, so bitter leaves take their place on altars. Keeping in mind the wood frames of American houses, Sastry starts small fires in pans of sand.

"From Home Depot," he said in Ellicott City, explaining where he buys the sand. "Very easy!"

Sastry declined to discuss his fees, saying the payment is up to the devotees. Clients said they typically pay $150 to $200 for a ritual of a few hours. They also pay his expenses, including mileage -- "IRS rate," he said, chuckling. It is enough for a tidy townhouse and a yearly vacation with his wife and two sons, 11-year-old Vignesh and 8-year-old Pavan. Last year, they hit Disney World.

"Money is not important. Only that kids go the good road, the good way. That's it," said Sastry, who plans to apply for U.S. citizenship next year.

When not working, Sastry spends time saying prayers before an altar fashioned out of his kitchen pantry, its shelves holding fresh flowers, golden lamps and framed pictures of deities. He helps with housework, picks up staples at Costco and ferries the boys to school and tae kwon do.

"He's an Indian priest," Vignesh said of his father one evening after demonstrating the Indian drumming he and his brother study. He shrugged. "Most of my friends know that. They don't really care."

When the Ellicott City housewarming ended at 9:30 a.m., there was no time to chat. Sastry had a 10:30 a.m. ceremony and another ritual in the evening, both in Fairfax County.

He pulled on his red raincoat, accepted a zip-locked bag of fried Indian snacks and headed for the car.

Zipping south on Interstate 95, he fielded calls from clients on his cellphone.

"Good traveling," Sastry said, once the calls were over. "Good puja."

COMM499 Religion, Media and Hollywood: Guest Speaker Nancy Miller

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0600

COMM499 Religion, Media and Hollywood: Guest Speaker Barbara Hall

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

COMM499 Religion, Media and Hollywood: Guest Speaker David Milch

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

New Light from Biblical Scholarship

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A review of recent books on Biblical scholarship, all in one location!

From the article author: The authors of the books discussed in this year's survey are senior scholars who have distinguished themselves through many years of teaching and lecturing, original contributions to biblical research and proven ability to communicate their learning to the general public. Their recent publications offer reliable and accessible points of entry to important areas within the biblical field.

A Portrait of American Catholics on the Eve of Pope Benedict's Visit to the U.S.

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

When Pope Benedict XVI arrives in the United States on April 15, he will find a Catholic Church that is undergoing rapid ethnic and demographic changes, and whose flock is quite diverse both in their religious practices and levels of commitment, as well as in their social and political views. And, as this portrait of American Catholics underscores, the pontiff will also find a church that again is likely to play a key role in the outcome of a U.S. presidential election.

On Eve of Visit, Pope Benedict Still Unknown to Many Americans

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Two weeks before his first visit to the United States as spiritual leader of the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict XVI continues to be viewed favorably by a majority (52%) of Americans, which is virtually unchanged from August 2007 (50%). However, the pope remains unfamiliar to a relatively large number of Americans: Three-in-ten say they do not know enough about Pope Benedict to offer an opinion, which also has not changed much since last summer (32%). Read more survey results here.

Pluralism Project at Harvard University

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the site's Mission page: The Pluralism Project: World Religions in America is a decade-long research project, with current funding from the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, to engage students in studying the new religious diversity in the United States. We will explore particularly the communities and religious traditions of Asia and the Middle East that have become woven into the religious fabric of the United States in the past twenty-five years.

Center for Integral Science

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the site's About section: The objects studied by integral science are not limited to physical objects, but include the more subtle objects at deeper levels of being as well. Since a more profound and comprehensive revelation of truth comes from a more complete openness, the approach of integral science includes cultivation of both wisdom and compassion.

National Study of Youth and Religion

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The purpose of the NSYR is to research the shape and influence of religion and spirituality in the lives of American youth; to identify effective practices in the religious, moral, and social formation of the lives of youth; to describe the extent and perceived effectiveness of the programs and opportunities that religious communities are offering to their youth; and to foster an informed national discussion about the influence of religion in youth's lives, in order to encourage sustained reflection about and rethinking of our cultural and institutional practices with regard to youth and religion.

Born Again Christians Just As Likely to Divorce As Are Non-Christians

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Recent legislation, lawsuits and public demonstrations over the legality of gay marriage are just one battlefront regarding the institution of marriage. A new study released by The Barna Group, of Ventura, California, shows that the likelihood of married adults getting divorced is identical among born again Christians and those who are not born again. The study also cited attitudinal data showing that most Americans reject the notion that divorce is a sin.

Euthanasia: A Continent Divided

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Europe is deeply split over how it treats its terminally ill. The divisions were exposed on one day in March, when Belgian writer Hugo Claus ended his life under medical supervision in Antwerp and French former teacher Chantal Sebire died at home, having lost a legal battle to choose her time of dying.

Here, the BBC News website shows the patchwork of different laws in force across Europe.

Muslim true/false

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Winning hearts and minds -- the Bush administration, foreign policy wonks, even the U.S. military agree that this is the key to any victory over global terrorism. Yet our public diplomacy program has made little progress on improving America's image. Few seem to recognize that American ignorance of Islam and Muslims has been the fatal flaw.

How much do Americans know about the views and beliefs of Muslims around the world? According to polls, not much.

Faith & Ethics

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Faith is just getting out of bed every day. Ethics is everything you do after that. To help on the journey, the Ottawa Citizen's Faith and Ethics web site offers thoughtful examinations on what it means to be human: Is the devil real? Do Muslims really have more regard for Mary than modern Christians? Is kosher slaughter ethical? And why is it so hard to find a little peace and quiet these days?

The Dhamma Brothers

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Dhamma Brothers documents the extraordinary convergence of an overcrowded, understaffed maximum-security prison -- considered the end of the line in the Alabama correctional system -- and an ancient meditation program. East meets West in the Deep South.

Heeb Magazine's Hollywood Issue (#16)

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Heeb magazine was brewed in Brooklyn in 2001 as a take-no-prisoners zine for the plugged-in and preached-out. Covering arts, culture and politics in a voice all its own, Heeb has become a multi-media magnet to the young, urban and influential.

Religion and Law International Document Database

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

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Our Database contains thousands of documents relevant to issues of Law and Religion from around the globe. If information is not found in our database you may submit it to us here so that it will be available to others who visit.
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From here you may access documents from a specific country, region, or international organization. If information is not found in our database you may submit it to us here so that it will be available to others who visit.
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Find current news and information regarding issues of Law and Religion, as well as links to related websites worldwide.
View our International Document Library
View other documents and resources related to the study of religion and law including European Court cases and international law.

The RJ&L Religious Liberty Archive

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Religious Liberty Archive is an extensive repository of valuable information and a useful resource for anyone seeking information about state and federal laws pertaining to religious freedom in the United States. View other Religious Liberty cases, commentaries, federal statutes, state constitutions, and important historical materials relevant to religious freedom in the United States.

Download RJ&L's newsletter, The First Freedom, for insightful articles on recent developments in church-state law.

Army Chaplain Boot Camp

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

They've already been ordained in their own faith traditions, but the Army recognizes more than a hundred religious groups within its ranks, and it wants its chaplains alert to the potential dangers of evangelizing -- and even religious discrimination. Saul Gonzalez reports from Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

Holy Fire

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This film was shot over three years within one square kilometer of the old city of Jerusalem, as it moves from a Jewish holiday to a Muslim holiday, stopping off to celebrate with the Christians. Folded surreptitiously within each of these holidays is the inner truth of each religion. All these holidays are managed by a secular, police officer of the Old City, who attempts to navigate between the needs of all the religions, and finds himself in the role of nanny in one of the most complex and sensitive places in the world. By way of an impressive control center, into which pictures from 350 cameras in every street and alley are transmitted, police can be seen dispersing a Muslim demonstration after prayers; Muslim children in a playground, practicing throwing stones; an orthodox Jew aspiring to rebuild The Temple, prays defiantly at the Temple Mount despite it being prohibited, and the power struggles between the Greek and Armenian Patriarchs.

The Religious Freedom Page

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

America's founders believed religious freedom to be the "first liberty." The content of this site is concerned with issues of religious freedom in the U.S. and around the world. Whether you seek information about religious freedom in a particular nation, or are interested in theoretical and historical issues, you will find significant resources to help you pursue your inquiry.

Religion Databases

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Berkley Center databases are resources for students, scholars, citizens and policymakers eager to know more about how religion plays out in culture, society, and politics -- in the United States and around the world. The fruit of collaboration between Georgetown students and faculty, the databases allow users to compare and contrast key events, organizations, and statements across religious traditions, topic areas, and geographic regions.

Grand Theft Jesus

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A passionate and often hilarious wake-up call to Christians to reject the "Right Reverends" who have stolen Jesus from Christianity and replaced His true message with "ChristianityLite," an easy, feel-good scheme that promises salvation without sacrifice.

"We're mad as Heaven, and we're not going to take it anymore!" declares historian Robert McElvaine in this passionate and often hilarious rallying cry for sincere Jesus Followers. He lets the rest of society know that the extreme right wing won't be allowed to speak for all Christians any longer. His whip-smart, take-no-prisoners polemic lays bare the Christian Right's "Easy Jesus" creed, in which people who claim to accept Jesus get a free pass to lie in his name. Grand Theft Jesus exposes the televangelists and the leaders of megachurches as the people Jesus warned us aboutthe wolves in sheep's clothing of our day.

