…ism rather than means of God’s grace. In fact, that’s exactly what the web site of Wasilla Bible Church says. But I would hope that even these traditions wouldn’t take it so lightly as to joke about it in the context of waterboarding. Or even if it is considered OK to joke about waterboarding being baptism by these folks, I’d hope they recognize how blasphemous it sounds to the ears of Christians who retain the historic and high view of the sacram…
…he chaos to come; and possible treks on foot back to Nauvoo, Illinois, the site of the original Garden of Eden and the future New Jerusalem, punctuated normal conversation. As an elementary school student, I used to draw crayon farms with imaginary fields that could provide for all our needs, and I am still plagued by an obsessive-compulsive ritual that must stem from these days. I harbor secret fears about being able to provide for my own childre…
…ny made their ownpilgrimage to Sabbathday Lake and other East Coast Shaker sites; it was longtime company member Kate Valk’s first trip. The Wooster Group has a unique way of working with source material, beginning with a meticulous recreation of that source. The performers wear visible earpieces and microphones over their plain cotton dresses so as to stay in sync with the recording. The Shakers too, we find out, though famous for their “shape-no…
…ple of religion and theology professors, way back during the Bush era. The site was launched in 2008 as an experiment in bringing religion scholarship to a wider audience, and as a counter-voice to that of the religious right. Nominated for four Webby awards, with traffic of a publication five times its size, RD has evolved from an academic project to a thriving online magazine. Do you accept unsolicited submissions? Yes, see guidelines by clickin…
…ted limbs inspired numerous stories, games, and videos that appeared on websites like Creepypasta. In an NPR interview Knudsen explained that he feels more like the creature’s manager than its creator. Soon online forums speculated that Slender Man had not been created by Knudsen, but was a real entity described by ancient cultures around the world. A recent book by Rev. Robin Swope (aka “The Paranormal Pastor”) asserts that Slender Man is an actu…
…es that matter most to Jewish Americans,” reads the new section of the web site of the Super PAC Ready for Hillary, Jewish Americans Ready for Hillary! (Don’t forget the exclamation point to indicate your ultimate readiness). “In every corner of this country, members of the Jewish American community are signing up to say that they are Ready for Hillary!” (Again.) According to a press release from Clinton’s effusive Jewish supporters, Rachel Schnei…
…to the space as “sacred,” and suggest people will make “pilgrimage” to the site. The language is more than mere museum visitor attending a public institution. The space is hallowed ground. We secular people may not believe we are fetishists, bowing to divine sculptures for help in fertility and war, but our responses at memorials and museums show that we at least continue to be functional animists. There is an animating force at work within the ma…
…ople into the classroom to speak about their faiths, and by visiting local sites that are important to faith communities—all the while focused on keeping to an academic, “outsider” (and not devotional, “insider”) perspective. To those of who report on religion and its role in society and culture, it seems clear that a solid education should include the study of religion(s). And yet there’s some confusion about what it means to teach religion as a…
…are leaving the church in droves. Well we’re thinking of starting a second site because we have so many young adults. Do you think you’ve found a way to re-engage those young people? There are generational realities and cultural realities. Most of the time if someone from a mainline church says, “We have young people who come,” they’re probably “old” young people who are not necessarily postmodern even though they are chronologically young. Post-m…
…We’re working hard to create a better, faster, more nimble site. If there’s a feature you’d really like to see, or a glitch that needs attention, drop us a line at info@religiondispatches.org and we’ll put it on the list. –The Eds …
