Religion Dispatches
…1591 – 1643), the feminist Puritan who led study groups in her own home in Boston and weighed in on thorny theological questions—works versus grace—that divided leaders of church and colony. For the record, Anne Hutchinson stood on the side of grace, communicated immediately to believers by the Holy Spirit, no need for Church leaders. For her outspokenness, Anne Hutchinson was put on trial by clergy and colonial leaders for dishonoring the “father…
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…ous media discussions of this including the NY Times Book Review or in the Boston Globe.) Is Obama’s invocation of Lincoln meant to raise questions about sexuality? Of course not. And yet, we might ask: what does the rendering invisible of that particular Lincoln tell us about the Obama who has included evangelical pastor Rick Warren—and belatedly New Hampshire Episcopal bishop Gene Robinson—in his inauguration? Nor have we inquired about the risk…
Read More…crime.” Even Vatican watcher John Allen, writing from his new perch at the Boston Globe, said the report could create a backlash in favor of the Vatican by “blurring the cause of child protection with the culture wars over sexual mores.” But the Vatican’s response to the abuse scandal was precisely to claim that sex abuse was a culture war issue. Its own report sought to blame the sexual revolution, chalking it up to sexual licentiousness run amok…
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…a piece of cake. Clinton was respectful and appointed first Ray Flynn, the Boston anti-choice mayor who had supported him and then Lindy Boggs, a pro-life Catholic member of Congress. No mind, the tension between Clinton and the Vatican was palpable, especially around the Clinton administration about face on reproductive health in the UN. Now, it is time for the Obama administration to appoint an ambassador and if early reports are true, the admin…
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…tion of powers and run roughshod over the independent judiciary,” said Rob Boston, Senior Policy Counsel for Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. “The United States enjoys the highest degree of religious liberty of any nation in the world. Gingrich and his allies talk about threats to religious freedom, but what they really want is the right to use government to shove conservative/fundamentalist/ultra-orthodox social views down…
Read More…at all non-queer Muslims are homophobic,” said Mohamed of Queer Muslims of Boston. But these and other organizations, such as Noor in Seattle and El-Tawhid Juma Circle in Toronto, are filling a long-ambiguous space within Muslim communities. As Shahar said, “I’m over people within the LGBTQ Muslim movement telling me the movement is young and therefore we need to wait a little bit longer before rolling up our sleeves and helping folks among us.” A…
Read More…n health care for religious institutions and people of faith.” Later, on a Boston radio program, Romney himself finally realized what talking points he was supposed to use: “Of course I support the Blunt amendment. I thought he was talking about some state law that prevented people from getting contraception so I was simply — misunderstood the question and of course I support the Blunt amendment.” A few things. The Blunt amendment would not ban co…
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…agna). We endured stories of a sumptuous 80th birthday party for disgraced Boston Cardinal Bernard Law at one of Rome’s four-star restaurants. We know that Benedict and his colleagues were harsh on nuns whose lifestyles they would do well to emulate. I expect a good deal more from Francis than the friendly but still largely cosmetic changes he has instituted. Gradualists will disagree with me, but I think it is time for Catholics to grow up and re…
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…second break with Catholic institutional action is found in the increasing number of Catholics living their faith according to their consciences, ignoring the Vatican entirely. At the recent memorial mass for William R. Callahan, one of the founding directors of the DC-area social justice-oriented Quixote Center, such new practices were in evidence. Bill Callahan was a Jesuit priest. A feminist before most men could even spell the word, he was dis…
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…ase of Ghaffar Khan’s movement there was the participation of a surprising number of women, given how conservative—and you can even argue misogynist—Pashtun society had been traditionally. They allowed women to participate because he said so and his honor and stature was such that they couldn’t resist. Back in the 1930s and 1940s, women used to lead their marches! This is just incredible. What power and influence he must have had to convince them…
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