The religion that McElvaine calls ChristianityLite resembles schemes that promise "Lose weight without diet or exercise!" Its leaders say, "Be saved without sacrifice or good works!" Run by a crew of politicians, megachurch preachers, televangelists, hypocrites, and snake-oil salesmen, it has hijacked true Christianity and distorted it into something Jesus wouldn't recognize. Its leaders have taken the generous and loving ideals of Christ and twisted them into a religion that advocates war and intolerance, values money above charity, preaches hatred instead of brotherhood, and promises "true" believers the keys to the gates of the kingdom of Godand to the bank vault.

Jesus' radical message of love and peace has been drowned out by the bluster, the hate, and the selfishness that often passes for Christianity in America. McElvaine names names in his list of "Leading Lites" who have earned spots on Jesus' Ten Most Unwanted List and exposes the hypocritical (Ted Haggard), the disgraceful (Pat Robertson), and the shocking (Ann Coulter). Grand Theft Jesus blends outrage and humor in a compelling argument that will help to resurrect the real Jesus, who has been crucified and interred by the "Right Reverends" who recite the Apostles' Greed, are pro-choice on wars of choice, and preach the Greater Gory of Christ.

Pope Bendict's Foreign Policy

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

DEBORAH POTTER, guest anchor: Benedict XVI heads to the U.S. this coming week (April 15-20) for his first visit here since being elected pope three years ago. He'll be spending a total of five days in Washington, D.C. and New York. The Vatican released a video message from Benedict urging Americans to pray for the trip:

Pope BENEDICT XVI: I am very much looking forward to being with you. I want you to know that, even if my itinerary is short, with just a few engagements, my heart is close to all of you, especially to the sick, the weak and the lonely.

Benedict arrives in Washington Tuesday (April 15). The next day, he'll have a private meeting with President Bush at the White House, where the war in Iraq is expected to be high on the agenda. On Friday (April 18), Benedict travels to New York, where he will address the United Nations General Assembly. The UN event was his original reason for coming to the US, and many experts believe that speech could be the most important of his trip. Kim Lawton takes a look at the unique role the pope and the Vatican play on the world stage.

KIM LAWTON: Soviet leader Josef Stalin was once questioned about the influence of the Vatican. Stalin is famously said to have replied, "The pope? How many divisions has he got?" The answer, as it turns out, is more than Stalin and many others might have guessed. Experts say the pope and the Vatican wield considerable global influence.

JAMES NICHOLSON: (Former U.S. Ambassador): They don't have economic engines they have to feed. They don't have armies. They don't have land. The Vatican is only 106 acres. It's the smallest nation-state in the world, but it is a huge moral, spiritual superpower.

LAWTON: As the Bishop of Rome, Pope Benedict XVI is the spiritual head of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide. But he also wears another hat: head of state for the independent territory of Vatican City and the Catholic Church's government, called the Holy See.

Professor J. PETER PHAM (Director of the Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs, James Madison University): It's the tension between those two roles that actually gives him a resilience on the international stage, that he doesn't just speak for a geopolitical unit but also for a demographic within the world.

Professor J. Peter Pham
LAWTON: The Holy See has played an active global role for centuries. It has permanent observer status at the United Nations and has all the rights of full UN membership except voting. The Holy See has formal diplomatic relations with 177 countries around the world, including the US. Ambassadors, called apostolic nuncios, represent the Holy See from embassies like this one in Washington, DC. The US has sent an ambassador to the Holy See since 1984. The current U.S. ambassador at the Vatican is Harvard law professor Mary Ann Glendon, who took up her post in February. James Nicholson held the position from 2001 to 2005.

Mr. NICHOLSON: I always said I practiced moral diplomacy.

LAWTON: During the more than 25 years of his pontificate, John Paul II dramatically raised the profile of the papacy on the international level and played a key role on many fronts, such as helping to bring down communism in Eastern Europe. Throughout his extensive travels, he was a vigorous global voice for freedom, human rights, peace, the alleviation of poverty, and fostering what he called "a culture of life." Benedict has continued that advocacy, which experts say reflects foundational Catholic beliefs.

Reverend THOMAS REESE, S.J. (Senior Fellow, Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University): We have a moral obligation. Jesus told us to feed the hungry, care for the sick. These are things that are -- impact international relations. It's not just about economics and power. It's about moral and ethical issues.

LAWTON: The policy goals may be the same, but times have changed since John Paul became pope.

Rev. REESE: We don't have the Soviet Union anymore. What we have is the problem, problems in the Middle East, which is where Pope Benedict has been directing his attention.

Reverend Thomas Reese SJ
LAWTON: The personalities have also changed.

Prof. PHAM: Whereas John Paul, if you look at the entire pontificate, was very much outwardly oriented toward the Church and the world, I think Benedict is inwardly focused -- that in order to engage the world Benedict's view is the Church has to be stronger from within.

Mr. NICHOLSON: Benedict is more cerebral, no question, more professorial. If he wasn't being pope he would probably be a professor.

LAWTON: Some analysts believe that academic impulse has created a foreign relations challenge.

Rev. REESE: Benedict has had some problems on the world stage, because I think sometimes he thinks he's still in a classroom where he can use words that have technical meanings that he has defined and that students are supposed to understand and know. But when he says them on the world stage, people take them at their street level meaning, and as a result there's misunderstanding.

LAWTON: The most obvious example was his 2006 speech at the University of Regensburg in Germany, where he quoted a 14th-century emperor who criticized the Prophet Muhammad and accused Muslims of spreading their faith by the sword.

Rev. REESE: He spoke about Islam as being irrational. Well, what he meant was that it's a religion based on faith, where faith is much more important than reason, you know. He wasn't saying that Muslims are irrational, you know, but that's the way it was heard.

LAWTON: The speech set off violent protests in several Muslim nations, a vivid demonstration of the impact a pope's words can have. The Vatican issued a clarification, and during a visit to Turkey Benedict made a high profile visit to a mosque.

Prof. PHAM: On one hand, a great deal of setback in dialogue certainly occurred. On the other hand, after the initial setback a number of moderate Muslim scholars actually wrote to the pope, 138 of them, and said, "Well, we have some differences clearly, but now that they're highlighted maybe we should engage in a dialogue," and so a process of dialogue has begun.

LAWTON: But Benedict again generated controversy in the Islamic world on the Saturday before Easter, when he baptized a prominent Muslim journalist at a service in St. Peter's Basilica.

Prof. PHAM: It could have occurred anywhere. The parish priest could've done it very quietly, discreetly. But I think the pope chose to do it himself and highlight it to emphasize the principle of religious freedom. Religious freedom cuts both ways. It's not just freedom to practice one's faith, but also freedom to change it.

LAWTON: The Iraq war has been another foreign policy challenge, beginning with John Paul's papacy. John Paul strongly opposed the U.S. invasion.

Mr. NICHOLSON: He saw Iraq differently, there was no question about that, and spoke in January of '03 saying no to war -- a real challenge for me as the interlocutor between the president and our government and him and his government.

James Nicholson
LAWTON: Benedict also opposed the invasion and has sharply criticized its humanitarian consequences, especially for Iraq's minority Christian community.

Prof. PHAM: Christians are leaving Iraq in huge numbers. This is a community that's been there since the time of the apostles, and so I think Benedict's concern now is the survival of Christianity in this ancient land and the fate of those Christians who are now refugees.

LAWTON: Other foreign policy priorities for Benedict include pushing for peace in the Holy Land and decrying rising secularism in Europe. On another diplomatic front, even though Benedict has criticized human rights abuses in China, he's also been quietly working to establish relations, something that was not possible during the last papacy largely because of John Paul's role in the fall of communism in Poland.

Rev. REESE: The Chinese obviously didn't want John Paul II running around China doing the same thing. Pope Benedict is not that kind of a threat to China, so I think they're more comfortable in working out some kind of an arrangement.

LAWTON: Most of the time in places around the world, Vatican diplomats work outside the spotlight, where experts say they often have an advantage.

Prof. PHAM: They're also there as religious representatives of the pope and therefore have close contacts with the local church, and the local church is often, in many countries, the closest to the people, and so their sources of information are often much better than that of, say, an embassy of a large Western country where for security reasons most of the diplomats are essentially living in a fortress.

LAWTON: Some question how much government leaders of today truly listen to what the pope has to say.

Mr. NICHOLSON: The pope will also say that we're in an era of what he calls the "dictatorship of relativism," and that indicates that there will be too many people, probably in his view and in mine, that won't listen. But many will.

Prof. PHAM: Even if diplomats reject the Holy See's position, which they often do on a number of issues, at least it gets them thinking that perhaps they will look to their own faith traditions or perhaps they'll look to their own ethical systems, that there is another calculus involved other than the strict material calculus of power, security, and influence.

LAWTON: And that, observers say, is a moral authority that can't be measured by economic strength or military divisions -- a moral authority Benedict hopes to draw upon when meeting with US officials and speaking before the United Nations.

I'm Kim Lawton in Washington.

Religion Compass

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

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Prior Convictions

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

"A wise man adheres not to his religion, because it was that of his ancestors," a smooth-tongued mullah says to a tongue-tied American in Royall Tyler's 1797 novel "The Algerine Captive." The American, a luckless New Englander named Updike Underhill, had been sold into slavery among Muslims after Barbary pirates captured the ship on which he served as a surgeon. At the hands of his captors, he had been whipped, beaten, and bastinadoedthe soles of his feet caned to pulpand he had borne it all. The terms of his terrible bondage: he will be freed only if he converts to Islam. Stoic, and secure in his Calvinism, Underhill agrees to a debate.

