Religion Dispatches
…eism are arguably as new to England as Islam? And what happens to the fair number of ethnically English Muslims? They may well see no contradiction between a mosque and St. George’s Cross. They may choose a mosque that is dominated by their own ethnic group, as indeed often happens in the United States. To be clear, of course, these are not points the authors are explicitly claiming to hold to, but examples they use to describe the AltRight genera…
Read More…going to become law. But a vote would have forced Republicans to go on record voting for gun rights over protection from terrorism, demonstrating their hypocrisy. In an already-dicey year for GOP incumbents, that would have been a very uncomfortable position. Doesn’t this set a dangerous precedent? It might, although Republicans staged a longer protest in favor of offshore drilling back in 2008. Beyond that, you’ll have to judge for yourself whet…
Read More
…in the “real” physical environment of the player, as mediated through the phone’s camera. As one player told a reporter: “This is full on escapism, where I’m like ‘let me just go catch some Pokémon and ignore the news.’” What news is she talking about? The murders of Sterling and Castile and the Dallas police officers. She is referring to the news of death. But in a matter of days Pokemon Go has changed our relationship with death. This is new te…
Read More
…des; and second, it is thought to bring its subjects closer to Jesus. The word “disciple” is said to be a more accurate description of “true Jesus followers,” since the word “Christian” only appears a few times in the Bible and is described somewhat offhandedly (Acts 11:26 is a popular reference). The use of this terminology is intentional because part of the “disciple” versus “Christian” debate has to do with the church’s inability to accept comp…
Read More
…in Guyana). Funny stuff, right? Satire about religion is a double-edged sword. American popular culture has long been fascinated with cults. After the Heaven’s Gate suicide, Family Guy as well as the comedy Road Trip (2000) poked fun at the mass suicide meme. By portraying cult leaders as suicidal maniacs and cult members as helpless losers, these comedies reinforced a distinction between healthy, “normal” religion and deviant “cult” religion. Ba…
Read More
…owards God. Again, compare Jeremiah’s “dirty-talk” addressed to God, Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy … I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; under the weight of your hand I sat alone, for you had filled me with indignation. Why is my pain unceasing, my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook, like waters that fail. (Jer. 15:16a-18) The la…
Read More
…dystopian critique of a culture that treats violence as entertainment. In order to make the social commentary enticing, the series entertains moviegoers with…violence. Is this a sly meta-critique? Maybe. Either way, it’s a rare blend: an action-adventure film that suddenly pivots to deal with the consequences of its carnage. “The conjunction that you describe is pretty unusual in adventure films,” said Stephen Prince, a film studies scholar at Vi…
Read More
…here is yet and still more light and truth to break forth from God’s holy word.” We see it in the words of the 19th century abolitionist poet, James Russell Lowell, who wrote in his landmark poem “The Present Crisis:” “Time makes ancient good uncouth; we must onward still and upwards who would keep abreast of truth.” And we certainly see that spirit carried through today—for example, when we revitalized ourselves a decade ago in our God is Still S…
Read More
…uld not be harmed as long as they gave them all their money and their cell phones. In other villages, they heard, an agreement to convert to Islam and a payment of $7 per month would allow them to survive. But initially they were not given those options. Moreover, his wife was taunted for wearing a Western-style dress, as many Christian women do, so she could not venture outside. They also kept their daughters hidden, fearing they would be capture…
Read More
…with possibility and joy, began to cool, as cell phone calls dwindled and numbers eventually changed or were disconnected. As our shared realities drifted apart in their likeness, like Pigpen, I also turned to technologies that promised connection to try to tamp down the yearning and temper that sense of loss. #5 : Three Ways to American Beauty by Aaron K. Kerr At the height of secular modernity, when Catholics were opening the windows of Vatican…
Read More