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Death of a Self-Proclaimed God-Man: Sai Baba’s Controversial Career

…ted to his personal charisma, marketing skills, or both—was extraordinary. Today the International Sathya Sai Organization disseminates Sai Baba’s teachings and manages a network of over 1,200 Sathya Sai Baba centers in 126 countries. Most of his devotees came to acknowledge him as god-man without ever meeting him in person.  Sai Baba’s devotees include powerful politicians (including former prime ministers of India), celebrities, and entrepreneur…

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The Byzantine Bush Tell-All

…nd hilarious account essentially made ‘Byzantine’ mean what it means to us today. Justinian was addicted to money; Theodora was addicted to sex. It was a marriage made in hell, and in at least one place Procopius entertains the serious possibility that the emperor was a demon rather than a man. The book is a gold-mine for evidence of reigning social mores in the sixth century in the eastern Roman empire. It is often fascinating to learn what forms…

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Birtherism, Conspiracy Theories, and the “Christian Nation”

…rove, and has already been proven, unlike Ike having to prove a negative.) Today, Obama denounced “sideshows and carnival barkers,” adding, “we don’t have time for this kind of silliness.” Which is exactly why he shouldn’t have bothered caving into their ridiculous demands; within moments Joseph Farah of WND decreed the release “raises as many questions than [sic] it answers.” That sideshow, although driven in recent weeks by Donald Trump, was dri…

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Response to Daniel Philpott: the Politics of Religious Freedom

…tional relations. The book is a study of recent state-sponsored efforts to promote religious freedom, religious engagement, and the rights of religious minorities. It brings together the study of contemporary religion and global politics in a new way, charting the lives of these projects in specific contexts and developing a critique of their consequences. Uncovering and exploring the gap between the religion that is promoted through these efforts…

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Spinning Ft. Hood

…uslims are looking for ways to raise families and live the American dream. Today, the American Muslim community feels like all Americans do: outraged, betrayed, and demanding justice be served quickly. Zeenat Rahman is even more personal: I went to the mosque today, to observe the ritual Friday prayer. I prayed for the souls of the victims and for their families, not because the alleged perpetrator is Muslim, but because as a Muslim, that is what…

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Ordain Women Transforms Mormon Feminism

One year ago today, Ordain Women celebrated the creation of the Relief Society on March 17, 1842 by launching its website with 19 profiles of individuals calling for the ordination of Mormon women. Today it has more than 250 profiles—and has completely transformed Mormon feminism. I continue to be impressed and pleased with the extremely thoughtful work Laurie Goodstein and Jodi Kantor are doing on Mormon women. I recommend a conversation on “The…

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Heaven On Earth: A Non-Hysterical History of Shari’ah

…e the matters that are causing greatest damage to inter-communal relations today. That means, regrettably, devoting attention to conflict—not just the ‘jihad and terrorism’ you mention, but also the harsh attitudes toward criminal justice, gender politics and religious toleration that have been hardening of late in some ostensibly Islamic states.   Another writer might well have struck a different balance, but that would simply have drawn criticis…

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How Gay Should We Allow Feeding the Hungry To Be?

…ioned same-sex marriage for Christians.” In an interview with Christianity Today, World Vision’s U.S. president Richard Sterns affirmed the group’s commitment to traditional Christian values, including sexual abstinence outside of marriage, but the employment policy change means that married same-sex partners will no longer be denied employment or benefits on the basis of the gender of their spouses. Sterns argued that the decision, which the boar…

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