Tyler, a Vermont lawyer, found inspiration for "The Algerine Captive" in an American foreign-policy quagmire. In 1783, when the Peace of Paris ended the Revolutionary War, American seamen lost the protection of Britain's treaties with the so-called Barbary States: Algiers, Tripoli, Morocco, and Tunisia. Over the next decade, more than seven hundred American sailors were captured and held as slaves in North Africa. When Congress was slow to respond, the public rallied, raising money to pay for the captives' ransom, and giving con men the idea for a new ruse known, in the trade, as the Algerian Prisoner Fraud. In 1794, the American novelist, playwright, and actress Susanna Rowson starred in a benefit performance in Philadelphia of her play "Slaves in Algiers." American emissaries finally secured the release of the prisoners in 1796. "The Algerine Captive," published the following year, wasn't a fund-raiser; it was a polemic about religious freedom. Royall Tyler had something to say about the liberty of conscience: Faith answers to reason.

Underhill's debate with the mullah lasts five days. "Our religion was disseminated in peace; yours was promulgated by the sword," Underhill insists. This the mullah contradicts: "The history of the Christian church is a detail of bloody massacre." But Christianity must be the one true religion, Underhill counters, else how had so much of the world been so persuaded by the teachings of a few fishermen, so quickly? "If you argue from the astonishing spread of your faith," the mullah answers, remember that "Mahomet was an illiterate camel driver," born nearly six centuries after Christ, and yet his faith had spread through Arabia, Asia, and Africa and a great part of Europe: "In a word, view the world."

Above all, the mullah, himself a convert, asserts that Underhill, who had inherited his faith, had never examined it. "Born in New England, my friend, you are a christian purified by Calvin," he observes. "Born in the Campania of Rome, you had been a papist. Nursed by the Hindoos, you would have entered the pagoda with reverence, and worshipped the soul of your ancestor in a duck. Educated on the bank of the Wolga, the Delai Lama had been your god. In China, you would have worshipped Tien, and perfumed Confucius, as you bowed in adoration . . . of your ancestors."

You won't read about this debate in a crop of new books on religious liberty and the founding of America, an omission that can't be charged to Royall Tyler's obscurity. He wasn't always obscure. He was a prolific and talented satirist, and "The Algerine Captive" was popular enough that it was reprinted in England, becoming only the second American novel to achieve that distinction. It's overlooked for lots of reasons, not least among them that Royall Tyler, however distinguished, wasn't a Founding Father, but also because novels don't make law.

On the subject of religious liberty in America, there are four indispensable, foundational texts: Jefferson's 1786 statute ("Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry"); Madison's 1785 "Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments" ("The Religion of every man must be left to the conviction and conscience of every man"); Article VI of the Constitution ("No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States"); and the First Amendment ("Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"). These are at once statements of political philosophy and legal documents; philosophers argue about them within a specific intellectual tradition, and legal scholars read them to trace precedent. Martha Nussbaum takes both of these approaches in "Liberty of Conscience: In Defense of America's Tradition of Religious Equality" (Basic; $28.95). But because these documents long ago rose to the status of American scripture, another way to read them is to conduct an exegesis, which is more or less what Garry Wills does in "Head and Heart: American Christianities" (Penguin; $29.95). Politicians tend to use them genealogically, naming their authors as forebears or, as the case may be, glaringly omitting them. ("My faith is the faith of my fathers," Mitt Romney declared in a speech last December, skipping over Jefferson and Madison in favor of Brigham Young, John and Samuel Adams, and the seventeenth-century Puritan dissenter Roger Williams.) The legal, the exegetical, the genealogicaleach centers on the Founding Fathers: What did they intend? What did they mean? What would they make of us?

"History is after all only a pack of tricks we play on the dead," Voltaire once quipped. The Founding Fathers had their own pack of tricks: they turned their backs on the past. If they had meekly inherited the faith of their fathers, they would have written a constitution establishing Christianity as the national religion. They did not. Nearly every American colony was settled with an established religion; Connecticut's 1639 founding document explained that the whole purpose of government was "to mayntayne and presearve the liberty and purity of the gospell of our Lord Jesus." In the century and a half between that charter and the 1787 meeting of the Constitutional Convention lies an entire revolution, not just a political revolution but also a religious revolution, as Frank Lambert, a historian at Purdue, argued in his 2003 study, "The Founding Fathers and the Place of Religion in America." Far from establishing a religion, the Constitution doesn't even mention God. At a time when all but two states required religious tests for office, the Constitution prohibited them. At a time when most states still had an official religion, the Bill of Rights forbade the federal government from establishing one.

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights were controversial when they were written and they've been controversial ever since, but Article VI and what is known as the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment have been controversial in the last half century because of the Supreme Court's 1947 decision in Everson v. Board of Education, which reaffirmed the Fourteenth Amendment's extension (or "incorporation") of the Establishment Clause to the states and, citing both Jefferson's Virginia Statute and Madison's Remonstrance, interpreted the Establishment Clause to mean that the Framers intended there to be a "wall of separation" between church and state: "Neither a state nor the Federal Government can set up a church. Neither can pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions or prefer one religion to another."

The debate that ensued has not been confined to the courts, as Lambert illustrates in his new book, "Religion in American Politics: A Short History" (Princeton; $24.95). Any serious challenge to Everson requires an alternative explanation of those four foundational texts, an explanation usually supported by other writings of Jefferson and Madison, the records of the Constitutional Convention and the papers of its delegates, and the records of the state ratifying conventions and of the first Congress. Opponents of Everson have argued that the Founders were Christians. "Any diligent student of American history finds that our great nation was founded by godly men upon godly principles to be a Christian nation," Jerry Falwell insisted in 1980. The Founders never meant to drive religion from "the public square," some insist. Mitt Romney used his reading of history to accuse modern-day secularists, "at odds with the nation's founders," of having taken the doctrine of separation of church and state "well beyond its original meaning" by seeking "to remove from the public domain any acknowledgement of God." Against this argument stand scholars like Isaac Kramnick and R. Laurence Moore, whose 1996 "The Godless Constitution: A Moral Defense of the Secular State" was republished in 2005, with an added chapter on George W. Bush's first Presidential term. Whether the mail should be sorted on Sundays, whether "In God We Trust" belongs on our coins, whether the Pledge of Allegiance should include "under God," whether our children should pray at school, whether we can have crèches on town commons at Christmas, everyone wants to know: What would the Founders do?

It's a question Thomas Jefferson found ridiculous. In 1816, when he was seventy-three and many of his revolutionary generation had already died, he offered this answer: "This they would say themselves, were they to rise from the dead. . . . Laws and institutions must go hand in hand with the progress of the human mind." The Founders believed that to defer without examination to what your forefathers believed was to become a slave to the tyranny of the past. Jefferson put it this way: "Some men look at constitutions with sanctimonious reverence, and deem them like the arc of the covenant, too sacred to be touched. They ascribe to the men of the preceding age a wisdom more than human."

Treating the Founders like saints has made for some pretty wacky books, none more so than the 1987 "Faith of Our Founding Fathers," by Tim LaHaye, an Evangelical minister who went on to co-write a series of bestselling apocalyptic novels. LaHaye attempted to chronicle the "Rape of History" by "history revisionists" who had erased from American school text-books the "evangelical Protestants who founded this nation." Documenting this claim is no mean feat, not least because even those members of the Constitutional Convention who called themselves Christian lived in a decidedly irreligious and anti-clerical age, the most secular age in American history, both before and since, as Garry Wills observes in "Head and Heart" (a book that is both a close reading of founding texts and a sprawling history of Christianity in the United States). Most of the Founding Fathers were deists, although not all of them were as skeptical as Jefferson, who crafted a custom copy of the Bible by cutting out everything but the words of Jesus. LaHaye, to support his argument, took out his own pair of scissors, deciding, for instance, that Jefferson doesn't count as a Founding Father, because he "had nothing to do with the founding of our nation," and basing his claims about Franklin not on evidence (because, as he writes, "there is no evidence that Franklin ever became a Christian") but on the bald, raising-the-Founders-from-the-dead assertion "Many modern secularizers try to claim Franklin as one of their own. I am confident, however, that Franklin would not identify with them were he alive today."

Wills and Nussbaum counter these claims. Wills argues that the history of religion in America is the history of a productive tension between the head and the heart, between enlightenment (which he counts as a religion) and Evangelicalism, a balance kept in check by the separation of church and state. Nussbaum, in a careful, nuanced, and compelling analysis, identifies religious equality as the crucial American tradition. Two more new books by members of the "religious left" adopt a more strictly biographical approach. "So Help Me God: The Founding Fathers and the First Great Battle Over Church and State" (Harcourt; $28), by Forrest Church, the minister of All Souls Church in Manhattan, considers the first five Presidents: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, and Monroe. "Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America" (Random House; $26), by Steven Waldman, the editor of the Web site Beliefnet, chronicles the "spiritual journeys" of the first four Presidents and one more Founder, lopping off Monroe in favor of Franklin.

It's probably impossible to discover precisely what the Founders believed about God, Jesus, sin, the Bible, churches, and Hell. They changed their minds and gave different accounts to different people: Franklin said one thing to his sister Jane, and another thing to David Hume; Washington was a vestryman at his church, but, as he lay slowly dying, he never called for a clergyman. This can make them look like hypocrites, but that's unfair. They approached religion in more or less the same way they approached everything else that interested them: Franklin invented his own; Washington proved diplomatic; Adams grumbled about it; Jefferson could not stop tinkering with it; and Madison defended, as a natural right, the free exercise of it.

Waldman, Church, Nussbaum, and Wills have written very different booksWills and Nussbaum range both farther and deeperbut each, striving for evenhandedness, wants to save us from the errors of partisans and zealots. "The culture wars have so warped our sense of history that we typically have a very limited understanding of how we came to have religious liberty," Waldman writes. They also generally agree about the source of the myths that plague us: "the cherry-picking of Founding Father quotes to prove almost anything," as Waldman puts it. "Champions on both sides," Church writes, "will claim the words and actions of the founders as proof texts for the righteousness of their moral, political, and religious agendas."

