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UPDATE: An Abrupt End to Quebec Separatist Plan to Ban “Ostentatious Signs” of Religion

By Jeremy Stolow

…onvictions and secular state power. And, in the benevolent, paternalistic spirit of this project to contain religion, a gesture was made here toward ‘impolite’ forms of religious activity. As depicted in the infographic, those deemed guilty of visual offence are offered ‘substitute signs’, through which their religious identities, affiliations, convictions, and practices might be made more acceptable, such as through the wearing of a Star of Dav…

Virginians may Vote in Elections, But in Counties with Militias Democracy Hangs in the Balance

By Carolyn Gallaher and Priya Dixit

…d a more general resolution “commend[ing] and laud[ing] citizens for their spirit of volunteerism” without mentioning the militia by name.[50] Although militia members and supporters made the case for recognition by describing themselves as volunteers, they were angry the resolution didn’t name them specifically. One member complained to the press that several supervisors had offered their support for the group in private.[51] In Halifax, a superv…

After Her Remarks Pope JPII Was Never the Same — Controversial, Beloved Sr Theresa Kane’s Effect on the Catholic Church Endures

By Mary E. Hunt

…administrative experience and a background in finance. She had decades of spiritual formation, community living, theological reflection, and committed work with those who are made poor and consigned to the margins. Contrast that with a wet-behind-the-ears, Roman-collared seminarian ordained on Saturday and unleashed on a parish on Monday morning. No wonder bankruptcy, poor preaching, inadequate pastoral care, and dwindling congregations are incre…

Where Did White Evangelicalism’s Hatred of Critical Race Theory Really Begin?

By Andre E. Johnson

…other postmodern “virtues” have begun to edge out the actual fruit of the Spirit in the language and conversation of some of our wokest brethren.” But it was John MacArthur’s repudiation of social justice in the infamous Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel (Dallas Statement) opened the floodgates for critiques on CRT. In Article 1 it reads: We deny that Christian belief, character, or conduct can be dictated by any other authority, and we…

Voodoo’s Quest for Respect

By Spencer Dew

…ikewise disturbing are two central practices: the sacrifice of animals and spirit possession. The former is bloody, the latter theatrical and sometimes violent, as dancing practitioners lapse into ritual trances and are “ridden” by loas from the Voodoo pantheon. Such acts strike many outsiders as “Satanic,” an inaccurate but nonetheless damaging label with which Voodoo is frequently plastered. Compounding the problem is Voodoo’s symbolism, promine…

The Real (and More Interesting) World Behind Magic in the Moonlight

By David Walker

…might they continue to represent or perform spiritualism? In what ways are spiritualists and anti-spiritualists already married? To these ends Billy Robinson might be as good a guide as any. In my humble opinion the man deserves a movie—if not precisely this one. Go to top *The best account of Billy Robinson’s career is Jim Steinmeyer, The Glorious Deception: The Double Life of William Robinson, aka Chung Ling Soo, the “Marvelous Chinese Conjurer”…

RDPulpit: Obama Missed the Hope in State of the Union Address

By Daniel Schultz

…the most muted of tones at the end of the speech, touching on Americans’ “spirit of determination and optimism” in the face of adversity. Prophetic speech must also recognize the power of language to “shape consciousness and define reality.” If the royal consciousness is be unseated, its control over our vocabulary must be contested, its largely unseen effects exposed. This is hardly a radical insight for those who have studied political struggle…

“Mad to Be Saved”: On the Road as Cautionary Tale

By Jay Michaelson

…o yearns for a love that Dean can never fully give him. With the sensual spirituality (or spiritual paganism, if you like) secularized into mere “kicks,” the moral balance of On the Road lurches to one side. In the book, there’s a productive tension between the evanescent, yet incandescent, mysticism of pure human experience on the one hand, and the deep ethical consequences of human relationship on the other. This is a crucial and recurring rel…

Are Evangelicals Sweetness and Light or Enablers of Cruelty and Racism? Gender Roles Hint at an Answer

By Kristin Kobes Du Mez

…ng one’s neighbor and one’s enemies, or indeed by any of the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, or self-control. But the rugged, even reckless masculinity championed by evangelicals has always been accompanied by a softer, feminine side. In fact, it was precisely the loveliness, purity, and vulnerability of women that required the protection of tough, masculine men. In the words of bestselling evangel…

I Want a Perfect Body

By Jeremy Biles

…mprovement shifts the aims of asceticism; the body is no longer a means to spiritual illumination but an end in itself. “The new idea offered by the contemporary culture of cosmetic surgery,” writes Mead, “is that it is the vessel itself that we must value, rather than the soul or spirit that it contains.” Modern body perfectionists seek to transcend the limits of the “natural” body (if ever there was such a thing) through drugs, exercise, diet, a…