Religion Dispatches
…e brandishing signs at gay pride parades condemning gays and lesbians to hell or protesting the funerals of U.S. soldiers, they seem to be spreading rage and distaste wherever they appear. Now, the WBC folks are on the warpath in Washington State against the big guy himself – Santa Claus. Westboro Baptist Church has jumped into the fray over the atheist sign at Washington’s Capitol building by requesting its own sign announcing that “Santa Claus w…
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…December 20, 2005, that Judge John E. Jones III issued his ruling in Kitzmiller v. Dover that intelligent design was not science, but merely repackaged creationism—and that it had no business in biology class. The hoopla was immediate and enduring. Jones’ decision launched headlines across the globe, not to mention celebrations by the trial’s plaintiffs, their legal team and science experts (who send “Merry Kitzmas” greetings to each other on the…
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…domain of the white, religious right. This book, then, is my attempt to illumine, unpack, and interrogate the theological and social orientations of prominent black religious broadcasters in order to understand them as a source of attraction and ethically evaluate their dominant messages. What’s the most important take-home message for readers? The world of religious broadcasting cannot be reduced to an arena of hucksters and snake-oil sales…
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…this discourse. Though certain conservatives floated the idea as a trial balloon during the presidential campaign—notably in an interview with John Hagee on the Glenn Beck show—that rhetoric has seldom been heard in the public square. It should not be forgotten, however, that in various subtle (perhaps only half-conscious) ways the idea has been insinuated through a narrative of Obama as a “savior” who harnesses people’s irrational emotion with hi…
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…ristian Right, Pastor John Hagee, Michael D. Evans, and Joel C. Rosenberg—all of whom have had long-term associations with the prime minister-to-be—may feel like they’re about to be handed the keys to the Promised Land. All three have had bestselling books related to the Middle East and apocalyptic theology, have raised significant amounts of money for Israeli charities (although how much of that money reaches the poor and needy has been questione…
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…ivil rights movement. Last year’s season drew an average audience of 7.8 million viewers per episode. This was due, at least in part, to one of the most bizarre marketing campaigns in history. HBO hired an agency called CampFire NYC to use a technique known as “viral marketing.” The strategy was to pique interest in True Blood by deliberately confusing fact and fiction. This was primarily done online, where Web sites such as TruBeverage.com were c…
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…of science, and politicians competing over who is the most pious of them all. The political battles over the proper perception of God in the world around us can be strident, like the debates over Obamacare, as well as silly, like the fear that some people see Obama in divine terms. If we all agreed on the meaning of the word “God” and reserved its application to, say, a supreme being who created the universe, there would be no confusion about its…
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…he best person to explain nondenominational holiness theology, but I can tell funny anecdotes about a camp meeting that inundates my hometown for five days every July. In her memoir Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, Rhoda Janzen takes a similar approach to explaining her oft-misunderstood roots in the Mennonite faith. Slipping descriptions of borscht into her tales of revisiting her childhood community after being left by her husband, Janzen tell…
Read More…Aqua-Buddha college pranks notwithstanding, Rand Paul embraces Buddhist notions of the interconnectedness of everything and the illusion of difference; “nothingness” is The Word. Thanks to my colleague Jon for sharing. The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c The Word – Nothingness www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election March to Keep Fear Alive…
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As quickly as it exploded, the hype around Eat Pray Love, the bestselling spiritual-travelogue-turned-Julia-Roberts movie, has begun to fade. But don’t be fooled: while the movie has earned a disappointing(!) $47.1 million at the box office, the book behind it continues to fuel a cultural phenomenon. Since appearing in 2006, Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir of sensuous travel as road to personal and spiritual wholeness has sold nine million copies and…
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