Telling the World a ‘Big Story’: RD in Conversation with Karen Armstrong
Compassion is not just a sloppy emotional bonhomie; it requires a serious intellectual effort to learn about one another, even if it’s unflattering to ourselves. RD contributor and religion scholar Laurie Patton interviews Karen Armstrong upon the launch of her global call to action, the Charter for Compassion.
A commenter from a recent review of Karen Armstrong’s new book writes that a central claim of hers is “utterly false.” Our blogger examines that claim.
Religion is Not about Belief: Karen Armstrong’s The Case for God
Of all the monotheisms, Christianity has come to depend the most on the idea of belief, or doctrine. But there is a strong countertradition, now submerged, that insists that any time we say we know who God is, or what God wants, we are committing an act of heresy.
In another stunner from the right wing, a best-selling conservative author discovers that gays can be Christians too.
Religion vs. Science: America’s Perilous Fight
A Pulitzer Prize-winning author tangles with one of the most fraught questions of the day: “The danger for science is that, if forced to choose between God or evolution, most Americans will choose God.”
RDBook: Apocalypse Without God
Mark C. Taylor discusses how trends in today’s world are not “outside” religion, but are part of the history of religious thought.
“Culting”: From Waco to Fundamentalist Mormons
When the media labels a religious group a “cult,” it fans the flames of intolerance and can endanger the group’s most vulnerable members.