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Papal Profanity: The Vatican’s Pagan Museum

By Louis A. Ruprecht

…d of looking just at Rome from 1754-1815, I want to begin with Renaissance European Classicism and Humanism, then trace the new ways of thinking and seeing that emerged there as they make their way to the Profane Museum, then the Louvre, then travel all the way to the New World. One of the historical ironies of the story I tell here is that, no sooner had the complex of Vatican Museums been completed under Pius VI, then the French looted them all….

What if Israel Were in Germany? An Alternate History

By Haroon Moghul

…main story begins, the troops are still there. Putting Israel in northern Europe was, I have to admit, quite surprising. And Israel’s alliance with an Arab superpower actually reflects how much of Jewish and Muslim history played out prior to the 19th century—Jews and Muslims were back then quite close, much more so than we assume today. I wonder if this alliance had any deeper meaning for you, or if this was simply part another part of turning t…

Apocalypse Now and Then: Our Global Death Wish

By Jay Michaelson

…out of. And suppose as a result of the economic chaos, there are riots in Europe and the U.S., with right-wing militias in a near civil war with failing governments, mass disruptions in the food supply, perhaps even global economic collapse and a breakdown of the social order. Somewhere in that chain of events, most readers stopped supposing. But many others, if the statistics are right, are still with me, and might go further still, envisioning…

From Confusion to Kardashian: Misreading the Middle East

By Haroon Moghul

…th their increased access to Arab and Muslim stories, undoubtedly affected Europe’s shift over Palestinian statehood. The recent vote at the United Nations might be described as one tiny country in Europe plus the U.S., Canada, and Israel, against the rest of the planet (a world map only underlines this). Even Germany, a historically strong supporter of Israel, chose to abstain instead of voting no, as it was expected to. Hence an undisputed Isra…

The Myth of the Maya Apocalypse

By Evan Pondel

…zero, a numerical system that allows you to do calculations of very large numbers very precisely. The Maya fell in love with numbers too cumbersome to calculate with Roman numerals. The Maya believed these numbers created some sort of godly power. Say, by some miracle, that 12/21/12 does turn out to be the end of the world… how would you spend your last day on Earth? I would get together with the people I love and tell them how much I really love…

Conversion Story #643 (not a real number)

By Amina Wadud

These days, when ever you say you are Muslim by choice, you get people asking about your conversion. Mostly they want to know why. This curiosity comes equally from those who are already Muslim and those who are not. I used to tell the same basic steps—although I hardly think my own individual door lights up any bulbs of excitement. Maybe because no lightbulbs went off for me either. I was a seeker. I was raised in a loving Christian environment…

The Religious Mourning of ‘Saint’ Kobe Bryant Continues

By Terry Shoemaker

…year’s All-Star game, one team wore Kobe’s number 24, while the other wore number 2, Gianna’s uniform number. The MVP award, given this year to Los Angeles Clippers’ star forward Kawhi Leonard, was renamed permanently for Kobe Bryant. Pregame and half-time shows centered on Kobe, his family, and his impact on the sport of basketball and society. The collective grief and bereavement displayed by fans and players alike not only demonstrate the power…

Are Muslims Nuts?

By Haroon Moghul

…stake tensions for incompatibilities or inherent opposition. I know a fair number of African Americans, Hispanics, and Muslims who once voted Republican. They no longer do—not because they disagree with the Republican Party, but because they feel it has no room for them. It seems opposed to their presence in America. A good number in the Muslim-majority world feel the same way about the place of Islam in the world: there is no room for it. It isn’…

New Poll Reveals a Paradox in Evangelical Support for Donald Trump

By Daniel Schultz

…te boundary. Before secular government enthusiasts get too excited by this number I would point out that, for a fair number of evangelicals, the worry is that the state will interfere with the church, not the other way around. Similarly, a little more than one in four White evangelicals said the federal government should declare Christianity the official religion of the United States. Far more (61%) said that Christianity should not be the officia…

Sharing Many of the Same Flaws as its Subject ‘The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill’ Podcast Puts Blame Anywhere But Where It Belongs

By Jessica Johnson

…ys Mark was the first Internet age megachurch celebrity pastor and leading number one podcasts, number one sermon downloads, those kinds of things. So what that did is, elevated Mark to the stratosphere so quickly, whereas you might think…typically they may take 20-30 years of faithful ministry, but the Internet just propelled things with such rapidity, and the Internet only sees how you speak, that’s all the Internet is, it’s all about verbal art…