The four books achieve a kind of consensus in four related lines of argument. First, the United States was founded neither as a Christian nation nor as a secular one. Second, by the standards of Evangelicals of both their day and ours, Franklin, Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison were not Christians; they wrestled, often profoundly, with religious questions, but, as Church points out, "they all doubted the divinity of Christ." Third, the disestablishment of religion is itself responsible for Americans' unusual religiosity, which (these writers all believe) is something to celebrate. Fourth, notwithstanding the Founders' own remarkable secularism, the liberation of religion from government as much as the reverse was their aim. "The separation of church and state has greatly benefited religion, as Madison and Jefferson predicted that it would," Wills writes. Nussbaum argues that because "the separation of church and state is, fundamentally, about equality, about the idea that no religion will be set up as the religion of our nation," in the end "separation is also about protecting religion." Waldman writes, "Madison, I suspect, would . . . be delighted by surveys showing that, compared with most developed nations, Americans believe in God more, pray more, and attend worship services more frequently."

Because this debate is an argument about how the Supreme Court should interpret the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, people who enter it begin their investigation with the Founders; quite often, they end it there, too. Somewhere along the way, they almost always fall to wondering what James Madison would make of the latest Gallup polls or whether Benjamin Franklin would get along with Christopher Hitchens. That's how this debate works; that's the pack of tricks this history plays on the past. The problem is that constitutional jurisprudence, however essential it is to the rule of law, will always tend to produce a history in which the entire eighteenth century is reduced to the intellectual lives of a handful of men. And, because our tradition of constitutional jurisprudence is so important, that history can be all the history most Americans get. Needless to say, it's a history that leaves out a lotnot least, every other American who ever spread, advanced, or challenged the idea of religious liberty: people like printers turning out newspapers, mothers rearing children, pastors preaching to small towns, and, even, now obscure novelists. Maybe it's time for another pack of tricks.

Royall Tyler was not a Founding Father. He was a prodigal son. But he spoke and wrote about religious liberty all his lifefrom the pulpit, from the bench, and from his desk. Some scholars argue that the idea of a "wall of separation" between church and state wasn't built until the eighteen-thirties and forties; Tyler was dead by then, but he seems to have thought that wall had been built at the Constitutional Convention. Nor was Tyler's life a battle between reason and faith, head and heart. Early and easily, he reconciled his Enlightenment rationalism with his Episcopal faith, although his convictions about both may have been tried during a dissipated youth plagued with disappointments. (His reputation as a rake was not without foundation.) In 1782, when Tyler was twenty-five, he courted John Adams's daughter. Abigail was charmed. "I am not acquainted with any young Gentleman whose attainments in literature are equal to his," she wrote to her husband. "I am not looking out for a Poet," Adams wrote back. The courtship was quietly ended.

Tyler made more of himself than Adams predicted. In 1787, his comedy "The Contrast" was performed in New York while delegates to the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia. Overnight, Tyler became a literary celebrity. But in an age when no one wanted a poet for a son-in-law he had to earn his keep as a lawyer. He set up practice in Vermont: "If writing for the public is attended with no more profit, I had rather file legal process in my attorney's office, and endeavor to explain unintelligible law to Green Mountain jurors."

Tyler often wished he had chosen the ministry instead of the law, but he was sure that his sinfulness would have been a blot upon the church. (What he meant by his sinfulness is suggested by his 1793 "The Origin of Evil," a shockingly blasphemous poem about the Garden of Eden.) In Vermont, where ministers were few and far between, he often served as a lay preacher. (After recovering from the Adams fiasco, Tyler married, happily; he and his wife had eleven children, and four of their seven surviving sons became clergymen.) In a sermon that he delivered on Christmas Day, 1793, he offered this prayer: "It is our Blessed Saviour who has caused His day spring of religious liberty from on high to visit us and that we may now worship every man according to the dictates of his own conscience."

Apparently, Tyler agreed with Madison that to establish a Christian religion would be "to foster in those who still reject it, a suspicion that its friends are too conscious of its fallacies to trust it to its own merits." In "The Algerine Captive," Updike Underhill's faith, far from being weakened, is strengthened by his trials. He refuses to convert, even at the cost of his freedom. Nevertheless, one reviewer complained that "in the dialogue with the Mollah, the author too feebly defends that religion which he professes to revere." Tyler was blindsided by this charge. Invoking Islam to argue for religious liberty was an eighteenth-century commonplace, practiced by writers as different as Johnson, Montesquieu, and Voltaire. "The Author was prepared to meet severe criticism on his style," Tyler later wrote, "but certainly he never imagined it was objectionable on the score of infidelity, or even skepticism. The part objected to, as far as the Author recollects, was written with a view to do away with the vulgar prejudices against Islamism." Tyler used Islam as an object lesson in the importance of religious tolerance and the dangers of theocracy. Underhill is both fascinated by and sympathetic to Islam. Even before travelling to Mecca and Medina, he concludes, "I cannot help noticing it as extraordinary, that the Mahometan should abominate the christian on account of his faith, and the christian detest the Mussulman for his creed; when the koran of the former acknowledges the divinity of the christian Messias, and the bible of the latter commands us to love our enemies." Above all, Tyler used Islam to argue that faith, all faith, must answer to reason. In his view, this was Islam's great failing: that every Muslim is "tenaciously attached to his own creed, makes his faith a principle in life, and never suffers doubt to disturb, or reason to overthrow it."

Yet Tyler made his mullah both generous and broad-minded. After weeping for Underhill, a man he can see only as an infidel, the mullah becomes his fast friend and, eventually, helps him escape. The actual end of Algerine captivity was more complicated, but it, too, depended on eighteenth-century ideas about religious tolerance. In June of 1797, just three months before Tyler's novel was published, the American captives in North Africa were freed by the Treaty of Tripoli, signed by President John Adams. The treaty's Article 11, an assurance that the United States would not engage in a vengeful holy war, read, "As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian Religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

In 1801, Tyler was elected to Vermont's supreme court. (He subsequently served as chief justice.) In a case brought before his bench the following year, he rejected as legally invalid an out-of-state bill of sale for a slave. (In 1791, Vermont had been the first state to adopt a constitution prohibiting slavery.) "Would your honor be pleased to tell us what would be sufficient evidence of my client's ownership of this man?" the lawyer asked the judge. "Oh certainly," Tyler answered wryly. A bill of sale "from the Almighty."

In 1817, galled by the debate in Connecticut, a state still clinging to an established religion, Tyler prepared for publication a treatise titled "The Touchstone; or a Humble Modest Inquiry Into the Nature of Religious Intolerance." Here, again, he argued, "A State Religion always has, and ever will be intolerant."

Toward the end of his life, Tyler began an autobiography. He addressed it to a reader two centuries in the future, in the year 2025: "I cannot but fancy that some profound antiquary of your superexcellent age, while groping among the rubbish of time, may from some kennel of oblivion fish up my poor book." We would make of it, he was certain, at once too much and too little. It would be as if only his left shoe had made it down to the twenty-first century, "to be gathered as an invaluable treasure into the museum of the Antiquarian." Some historians, "after vainly essaying to fit it to the right foot, would gravely declare that the anatomy of their ancestors' pedestals differed from those of their day." But just because we've only found the one shoe doesn't mean eighteenth-century Americans had two left feet. Having fished up his book, what should we, in our superexcellent age, make of it? Tyler conjured a future reader who smiles at

The sprawling letters, yellow text,

The formal phrase, the bald stiff style . . .

And in the margin gravely notes

A thousand meanings never meant. ♦

Grand Theft Jesus

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

"Robert McElvaine reveals with startling clarity that much of the religious establishment in America has become like the religious establishment that betrayed Jesus: lusting for dollars and fame, obsessed with dubious doctrines and emotional slogans, all the while showing little of the concern for the poor or the oppressed that Jesus commanded. He powerfully argues that Christians must reverse the decline of their faith by re-embracing the biblical witness of Jesus in the gospels and actively rejecting the cheap grace being peddled in his name. Grand Theft Jesus is at times funny, at times infuriating, but always on target. It should be read by everyone who proclaims the name of Jesus." Dr. Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., author of The Politics of Jesus

Pope Benedict's Foreign Policy

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

On Friday (April 18), Benedict travels to New York, where he will address the United Nations General Assembly. The UN event was his original reason for coming to the US, and many experts believe that speech could be the most important of his trip. Kim Lawton takes a look at the unique role the pope and the Vatican play on the world stage.

The Fall of an Evangelical Nation: The Surprising Crisis Inside the Church

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Diana Butler Bass, author of Christianity for the Rest of Us
"With careful analysis, Wicker reveals the spiritual downturn in the Religious Right, how it has lost its hold over contemporary America and what hope that offers the rest of us."

Spencer Burke, Creator of TheOOZE.com and Author of "A Heretic's Guide To Eternity"
"Finally a book that brings it all together, statistics and stories, devastating truth and compassionate hope, investigative reporting and home-spun wisdom. Christine Wicker holds up a mirror for the "Institutional Church" and reveals the nip-and-tuck tricks that have fooled us for the last few decades."

KidSpirit Magazine

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the site description: KidSpirit Magazine is a unique, unaffiliated spiritual magazine written by and for 11 to 15 year olds. Our goal is to foster dialogue and understanding among kids of diverse backgrounds and traditions about values, spirituality and life's big questions. Free of advertising, KidSpirit empowers today's youth to explore deep issues and mankind's search for meaning in a spirit of openness.

