ReligionDispatches.org

Benjamin Weiner.

Two new books, one offering a vision of interfaith, universal religion, the other a model of a radically transformed Judaism, attempt to wrestle God into the everyday. Against the ascendancy of the so-called New Atheism, both writers argue for a God who transcends “god-management systems” and whose primary claim on us is through our own spiritual longing.

Eric Reitan.

The secular world, in confronting evil, has long relied on one solution: the use of coercive power to violently incapacitate those who do evil—often with “collateral damage.” Maybe it’s time to explore other options?

Nathan Schneider.

Why is the character of Jesus so powerful? Why is he such a hit? Bestselling writer Mary Gordon re-reads the Gospels, asking these questions, among others, and trying to figure out why fundamentalist readings of scripture, grounded in fear and rage, have come to dominate the understanding of religion in this country.

Nathan Schneider.

Peter Rodger traveled through twenty-three countries in three years asking the same question to everyone he met, and filming, gorgeously, the results. Turns out the question—“What is God?”—reveals more than a person’s faith.

Brian McGrath Davis.

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.

Andrew Pessin.

Public discourse is not necessarily on the same level as scholarly discourse, but it doesn’t have to be a brawl.

Candace Chellew-Hodge.

Or, as I would have titled this post, if not for the delicate sensibilities of the RD editors, "God Breaks Wind on Lutherans."

Konstantin Petrenko.

Religious values shift with every era, often limiting moral discourse to only one religious tradition; and new research shows that the secular Swedes are happier than the rest of us. Isn’t it time to try to imagine a purely secular ethics?

Gary Laderman.

What does the word “God” mean? Anything and everything, depending on whether you’re a Bible-believer or an atheist, a rap artist or a writer for South Park, a peyote-eater or Meg Ryan in a diner...

Robert Wright.

In his newest book Robert Wright charts a path between atheism and belief, busting religion myths as he goes: Jesus did not preach universal love; Jews didn't start out as monotheists; and the origin of religion had nothing to do with morality.

Candace Chellew-Hodge.

In another stunner from the right wing, a best-selling conservative author discovers that gays can be Christians too.

Benjamin Weiner.

Doonesbury creator Gary Trudeau picks up an unfortunate thread in his latest cartoon, in which a character ponders the superiority of Jesus to the wrathful OT deity, and inferences are made regarding moneychangers and usury.

Christopher H. Evans.

Religious progressives might be arguing now over whose voices are heard in Washington, but it takes more than an ability to gain an audience with national political elites to spawn a movement; it requires the concerted effort to build a following.

Eric Reitan.

In a recent promotional letter, Richard Dawkins caricatured the average American’s Christian beliefs. Problem is, caricatures cease to be useful when the critic invites his audience to deride the real thing based on a lampoon.

Gary Laderman.

Bono finds “soul music” in the work of secular do-gooders, and a contingent of Scottish police declare themselves members of the Church of Jedi. Looks like we have religion everywhere, and not a god in sight.

Diana Butler Bass.

With whom does one make alliances for the sake of peace in the world? Post-modern progressive theology does not compromise, but neither does it insist on a single truth. In its journey toward justice, it keeps its eye on the practical.

Peter Laarman.

Can a This-Worldly and an Other-Worldly faith be friends?

S. Brent Plate.

RD columnist S. Brent Plate crosses disciplinary boundaries to show us how film creates worlds, just as religion does; through incantation or special effects anything is possible.

Kathryn Joyce.

A growing movement among conservative Christians exhorts women to give up the foolish notion of independence and subordinate themselves to their husbands. In this excerpt from Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, Kathryn Joyce connects the dots between cinnamon buns and submission.

Nathan Schneider.

Religion surveys have become a battleground for the American religious marketplace—and a magnet for big money.

Mark Woodward.

The people of Aceh have been resisting foreign domination for decades, and the territory has long been torn by violence. In the wake of the tsunami a theology—and a politics—of peace is taking root.

Kate Childs Graham.

Catholic educators in Boston put a cross in every classroom, just in case anyone's wondering who's running the show.

Candace Chellew-Hodge.

Plutonic, Platonic, whatever you want to call it, it's not enough for gay people to be told they can be gay as long as they don't have love in their lives.

Bruce Ledewitz.

In an interview with Bruce Ledewitz on his forthcoming Hallowed Secularism, the law professor tells RD that the so-called New Atheists want to lead secularists, many of whom know very little about religion, into opposition to religion. But for secularism to be healthy, he says, it must learn from the wisdom of the religious traditions.

Mary E. Hunt.

It wasn’t on CNN, but last month hundreds of theologians, activists, and indigenous people came together in Brazil to envision a new world; the gathering stressed diversity and sustainability, migration, and climate change.