Religion Dispatches
…ritical of Huntington’s views. The way he carved the global political landscape into competing civilizational factions seemed to many to be naïve. Others thought it dangerous; an article in the New York Times raised the question of whether the use of the phrase “clash of civilizations” had become a self-fulfilling prophecy. His ideas about the threat of new immigrants to American culture seemed more than a bit bizarre—verging on racist. Yet surrou…
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…eed to oversimplify when you are working with laypeople who are completely new to this kind of material? John Dominic Crossan: From about 1970 to 1990 I was writing primarily, if not exclusively, for a scholarly audience up to and including The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant (1991). After Peter Steinfels referenced my book on the front page of the New York Times, I began to accept invitations to speak at churches. Bec…
Read More…rograms addressing HIV and AIDS to access at-risk groups, reports Gay Star News. New Zealand: Baptist Union disavows pastor who calls for execution of gays Logan Robertson, pastor of Westcity Bible Baptist Church in West Auckland, is “unapologetic” about his remarks suggesting that gay people should be killed. From the New Zealand Herald: “My view on homo marriage is that the Bible never mentions it so I’m not against them getting married,” Robert…
Read More…od met with key Baptist leaders in April 2006. They produced and signed a “New Baptist Covenant.” This covenant encourages Baptists to unite in efforts to “Promote peace and justice, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, care for the sick and marginalized, welcome the strangers among us, and promote religious liberty and respect for religious diversity.” They also determined to plan a meeting that would bring all Baptists in Nor…
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…during the 1950s to form a unified, unifying, and unabashedly progressive new denomination: the United Church of Christ. But the new body never quite took off. Lots of big Congregational churches, on both the most liberal and most conservative margins, refused to sign up for the new configuration in 1957. The more liturgical “German” Reformed wing (the old Evangelical and Reformed Church) mistrusted the Yankees and vice versa. Today’s UCC, at 1.3…
Read More…on. The problem seems to be his Pentecostal roots coupled with his lack of New Thought training. Pearson believes his inclusionist perspective to be consistent with New Thought teachings, however. Both affirm the radical, inclusive love of God and the divine potential within humanity. But, most importantly, if Christ Universal needs a leader with the proven charisma to lead a multimillion dollar religious empire and the stamina to endure criticism…
Read More…well as folk practices, were repressed. After the revolution, hundreds of new churches and monasteries were erected and there was a scramble to recruit new priests. There was also a popular demand for services such as exorcism and priests like Corogeanu could become local heroes by taking claims of the demonic seriously. Corogeanu reportedly performed exorcisms in ways not approved by Church authorities and even accused his bishop of promoting Fr…
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…he backdrop for Armageddon. Or maybe on American Muslims and Jews modeling new relationships? How to find these stories? I’d look for chinks in religious, philanthropic and communal groups: new ways of looking at longstanding problems, young leaders offering alternative visions, and philanthropists supporting new models. These stories need to be teased out online or pursued on the ground—venues far from the politicos, pundits and PACs that have do…
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…against is the idea that sport is “religious” insofar as it provides an escape from politics. This argument takes a couple of basic forms, depending on one’s perspective. Academics or popular critics interested in radical social change often characterize sport as an opiate that obstructs emancipation. Conversely, scholars, theologians, or media commentators sympathetic to sport often celebrate its capacity to transcend political and social divisi…
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…ze sabbath principles to non-Jews? Most importantly: Is Shabbat really the new yoga? Unlike yoga, Shabbat is difficult to commodify. The biggest new sabbath boosters are all nonprofits with social missions. But, certainly, it’s easy to imagine how a slightly exotic practice of mandated rest could, in the right hands, become an interfaith wellness touchstone: feel good through this ancient spiritual wisdom! Shabbat certainly resonates with an afflu…
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