Bill Moyers Journal

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Bill Moyers talks with Martha Nussbaum, the Ernst Freund Distinguished Service Professor of Law and Ethics at University of Chicago, about church and state, and her newest book, Liberty of Conscience: In Defense of America's Tradition of Religious Equality.

The 'Evidence for Belief': An Interview with Francis Collins

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Is there an inherent conflict between science and religious belief? Some scientists, including famed evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, argue that an understanding of the natural world logically leads to atheism. But for Francis Collins, head of the Human Genome Project and an evangelical Christian, scientific knowledge complements rather than contradicts belief in God. In his 2006 bestselling book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, Collins argues that advances in science present "an opportunity for worship," rather than a catalyst for doubt. Recently, the Pew Forum interviewed Dr. Collins about his views on science and religion.

Featuring:
Francis Collins, Director, National Human Genome Research Institute

Interviewer:
David Masci, Senior Research Fellow, Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

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You write in your book, The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, that God can be worshipped in a cathedral or in a laboratory. Elaborate a little bit, if you will, on that statement.

If you see God as the creator of the universe -- in all of its amazing complexity, diversity and awesome beauty -- then science, which is, of course, a means of exploring nature, also becomes a means of exploring God's creative abilities. And so, for me, as a scientist who is also a religious believer, research activities that look like science can also be thought of as opportunities to worship.

We have all of these famous stories in our history that pit science against faith -- Galileo's trial before the Inquisition1, the Anglican Church's strong public condemnation of Charles Darwin and the debates that followed the publication of his On the Origin of Species, the Scopes trial2. And they have created this impression that there is an inherent conflict between religion and science. Do you believe there is such an inherent conflict? And if there isn't, why is this impression false?

I don't believe there is an inherent conflict, but I believe that humans, in our imperfect nature, sometimes imagine conflicts where there are none. We see something that threatens our own personal view, and we figure that there must be some reason why that alternative view has to be wrong, or even why it has to be evil.

First of all, let's look carefully at the history of conflicts between science and the church and be sure that those are adequately represented. The story of Galileo is an interesting one. But I think it might be fair to say that Galileo's greatest mistake was being a bit arrogant in the way he presented his own views and insulting the pope who, prior to that, had been fairly sympathetic with Galileo's conclusions. Basically the pope couldn't let Galileo get away with this kind of insult.

Francis Collins
Similarly, I think when On the Origin of Species was published, while there were objections coming from the church, there was also a large segment of the church, including some conservative theologians like Presbyterian Minister Benjamin Warfield, who embraced this new view of how living things were related to each other as a wonderful insight into the method by which God must have carried out creation.

Perhaps today's conflict, which seems particularly intense, is so difficult to understand because, after all, evolution has been very much on the scene for 150 years, and the science that supports Darwin's theory has gotten stronger and stronger over those decades. That evidence is particularly strong today given the ability to study DNA and to see the way in which it undergirds Darwin's theory in a marvelously digital fashion. And yet, we have seen an increasing polarization between the scientific and spiritual worldviews, much of it, I think, driven by those who are threatened by the alternatives and who are unwilling to consider the possibility that there might be harmony here.

Let's talk a little more about the current controversy over evolution. Some Christians will say: "Look, you can't pick and choose the parts of the Holy Scripture that you want to take literally. And so, if you're going to call into question the literalness of some parts, you inherently call into question the literal truth of it all." So how do you, as a scientist and a Christian, respond to that line of reasoning?

It's a good question. And certainly, as a believer, I would be the last one to argue that we can basically dilute and water down the Bible any old way we want to, to make ourselves feel better. That's certainly not a good approach to faith, lest one end up with something that doesn't resemble the great truths of the faith at all. But let's admit that down through the centuries, serious believers -- long before there was any On the Origin of Species to threaten their perspective -- had a great deal of difficulty understanding what some parts of the Old Testament, particularly Genesis, were really all about. The whole area of hermeneutics -- the effort to try to read Scripture in a way that represents, as best one can, what the real meaning was intended to be -- requires more sophistication than simply saying the most literal interpretation of every verse has to be correct.

One can look at Genesis 1-2, for instance, and see that there is not just one but two stories of the creation of humanity, and those stories do not quite agree with each other. That alone ought to be reason enough to argue that the literal interpretation of every verse, in isolation from the rest of the Bible, can't really be correct. Otherwise, the Bible is contradicting itself.

I take great comfort looking back through time, particularly at the writings of Augustine3, who was obsessed by trying to understand Genesis and wrote no less than five books about it. Augustine ultimately concluded that no human being really was going to be able to interpret the meaning of the creation story. Certainly Augustine would have argued that the current ultra-literal interpretations that lead to young earth creationism are not required by the text, and would have warned that such a rigid interpretation, regardless of what other evidence comes to the scene, could potentially be quite dangerous to the faith, in that it would make believers out to be narrow-minded and potentially subject to ridicule. And in a certain way, that warning has come true with the battles we're having right now.

If Augustine, who was one of the most thoughtful, original thinkers about biblical interpretation that we've ever had, was unable to figure out what Genesis meant 1,600 years ago, why should we today insist that we know what it means, particularly when the interpretation chosen contradicts a wide variety of data that God has given us the chance to discover through science.

So what you're saying is that when people use religion or religious texts to explain natural phenomena, especially gaps in our understanding of the natural world, they're asking for trouble?

Absolutely. We have to recognize that our understanding of nature is something that grows decade by decade, century by century. But we're still a long way from understanding the details of much of the universe around us. To focus on a particular area of nature where our understanding remains incomplete and say, well, God must have done something miraculous in that spot, is actually, I think, to make God much too small. If God had a plan for creating a universe that was capable of resulting in creatures with intelligence, free will, the knowledge of right and wrong and the hunger to find God Almighty, I think it would be unfortunate for us to imagine that we can precisely figure out, with our tiny amount of information right now, exactly how God did it.

Despite the evidence presented and accepted by the vast majority of the scientific community that evolution through natural selection is the mechanism by which life developed on earth, an August 2006 poll4 by the Pew Research Center found that only about a quarter of the American public actually accepts evolution through natural selection. Why have scientists not been able to convince the vast majority of the American people on this particular issue?

I think there are at least three problems that have led to the pickle we're in. One is that, by its very nature, evolution is counterintuitive. The idea that a process over hundreds of millions of years could give rise to something as complicated as the vertebrate eye, for example, is not something that seems natural, normal or believable to one who has not worked through the details. That is because our minds are very poor at contemplating something that happened so slowly over such a long period of time. And so, the alternative arguments for supernatural design appeal to a lot of people. That's one problem that has nothing to do with religion; it has to do with the nature of evolution as having occurred in a timeframe that is just not familiar to the human mind and therefore is difficult to accept.

Secondly, we have made, I'm afraid, fairly lousy efforts over the last 150 years in our educational system to convey these concepts in school settings effectively to a large number of people in this country. And so, many people have never really seen the evidence to support evolution. So when you put that together with the natural incredulity one has upon hearing this kind of explanation of the diversity of living things, it's no wonder that those folks don't immediately rush to embrace Darwin.

And the third problem, of course, is that in some faith traditions, evolution seems to be a threat to the idea that God did it. I don't actually see it as a threat at all; I see this as answering the question of how God did it. But certainly, some conservative Christian churches have had trouble embracing that conclusion, as it does seem to contradict a number of their views about how humanity came to be. Thus, people who have natural skepticism about the overall process, who have not had a decent science education to teach them why evolution actually makes sense and who have heard in Sunday school or from the pulpit that this theory is actually a threat to their faith, have a very hard time accepting, even after 150 years, that evolution is true.

How can scientists -- especially scientists who are religious believers, like yourself -- do a better job of reaching out to these people and convincing them that these findings are not a threat to their faith?

That's a very difficult challenge. And I don't think we should underestimate just how threatening it is to someone who has been raised in a creationist environment to give that up. They have heard many times since they first came to church as a child that the creationist view is part and parcel of belief in God. And, they've been told, if you even for a moment begin to allow the possibility that evolution is true, you are on a certain path toward loss of your faith and probably worse, eternal damnation. So we have to recognize that in that circumstance, a simple logical argument and presentation of the data is not going to be sufficient in one sitting to change somebody's mind. And in fact, there will be strong resistance to even looking closely at that information because of the fear of what it might lead to.

I also think that those of us who are interested in seeking harmony here have to make it clear that the current crowd of seemingly angry atheists, who are using science as part of their argument that faith is irrelevant, do not speak for us. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens do not necessarily represent the consensus of science; 40% of scientists are believers in a personal God5. A lot more are rather uncomfortable about the topic but certainly would not align themselves with a strong atheistic perspective. To the extent that it can be made clear that the assault on faith, which has been pretty shrill in the last couple of years, is coming from a fringe -- a minority -- and is not representative of what most scientists believe, that would help defuse the incendiary rhetoric and perhaps allow a real conversation about creation.

What about people like Richard Dawkins, who is a scientist like yourself, and the arguments that they have made -- not just that they can't find any proof for the existence of God but, quite to the contrary, that they think they find proof for God's non-existence. Have they come up with anything in your view that supports those arguments?

I think strong atheism, of the kind that says, "I know there is no God," suffers from two major logical flaws. And the awareness of those flaws might be reassuring to believers who are somehow afraid that these guys may actually have a point.

The first of those is the idea that anyone could use science at all as a conversation-stopper, as an argument-ender in terms of the question of God. If God has any meaning at all, God is at least in part outside of nature (unless you're a pantheist). Science is limited in that its tools are only appropriate for the exploration of nature. Science can therefore certainly never discount the possibility of something outside of nature. To do so is a category error, basically using the wrong tools to ask the question.

