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Festivus, Atheist Santa, and the Invention of Blasphemy

By Anita Little

…n. Religious traditions die off if they don’t revive some sort of festival spirit. It’s happened throughout history: rituals get old, people reject them and then have to reinvest them with new energy. It’s not just diversifying and democratizing, there’s a certain narrative that we’ve bought into with Christmastime that has outlived its usefulness. There are a lot of creative possibilities coming out of this democratization of the Christmas season…

Repent, Hillary: Trump’s Evangelical Backers Play the Sin Card

By Hollis Phelps

…and the desire to point out how that rhetoric runs afoul of the letter and spirit of the gospel, but it’s also not a line of criticism that works particularly well. And that’s not necessarily because evangelical supporters of Trump are uniquely hypocritical or opportunistic. It’s that a different theological framework is in play, both rationally and emotionally. Certainly, some Trump supporters share his racist, misogynistic, and xenophobic views….

Trump’s Pathological Devotion to Border Walls Isn’t Political, It’s Theological

By Alana Massey

…and defiant artwork that mocks the very idea that it could stop the human spirit from soaring over it. The destruction of the Berlin Wall was an incredible transformation of an intimidating barrier that signaled isolation and difference, first to a little act of civic disobedience, then to a party, and then to the most inspiring live-streamed concert in history (headlined by David Hasselhoff). There’s an enduring myth that you can see the Great W…

The Gay God Delusion: That LGBT Equality Doesn’t Require Religion

By Candace Chellew-Hodge

…st to the church universal, but within the LGBT community as well. In that spirit, she offers a challenge: But it will take all of us. Taking a page from Sarah Silverman, if you grew up in a faith tradition, go back to your family, your church, synagogue, or mosque and talk about these issues. Challenge them on what they are doing to make the church more inclusive. Let them know, and know for yourself, that Scripture and theology do not teach homo…

Indonesia: As Volcano Erupts, a Spiritual Loss

By Mark Woodward

…ng of a folk hero for his courage and was widely believed to have enormous spiritual powers. He appeared in advertisements for a popular brand of sports drink together with nationally known athletes. The advertisements suggested a relationship between the athletes’ physical prowess and Mbah Marijan’s spiritual power. I met Mbah Marijan only once, less than two months ago. He was a very deeply religious man in a very Javanese way. He was a pious Mu…

King Witness’ Story Undermined By Reality

By Sarah Posner

…and another witness who said his nephew was radicalized: Their courage and spirit will put a human face on the horror which Islamist radicalization has inflicted and will continue to inflict on good families, especially those in the Muslim community, unless we put aside political correctness and define who our enemy truly is. I’m not holding my breath on a correction from him. UPDATE: My coverage of the hearing is over at the Nation, in which I re…

Why I Am Still a Christian

By Diana Butler Bass

…who is might be willing to give Christianity a second look—those who are “spiritual-but-not-religious” and the “church alumni club.” And those who might be completely post-religious and just want to read a good story about interesting people in the past. Are you hoping to just inform readers? Give them pleasure? Piss them off? I always want my readers—of my books, blogs, or articles—to say, “I’ve never really seen the world from that angle before…

Islamophobia by PowerPoint

By Julie Ingersoll

…nd ‘to’ the Father; ‘by’ and ‘through’ Jesus; and ‘in’ and ‘with’ the Holy Spirit.” But if I remember anything from my New Testament Greek, the hardest part was the prepositions, because their meanings are notoriously ambiguous—but then, Federer probably hasn’t read the Greek. But in my favorite segment, Federer suggested in a very condescending tone that he “just wish(ed) someone had taken the time to explain the Trinity to Muhammad,” followed by…

Beyond Retribution: Bin Laden’s Death in its Cosmic Context

By Eric Reitan

…and communication skills, building communities of trust, and cultivating a spirit of nonviolence. Going into prisons as much as I did, my academic research naturally gravitated toward theories of criminal punishment. And I became interested in the process—still at the fringes of our criminal justice system—of victim-offender mediation. The concept is as radical as it is simple: Victims are given the chance to confront their offenders and let them…

Ten Books to Read After You’ve Watched “Lemonade”

By Nyasha Junior

…Hayes Georgetown University Forged in the Fiery Furnace: African American Spirituality Theologian Diana Hayes traces the development of African-American spirituality within Protestant and Catholic traditions. She explores how faith traditions have served to nurture and sustain African-American communities. African American women’s spirituality is deeply rooted in a community of the born, the yet to be born, and those who have already passed over….