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(A)theologies, ArchiveDecember 12, 2013

Hell 101: A Back-to-School Reflection on the Persistence of Belief in Eternal Punishment

By Hollis Phelps

Having been taught all their lives that eternal torment is an essential element of Christian belief, my students were, to say the least, surprised at the presence of a universalist strand of thought in the theological tradition—especially coming from such theological heavyweights. What was most surprising to me, though, was their reaction to the teaching: any hint of universal salvation for them negated the whole point of Christianity.

(A)theologies, Archive, Science & TechnologyDecember 12, 2013

Some Thoughts on Richard Dawkins’ Terrible Tweet

By Haroon Moghul

There are other senses in which the Muslim world, by and large, has not ‘excelled,’ and for that perhaps we should be grateful, not caustic. For you cannot claim the planet and eat it too. Nothing the Muslim world has accomplished can possibly compare to the harm done by Western technologies and modes of consumption.

(A)theologies, ArchiveDecember 12, 2013

The Pope’s Gay Priests

By William J. Dohar

Every bishop knows he has gay priests in the ranks—pretending otherwise is surely as much of a moral issue as, say, same-sex marriage. Gay priests work in dioceses and religious orders as pastors, teachers, administrators, right-hand men, chaplains, liturgists and preachers. The bishops know this and yet few are able to speak with the kind of candor the pope manages on a daily basis.

(A)theologies, Archive, Politics/LawDecember 12, 2013

Syria and the American Apocalyptic Imagination: Isaiah 17:1 as “Evidence” of the End

By Jason C. Bivins

“Religious enthusiasm” or the American apocalyptic can be read as modes of the disaffection of the citizen in a time of political delegitimation. We often see this “religion” taking shape most clearly when we focus all the way down, to the odd hybrid of melancholy and triumphalism in these assertions about Damascus.

(A)theologies, Archive, Politics/LawDecember 12, 2013

Egypt and the Problem of Religion

By Asma Afsaruddin

Which side in Egypt is currently on the side of the angels and which not? One likes to assume that in any, particularly political, conflict the good guys can be easily separated from the bad guys; ordinarily the former is assumed to play by the rules of the game…

(A)theologies, ArchiveDecember 12, 2013

Yes, the Navy Yard Shooter Was a Buddhist

By Joshua Eaton

Despite the fact that, like Buddhism, Islam prohibits murder, the two are treated quite differently when it comes to its adherents committing acts of violence.

(A)theologies, Archive, Media AnalysisDecember 12, 2013

Navy Yard Shooting: Why It’s Not a Religion Story

By Michael Jerryson

What seemed to propel the confusion saturating the media’s initial coverage of Aaron Alexis was the role of religion and, more specifically, the profile on Buddhists. Why would a reporter expect a person of another religion to “pick up a weapon and kill twelve people,” but not a Buddhist?

ArchiveDecember 12, 2013

Shutdown is Over, But There Will Be a Next Time

By Diane Winston

FDR is held responsible for many things, but no one has linked his legacy to the recent threat of a government shutdown.

Archive, BooksOctober 29, 2013

Arab Spring: Countering the Naysayers

By Maryam Jamshidi

What inspired you to write The Future of the Arab Spring? The Arab revolutions, which began…

Archive, BooksOctober 23, 2013

Meditation is Not Religion or Spirituality—It’s Technology

By Jay Michaelson

Meditation is not religion, not spirituality—it’s a technology of upgrading the mind that can enrich one’s life, including one’s religious life. We’re used to the idea of physical fitness. Time to get used to the idea of contemplative fitness, and practice at least as diligently.