Secondly, I think the logical error that atheists of the strong variety commit is what English writer G.K. Chesterton calls the most daring dogma of the universal negative. I often use a visual analogy to explain this. Suppose you were asked to draw a circle that contains all the information, all the knowledge that exists or ever will exist, inside or outside the universe -- all knowledge. Well, that would be a pretty enormous circle. Now, suppose on that same scale, you were asked to draw what you know at the present time. Even the most assertive person will draw a rather tiny circle. Now, suppose that the knowledge that demonstrates that God exists is outside your little circle today. That seems pretty plausible, doesn't it, considering the relative scale? How then -- given that argument -- would it be reasonable for any person to say, "I know there is no God"? That is clearly going outside of the evidence.

Do you foresee this conflict fading any time soon, or do you think that it will continue at least for the foreseeable future to be a real conflict?

Well, it won't fade quickly. But I'm an optimist. Just as very few people now insist that the sun has to go around the earth in order to fulfill their expectations of what the Bible says, I would like to believe that in a few more decades, this battle will be seen as just as unnecessary and just as readily resolved in favor of saying that evolution is true and God is true. That's basically what I've tried to argue in my book -- that this whole battle has been created by a good deal of misunderstanding and unfortunately has been whipped up by those who occupy extreme positions. Many people are puzzled about this tumult and wish to understand how we might find a happy harmony between these worldviews.

I have a dream -- and this is something that some of us are actually trying to put together -- to bring together leading scientists with open minds, leading theologians with open minds and leading pastors who have a significant influence on their flocks. The goal would be to step back from the current unproductive battle and develop a new theology, a celebration of what God has created and how God did it. I think that's possible. But even such an outcome will not be easily received by those who have dug themselves into hardened positions that do not allow much in the way of dialogue.

We've spent a lot of time talking about evolution because that does seem to be a focal point -- at least in terms of conflicts between some people of faith and science. Do you see any other areas where such a conflict may be coming?

I think evolution is probably the most significant potential area of conflict. But I do think some of the things that are happening in neuroscience may have a parallel. I think, actually, the parallel extends pretty nicely to a response though. Some have argued that spirituality is simply a function of neurotransmitters, and this can now be demonstrated by imaging experiments on the brain. But the fact that the brain has the functional capability to support a spiritual experience, which seems to be the case, does not seem to me in any way to negate the meaning of that spiritual experience.

Again, if spirituality was part of God's plan for us, these remarkable creatures created in God's image -- and by that I mean creatures of mind, I don't think God has a physical body -- then wouldn't God need to have made a plan to have those experiences of spirituality supported anatomically in some way, so that they could be a real possibility for those who were seeking God?

It seems to me that once again, science is doing what science does really well, which is telling us something about how and very little about why. How spiritual experiences are mediated by the various neurons and neurotransmitters is a scientific question. But why they happen in the first place? That's a pretty tough one for science.

This transcript has been edited for clarity, spelling and grammar.
Find more about religion in America and around the world at pewforum.org.

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1The Times of London reports on recent happenings in the relationship between the Vatican and Galileo.

2For more on the Scopes trial and the larger debate over evolution see The Biology Wars: The Religion, Science and Education Controversy.

3More about the writings of Aurelius Augustinus can be found in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/augustine/

4David Masci, An Evolving Debate about Evolution.

5As cited in an Aug.23, 2005 article in the New York Times, "in a much-discussed survey reported in the journal Nature in 1997, 40 percent of biologists, physicists and mathematicians said they believed in God -- and not just a nonspecific transcendental presence but, as the survey put it, a God to whom one may pray "in expectation of receiving an answer."

TheGreenBible.org

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Baptist Center for Ethics has begun warehousing information about the Green Bible. Stay tuned to this page as they add more information in the coming weeks and months!

Get Rapture Ready!

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

What does it mean when a band is judged by how hard they pray rather than how hard they rock? Would Jesus buy "Jesus junk" or wear "witness wear"? What do Christian skate parks, raves, and romance novels say about evangelicalism and America? Daniel Radosh went searching for the answers and reached some surprising conclusions.

Surprised by God

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: In this memoir of her journey from punk-partying atheist teenager to rabbi-in-training (yarmulke and all), Ruttenberg chronicles the awakening and intensification of religious life. The book's breezy style, mixing personal anecdotes with reflection, is balanced by thoughtful narrative about what religion is and what it demands of its adherents. The author weaves in her religious studies training gently, applying occasional references to classical theologians (Kierkegaard and Maimonides), medieval mystics (Teresa of Ávila), and modern thinkers (Thomas Merton and Elliot Dorff) as they illuminate a particular insight or experience.

Modern Witch Magazine

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Modern Witch is a quarterly publication for the pagan community that brings the reader up-to-date information about green technologies, health, life, and family.

Crisis Guide: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

CFR.org, the website of the Council on Foreign Relations is designed to be an online resource for everyone in these turbulent times who wants to learn more about the complex international issues challenging policy-makers and citizens alike. CFR now has an extensive collection of background information on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, including timelines, videos, documents, interviews, and analyses.

Is Islam Dominated by Radicals?

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Since al-Qaida terrorists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, a debate has raged about the nature and leadership of the Muslim faith.

Some characterize Islam as a religion dominated by repressive extremists who justify the use of violence to achieve their objectives. Others maintain that the majority of the world's more than 1 billion Muslims are moderates who reject such radical ideology.

Six experts recently took on the issue in an Oxford-style debate, part of the series Intelligence Squared U.S.

Wrap-up Analysis of Pope's Visit

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Pope Benedict XVI concluded a defining journey to America earlier this week. It was a get-acquainted visit to a land where his predecessor left a long shadow -- and where many adherents have been drifting from the church. Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly provides analysis of how the 81-year-old pontiff fared.

Utica Refugees

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly visits Utica, New York -- one among countless northern industrial cities where industry disappeared. But there's a bit of historical deja vu in Utica. The city is once again a haven for immigrants and many refugees from religious persecution. They are breathing new energy into some old factories and houses of worship.

Religious Liberty in America

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A wide-ranging analysis of the relationship between religion and politics in American public life.

Leveling the Playing Field

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The result of years of collective research and consulting work by Advancing Women Professionals and the Jewish Community (AWP) and Cambridge Leadership Associates (CLA), Leveling the Playing Field is...meant to be a guidebook for those who "believe that gender equity is vital to the health of Jewish communities and want to turn [their] beliefs into productive action."

The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From Leslie H. Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations and former "New York Times" columnist : In Feldman's fascinating intellectual journey through history, Islamic law, and modern politics, you will discover the power of 'justice.' It is both the driving force behind efforts in the Arab world to democratize, constitutionalize, and modernize Islam, and a weapon for the worst kind of abuses and authoritarianism. Feldman's book works through these tensions between theology and power with consummate dispassion and scholarship.

China & the Olympics: Covering Religion & Human Rights

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Sign up now for a free seminar for journalists: China & the Olympics: Covering Religion & Human Rights

All journalists are invited to attend this free seminar on Wed., May 14, 2008, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

WORKSHOP OVERVIEW

Fierce debates about human rights and religious freedom in China are intensifying as the Beijing Olympics draw near. This free seminar will equip journalists to report on these issues during the Olympics and beyond. Whether you are traveling to China or reporting from the U.S., you'll get advice and resources that will help you frame stories, track down sources and add context to your reporting at a time when China's global influence is on the rise.

SPEAKERS

Fenggang Yang is an associate professor of sociology at Purdue University who specializes in religious change in China and its social and political implications.
Carol Hamrin is a research professor at George Mason University and senior associate with the Global China Center in Charlottesville, Va. She specializes in religious rights policy issues in China.
Ming Wan is professor of government and politics and director of the Global Affairs Program at George Mason University. He is the author of Human Rights in Chinese Foreign Relations: Defining and Defending National Interests.
Stephen Angle is associate professor of philosophy at Wesleyan University. He is the author of Human Rights and Chinese Thought: A Cross-Cultural Inquiry and maintains a web page on human rights in China.
Bob Dietz is the Asia Program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, which promotes press freedom worldwide and has published a special report on China and the press for the Olympics.

EVENT DETAILS
Where: The National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Fl., Washington, D.C. 20045
When: Wednesday, May 14, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Cost: FREE! Seminar includes lunch.
Presented by: Religion Newswriters, the association of journalists who cover religion in the mainstream media.
How to register: Call Amy Schiska at 614-891-9001, ext. 3#, or e-mail her at Schiska@RNA.org.
This event was made possible (in part) by a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.

Divine Impulses

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Washington Post "On Faith" video archive

Global Rebellion: Religious Challenges to the Secular State, From Christian Missions to al Qaeda

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Product Description
Why has the turn of the twenty-first century been rocked by a new religious rebellion? From al Qaeda to the Christian militia to insurgents in Iraq, a strident new religious activism has seized the imaginations of political rebels around the world. Building on his groundbreaking 1992 book, The New Cold War? Religious Nationalism Confronts the Secular State, Mark Juergensmeyer here provides an up-to-date road map through this complex new religious terrain. Basing his discussion on interviews with militant activists and case studies of rebellious movements, Juergensmeyer puts a human face on conflicts that have become increasingly abstract. He revises our notions of religious revolution and offers positive proposals for responding to religious activism in ways that will diminish the violence and lead to an accommodation between radical religion and the secular world.

