Religion Dispatches
…k the current movement to past political revolutions and activate cultural scripts of belief and behavior. Other scripted rituals like the singing of protest songs (like “Bayan Ko”), raising one’s right fist, the invocation of national hero Jose Rizal, the holding of candlelight vigils, and even Lozada’s reference to a Filipino Christian culture help to reinforce the “imagined community” and link it across time and space to the Filipino diaspora…
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…cclaim, with many praising its grounded, human focus which, in contrast to Scott’s previous sci-fi thrillers, Alien, Prometheus, or, arguably, the awful Exodus: Gods and Kings, is devoid of aliens, mysticism, and supernatural forces. Instead, The Martian is about smart people solving difficult problems. (How do you grow food on Mars? How do you send more food to Mars as soon as possible? How do you get water out of rocket fuel?) Scott highlights t…
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…tlets in the U.S. became a forum for a surprising debate about spiritual disciplines—the meaning and import of prayer. Layered approaches to prayer and “prayer shaming” dominated public discourse in the days following the shooting. On the right and left, religious and non-religious alike debated the efficacy and appropriateness of prayer. A select set of Senate Democrats tried to foreground the issue of gun control but to no avail, failing to upen…
Read More…from the act, where previously they had been complicit? If so, what’s the number? How long does the list of possible uses have to be to assuage the employer’s conscience enough to let the employees use their compensation for things the employer finds morally repugnant? See, here’s the thing I’d prefer not to believe—because I actually don’t like being cynical, despite how well it often plays on the internet. I’d prefer not to believe that employe…
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…s Do?” led to a belief that Jesus would have cast his lot with Marxism. Rauschenbusch and Grassroots faith As a historical movement, the social gospel embodied a struggle over the policies and tactics to be used to achieve desired political ends, a struggle that continues to be contested among religious progressives today. Yet the debate between Silk and Clarkson goes beyond questions of who gets labeled “priestly” or “prophetic.” It reflects upon…
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…xplore the issues that divide their congregations and communities. After a number of clichés are deployed to describe the deep divisions in US culture—“Our society is getting meaner,” claims one—Colossian resolutely walks participants through various exercises to identify areas of conflict, and helps the pastors work through their differences, respectfully and with love. So far so good. It quickly becomes clear, however, that there’s a major obsta…
Read More…d the 2008 election; as I’ve argued before, he gained support across the a number of demographic groups, and it’s difficult to make the case that Obama won because he finally shed the Democrats’ (imagined) hostility to religion. If you’re a religious person whose faith compels you to favor government programs to support the less economically blessed among us, pulling the lever for McCain-Palin probably wasn’t in the cards. To add insult to injury…
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…e period. The method had limited practical application at the time because science had yet to figure out exactly when during the menstrual cycle women ovulated. But all that changed in the early 1930s when scientists finally determined when ovulation typically occurred, allowing for the development of the rhythm method. It was far from perfect, but it did offer a way to at least slow the growth of a family without resorting to contraceptives. The…
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…el! Samuel! Samuel!” For some this will sound like blasphemy; to others, a scam. To a worldwide group of followers that may number in the millions, though, the story of Eusebio and Samuel is the stuff of modern day revelation. And it’s the guiding narrative for a church that, over the past decades, has harnessed mass spectacle, digital technology, and the power of celebrity to build a global movement. Eusebio founded La Luz del Mundo in 1926, elev…
Read More…eaders had spoken out on the environment. As usual, though, the toplines obscure some important nuances. For example, while not everyone thinks faith is the most important factor on the subject of same-sex marriage, nearly everyone who does is against and Adam and Steve pledging their troth. An astounding 94% of those who rate religion highest oppose marriage equality. You might think that reflects a dismal failure on the part of liberal clergy s…
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