From the Inside Flap
"This is an indispensable book in helping us understand the new world disorder that seems to be overtaking us. Juergensmeyer points out that much of the world neither understands nor finds attractive the idea of a 'secular state.' He helps us see that religious nationalism is a fact of life that will be with us for a long time to come. Deconstructing any simple notion of 'fundamentalism,' he shows us how it is possible to live with religious nationalism constructively without demonizing it. That is a major achievement."--Robert Bellah, coauthor of Habits of the Heart

"For years, Mark Juergensmeyer has served as a kind of Cassandra figure, warning us all about the rise of religious violence, the global reach of religious nationalism, and the challenges posed by new religious identities to the secular nation-state. Now that the world is finally listening, Juergensmeyer remains our best guide in unraveling the complex interplay between religion and politics in the modern world. Global Rebellion once again demonstrates why Juergensmeyer is the foremost authority on the global sociology of religion. This is an awe-inspiring work by arguably the most important thinker on the subject." -Reza Aslan, author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam

About the Author
Mark Juergensmeyer is Professor of Sociology and Director of Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is the winner of the Grawemeyer Award for his book Terror in the Mind of God (UC Press). He is the editor of Global Religions: An Introduction and is also the author of The New Cold War? Religious Nationalism Confronts the Secular State and Gandhi's Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolution, both from UC Press.

Introduction to Islam for Jews

Mon, 05 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the Jewish Publication Society:

Muslim-Jewish relations in the United States, Israel, and Europe are tenuous. Jews and Muslims struggle to understand one another and know little about each other's traditions and beliefs.

Firestone explains the remarkable similarities and profound differences between Judaism and Islam, the complex history of Jihad, the legal and religious positions of Jews in the world of Islam, how various expressions of Islam (Sunni, Shi`a, Sufi, Salafi, etc.) regard Jews, the range of Muslim views about Israel, and much more. He addresses these issues and others with candor and integrity, and he writes with language, symbols, and ideas that make sense to Jews.

Exploring these subjects in today's vexed political climate is a delicate undertaking. Firestone draws on the research and writings of generations of Muslim, Jewish, and other scholars, as well as his own considerable expertise in this field. The book's tone is neither disparaging, apologetic, nor triumphal. Firestone provides many original sources in translation, as well as an appendix of additional key sources in context. Most importantly, this book is readable and reasoned, presenting to readers for the first time the complexity of Islam and its relationship toward Jews and Judaism.

Religion and Progressive Politics in 2008

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A variety of religious voices have been prominent in the 2008 presidential campaign to date, and to the surprise of many observers, these voices include religious activists with liberal and progressive perspectives. They describe a growing movement focused on justice and the common good. Where did this movement come from, and how might it influence this year's election?

Faith in Public Life

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Faith in Public Life envisions a country in which diverse religious voices for justice and the common good consistently impact public policy; and those who use religion as a tool of division and exclusion do not dominate public discourse. Faith in Public Life provides organizing and communications resources to diverse faith leaders and organizations.

Gallup Center for Muslim Studies

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Gallup Center for Muslim Studies is a nonpartisan research center dedicated to providing data-driven analysis, advice, and education on the views of Muslim populations around the world. It will draw upon Gallup's unprecedented global research initiative, the Gallup World Poll and the Gallup Poll of the Muslim World*, to enable global leaders, institutions, and the public to make more informed decisions.

At the heart of its business, the Center for Muslim Studies will make its research available through educational and consulting services, as well as through written publications. Its groundbreaking course based on findings from the Gallup Poll of the Muslim World will examine evidence-based analysis of contemporary trends addressed by the poll of Muslim populations. For the general public, the Center will release highlights from its study by hosting discussion forums and through special reports and articles available on Gallup's Web site or in the mass media.

Core Learnings From the Muslim World

Gallup's Poll of the Muslim World asks Muslims about their beliefs regarding education, religion, democracy, culture, financial prosperity, and the media. Poll findings include insights into what Muslims think the West can do to improve relations with the world's Muslim populations, and what they think Muslims can do to improve relations with the West.

Ordinary Muslims (view PDF) العربية
Islam and Democracy (view PDF) العربية
Muslims and Americans: The Way Forward (view PDF) العربية
Moderate vs. Extremist Views in the Muslim World (view PDF) العربية
Perspectives of Women in the Muslim World (view PDF) العربية
Muslims in Europe

Muslims in Berlin, London, and Paris (view PDF)
Basis for Greater Understanding (view PDF)
Religious and National Identities (view PDF)
Values Questions (view PDF)
London Muslims (view PDF) العربية
Learn more about an intensive course based on the Gallup Poll of the Muslim World.

Learn more about Gallup's collaborative effort with the Coexist Foundation.

Bios

Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director, the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies
John Esposito, Senior Scientist
Richard Burkholder, Director of International Polling
Ahmed Younis, Senior Analyst, Gallup Center for Muslim Studies; Senior Consultant, Gallup
Eric Nielsen, Senior Director, Media Strategies
* Gallup's self-funded Poll of the Muslim World is conducted in 40 predominantly Muslim nations and among significant Muslim populations in the West. It is the first set of unified and scientifically representative views from 1.3 billion Muslims globally, and will provide the basis for the Center's unique analytical perspective.

The Poll of the Muslim World is part of Gallup's larger World Poll, a self-funded effort aimed at consistently measuring the well-being of 6 billion world citizens (a sample representing 95% of the Earth's population) on a wide range of topics for the next 100 years.

Special Report: Israel at 60

Thu, 08 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen looks back at the events of 1Middle East Editor Jeremy Bowen looks back at the events of 1948 when Israel, and the Palestinian refugee problem, came into being.

Emergent's New Christians and the Young and Restless Reformed

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A new movement is attracting a younger generation of Christians, shaking up institutions, denominations, and churches along the way. Not everyone in the movement is attracted to it for the same reasons, but they gather at conferences and online to share thoughts, debate, and learn from the elder statesmen of the group. Now a new book attempts to explain, sympathetically, what's really going on.

Actually, it's two books, and two movements.

Collin Hansen's Young, Restless, Reformed started as a September 2006 Christianity Today article. Now editor-at-large for Christianity Today, Hansen has examined why many young Christians are drawn to Calvinism, whom these new Calvinists are listening to, and what they're passionate about.

Hansen's book begins with a note comparing the relative obscurity of the new Calvinism and the prominence of the emerging church. Among his interviewees was Tony Jones, national coordinator of Emergent Village, and author of the new book The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier.

Jones is the author of several previous books, but The New Christians is more journalistic in its approach, describing the origins of the emerging church, why it's growing, and how it's changing.

The books and movements share a number of themes: reaction against entertainment-driven church life, desire for transcendence, rediscovery of tradition, and a need to answer common misconceptions about the movements. Christianity Today invited Hansen and Jones to read each other's books and discuss how the rise of one movement might illuminate aspects of the rise of the other. Are both movements scratching the same itch? Are there internal tensions in one movement that also appear in the other?

The conversation will continue over several days.

Latest Religious Trends

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Contains useful links and resources concerning a controversial Christian Research poll that can only be found in hard copy.

Christian Involvement in Politics

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Are Americans concerned that at times Christians are too involved in politcs? The majority are not. Download a powerpoint to see the details with additional breakouts of Protestants, conservatives, and others. Also on this site: Do Southern Baptist pastors agree that at times Christians are too involved in politcs? Download a powerpoint to see how SBC pastors compare to American adults, Protestants, conservatives, and others.

Parabola Magazine: GOD Now in Color!

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The summer 2008 "God Issue" contains numerous articles by a variety of authors. Requires a subscription.

The Falun Gong and the Future of China

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Amazon product description: On April 25, 1999, ten thousand Falun Gong practitioners gathered outside Zhongnanhai, the guarded compound where China's highest leaders live and work, in a day-long peaceful protest of police brutality against fellow practitioners in the neighboring city of Tianjin. Stunned and surprised, China's leaders launched a campaign of brutal suppression against the group which continues to this day. This book, written by a leading scholar of the history of this Chinese popular religion, is the first to offer a full explanation of what Falun Gong is and where it came from, placing the group in the broader context of the modern history of Chinese religion as well as the particular context of post-Mao China.

Reinventing the Sacred: A New View of Science, Reason, and Religion

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Amazon product description: Consider the woven integrated complexity of a living cell after 3.8 billion years of evolution. Is it more awe-inspiring to suppose that a transcendent God fashioned the cell, or to consider that the living organism was created by the evolving biosphere? As the eminent complexity theorist Stuart Kauffman explains in this ambitious and groundbreaking new book, people who do not believe in God have largely lost their sense of the sacred and the deep human legitimacy of our inherited spirituality. For those who believe in a Creator God, no science will ever disprove that belief. In Reinventing the Sacred, Kauffman argues that the science of complexity provides a way to move beyond reductionist science to something new: a unified culture where we see God in the creativity of the universe, biosphere, and humanity. Kauffman explains that the ceaseless natural creativity of the world can be a profound source of meaning, wonder, and further grounding of our place in the universe. His theory carries with it a new ethic for an emerging civilization and a reinterpretation of the divine. He asserts that we are impelled by the imperative of life itself to live with faith and courage-and the fact that we do so is indeed sublime. Reinventing the Sacred will change the way we all think about the evolution of humanity, the universe, faith, and reason.

The Great Derangement: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion at the Twilight of the American Empire

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Amazon Product Description: Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi set out to describe the nature of George Bush's America in the post-9/11 era and ended up vomiting demons in an evangelical church in Texas, riding the streets of Baghdad in an American convoy to nowhere, searching for phantom fighter jets in Congress, and falling into the rabbit hole of the 9/11 Truth Movement.

Matt discovered in his travels across the country that the resilient blue state/red state narrative of American politics had become irrelevant. A large and growing chunk of the American population was so turned offor radicalizedby electoral chicanery, a spineless news media, and the increasingly blatant lies from our leaders ("they hate us for our freedom") that they abandoned the political mainstream altogether. They joined what he calls The Great Derangement.

Taibbi tells the story of this new American madness by inserting himself into four defining American subcultures: The Military, where he finds himself mired in the grotesque black comedy of the American occupation of Iraq; The System, where he follows the money-slicked path of legislation in Congress; The Resistance, where he doubles as chief public antagonist and undercover member of the passionately bonkers 9/11 Truth Movement; and The Church, where he infiltrates a politically influential apocalyptic mega-ministry in Texas and enters the lives of its desperate congregants. Together these four interwoven adventures paint a portrait of a nation dangerously out of touch with reality and desperately searching for answers in all the wrong places.

Funny, smart, and a little bit heartbreaking, The Great Derangement is an audaciously reported, sobering, and illuminating portrait of America at the end of the Bush era.

Science & Spirit

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Science & Spirit Magazine, published six times each year, explores the relationship between science and religion in the context of our everyday lives

National Catholic Bioethics Center

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From "About": Today our society faces unprecedented scientific developments that penetrate the very mysteries of life and pose serious ethical challenges to human culture. The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC) was established in 1972 to reflect on these developments and to promote and safeguard the dignity of the human person in health care and the life sciences. The Center is unique among bioethics organizations in that its message derives from the official teaching of the Catholic Church which draws from a moral tradition that acknowledges the unity of faith and reason and builds on the solid foundation of natural law.

The Center's staff consults regularly on life science issues and medical issues with the Vatican, the U.S. bishops and public policy-makers, hospitals and international organizations of all faiths. Vatican agencies which regularly consult with the Center include the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers.

God's Word: Scripture-Tradition-Office

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Amazon Book Description: In this book Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, presents the Word of God as a living reality in the Church. God's Word, according to Ratzinger, is encountered in the Bible, in Tradition, and through the teaching Office of the Bishop, who, through apostolic succession, is to be the servant of and witness to the divine Word. Ratzinger examines as well the relationship between the Episcopacy and the Papacy. He also considers the nature of Apostolic Succession, and he responds to Reformed objections to the Catholic view of the subject. His treatment is sympathetic to the concerns of non-Catholic Christians while remaining faithful to Catholic teaching and practice.

Polling Report: Religion

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

"An independent, nonpartisan resource on trends in American public opinion."

Reason and Religious Belief: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

B&N Synopsis: What is the status of belief in God? Must a rational case be made or can such belief be properly basic? Is it possible to reconcile the concept of a good God with evil and suffering? In light of great differences among religions, can only one religion be true?

The most comprehensive work of its kind, Reason and Religious Belief, now in its fourth edition, explores these and other perennial questions in the philosophy of religion. Drawing from the best in both classical and contemporary discussions, the authors examine religious experience, faith and reason, the divine attributes, arguments for and against the existence of God, divine action (in various forms of theism), Reformed epistemology, religious language, religious diversity, religion and science, and much more.

Black Sun Journal: Religion

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From the site's "About" page: "...to explore the depths and Jungian "shadow side" of human nature and human psychology as they related to political and social events. A central theme was also the almost entirely negative effect of organized religion on the human experience."

Explorers of the Infinite: The Secret Spiritual Lives of Extreme Athletes

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

B&N Synopsis: Real-life psychic, near-death, and paranormal experiences are combined with cutting-edge science and vivid adventure stories in this energetic look at why extreme athletes and mountaineers take the risks that allow them to push the limits of consciousness, and what they encounter there.

In the life-or-death world of extreme adventure sports, there is one thing that athletes often keep quiet about: the "forbidden" territory of paranormal experiences. Ranging from fleeting moments of transcendence to full-blown encounters with ghosts and everything in betweenvisions, near-death experiences, psychic communicationmany extreme athletes have experienced these moments of connection with the beyond, but have been reluctant to talk about them.

In Explorers of the Infinite, award-winning outdoors journalist and lifelong adventure sports devotee Maria Coffey probes the mystical and paranormal experiences of mountaineers, snowboarders, surfers, and more. She reviews cutting-edge science, and consults the history of philosophy and spirituality to answer the question: Could the state of intense "aliveness" that is the allure of extreme sports for so many actually be a route to a connection with the beyond?

Coffey investigates the scientific explanations for mystical phenomena, ranging from simple explanations to theories from consciousness studies and quantum physics, and leaves us wondering where science ends and spirituality begins.

An energetic, you-are-there look at the spiritual lives of extreme athletes, Explorers of the Infinite asks why extreme athletes take the risks that allow them to push the limits of consciousness, what they encounter there, and what we can learn from them.

Women of the Way

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In this groundbreaking work, Sallie Tisdale traces women Buddhist masters and teachers across continents and centuries, drawing upon historical, cultural, and Buddhist records to bring to life these narratives of ancestral Buddhist women.

Gender & Religion Links

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

These links were provided as a resource for students on the University of Newcastle subject GEND202 Religion and Politics in Contemporary Society.

Political Islam in Turkey

Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

B&N Synopsis: For all the attention to radical political Islam, there is little awareness that the democratically elected government of Turkey has an Islamic flavor. This book places within historical context the rise of the Islamic political party now governing Turkey and examines the implications of its rule for that country and its relations with Europe, the United States and the Middle East.

Bill Bright and Campus Crusade for Christ

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From Publishers Weekly: A familiar presence at universities, Campus Crusade for Christ exemplifies for historian Turner the type of nondenominational parachurch organization that has contributed to the surge of evangelicals' political and social influence since the mid-1970s. Bill Bright founded Campus Crusade, focused chiefly on evangelism, at UCLA in 1951; in his 50 years as president he turned it into a worldwide organization. Turner, a professor of American history at the University of South Alabama, uses Bright's story to dig into the early postwar roots of evangelicalism, including its ties to conservatives, anticommunism, use of sales techniques, painful split from fundamentalism, ambivalence towardcharismatic Christians and unresolved tensions with mainstream American culture. Most interesting are the influence of Henrietta Mears, director of Christian education at the First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood, on Bright's generation of evangelicals, and Campus Crusade's counteractivism at Berkeley in the 1960s. By the end of the book, Bright remains an enigma, but Turner's chronological account is a thought-provoking glimpse into the trajectory of modern evangelicalism as it moved toward its current involvement in national politics, opposition to abortion and gay marriage, and explosive growth in developing countries. (Apr.)
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Prince Caspian

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Narnia series continues...

My Father, My Lord

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

A respected rabbi is forced to come to terms with the demands of his faith and the welfare of his own family.

Daughters of Wisdom

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Daughters of Wisdom is an intimate portrait of the nuns of Nangchen, who are receiving unprecedented educational and religious training, and preserving their rich cultural heritage even as they slowly reshape it. Some shy, some outspoken, all committed to the often difficult life they have chosen, the nuns graciously allowed our camera a never-before-seen glimpse into their vibrant spiritual community and insight into their extraordinary lives.

The Baha'i Faith

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Official website of the Baha'i International Community, including link to Baha'i World News Service.

The Legacy of Islamic Anti-Semitism

Fri, 23 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

From a review by Steven T. Katz, Director, Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies, Boston University: "The publication of the present anthology...is a ground breaking event of major scholarly, cultural, and political significance....Everyone interested in Jewish and Islamic history, as well as current events in the Middle East should read this book--and soon."

Surfwise

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Like many American outsider-adventurers, Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz set out to realize a utopian dream. Abandoning a successful medical practice, he sought self-fulfillment by taking up the nomadic life of a surfer. But unlike other American searchers like Thoreau or Kerouac, Paskowitz took his wife and nine children along for the ride, all eleven of them living in a 24 foot camper. Together, they lived a life that would be unfathomable to most, but enviable to anyone who ever relinquished their dreams to a straight job. The Paskowitz Family proved that America may be running out of frontiers, but it hasn't run out of frontiersmen.

Dalai Lama interview

Tue, 27 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In an interview with the Today programme, the Dalai Lama said if western countries feel they can have more influence over China diplomatically, then they should not boycott the Beijing Olympics.

Sex & the Soul

Wed, 28 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

It began in a college course on dating, where students' honest feelings dribbled out about the sexual ethos on campus. Most were quite unhappy with the "hookup culture" the casual sex many felt pressed to participate in but secretly hated. That class at a Roman Catholic college gave birth to a national research project and to this candid, disturbing, yet ultimately hopeful new book by Donna Freitas: Sex & the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses.

The Devil in Dover

Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Amazon Product Description: In December 2004, following the Dover area school board's decision to teach intelligent design in ninth-grade biology classrooms, eleven parents sued, sparking a federal constitutional challenge. Lauri Lebo, a small-town reporter who covered the trial, knows not just the legal case and science, but the people on all sides of the divisive battle.

In The Devil in Dover, Lebo traces the compelling backstory of this pivotal case described by some as a perfect storm of religious intolerance, First Amendment violations, and an assault on American science education. In a community divided across unexpected lines, the so-called activist judge, a George Bush-appointed Republican, eventually condemned the school board's decision as one of "breathtaking inanity."

Lebo follows the story through its surprising twists, pondering whether this was a national war playing out in a small town or a small-town political battle playing out on the national stage. As a "local girl" with a fundamentalist Christian father, Lebo provides an account that is both fascinating and moving, as she thoughtfully probes one of America's most divisive cultural conflictsand the responsibility journalists have when covering such a controversial story.

Internet Guide to Religion

Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Site's description: A selective, annotated guide to a wide variety of electronic resources of interest to those who are involved in the study and practice of religion: syllabi, electronic texts, electronic journals, web sites, bibliographies, liturgies, reference resources, software, etc. The purpose of the Guide is to encourage and facilitate the incorporation of electronic resources into teaching.