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   Waiting for John Frum The Washington Post's Peter Carlson previews the Smithsonian's report on John Frum Day, the high holy day of one of the last so-called "cargo cults" -- religious movements formed during the WWII era among South Pacific islanders reacting against the... [ Continue reading: ] Religious Freedom in Romania Forum 18 reports that a controversial Romanian religion bill set for debate tomorrow has minority religious groups (including evangelicals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Adventists, Baptists and other Protestants, Greek Catholics and Baha'is) worried about the religious liberty that will be afforded to... [ Continue reading: ] Evangelical Branches The Los Angeles Times recycles an old, and never very fresh story-line -- evangelicals are "branching out" to include issues of poverty and environmentalism in their agenda -- just in time for the State of the Union address. The semblance... [ Continue reading: ] How to Read the Bible Marc Zvi Brettler, Brandeis University professor of biblical literature and author of How to Read the Bible, speaks with NPR's Terry Gross about reading the Bible with "the historical-critical approach," and viewing it as an anthology that "speaks in multiple... [ Continue reading: ]  The AIDS Aid Money Trail Nearly a quarter of President Bush's $15 billion HIV/AIDS program is earmarked for faith-based groups, with $200 million specifically set aside for groups without experience working with government grants. As could be expected, many groups that promote abstinence only, rather... [ Continue reading: ] Refusal Legislation Rob Stein, of The Washington Post, tallies the number of "conscience clause" bills under consideration in more than a dozen state congresses that would codify the right of health care workers to refuse to provide treatment or care that conflicts... [ Continue reading: ] Polite Sharia For liberal Palestinians fearful that the newly-elected Hamas party intends to enforce Islamic law on the country's citizens, senior Hamas leaders say, take heart: yes, Sharia will be used as a guide for legislation, but only in a "polite way"... [ Continue reading: ] "More Jewish" Gentiles Orthodox Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein, a veteran of efforts to bring evangelicals and Jews together over Israeli issues, continued his work this Sunday, when he spoke to the congregation of New Life Church in Colorado Springs at the invitation of National... [ Continue reading: ]  Brand Name Buddhism Melissa Benner eats Tet and keeps clean in Vietnam, where detergent commercials blend Buddhism and advertising. [ Continue reading: ]  Wingspread Declaration Scott Jaschik from Inside Higher Ed reports on "The Wingspread Declaration on Religion and Public Life: Engaging Higher Education," a manifesto-in-progress concerning the role of religion on college campuses. The declaration, written by the Society for Values in Higher Education,... [ Continue reading: ]  Revising Night Peter Manseau on Elie Wiesel and the Hazards of Holocaust Theology. [ Continue reading: ] One-Love Senator Sam Brownback's democracy: "'This, [he says,] being senator, running for president, waving the flag of a Christian nation -- 'is about serving one constituent.' He raises a hand and points above." The Revealer's Jeff Sharlet meets "God's Senator," in... [ Continue reading: ] Half/Life: Jew-Ish Tales Sharlet: Publishers Weekly reviews Revealer contributor Laurel Snyder's new edited volume, Half/Life: Jew-Ish Tales From Interfaith Homes."'Half' is an interesting, incorrigible, perplexing and profound moniker in its own right, a label that somehow captures the existential angst that all people experience." Mine, anyway; I've an essay in the book, which is forthcoming in April. Fellow contributor Katherine Weber's essay, "Oy, Tannenbaum" appeared this past December in the NYT. [ Continue reading: ] "God is Love (Homosexuality is Not)" Everybody knows that NYT reporters just want people to be nice, and Ian Fisher proves that today by cooing over Pope Benedict's new encyclical... [ Continue reading: ]  R-Rated Religion The ultra-conservative (but not actually secretive) Catholic group, Opus Dei is calling for the film adaptation of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, which will open the Cannes film festival this May, to be given an adult rating to prevent... [ Continue reading: ] Wayward Evangelical Soldiers Religion professor and author of The Beloved Community: How Faith Shapes Social Justice, From the Civil Rights Movement to Today, Charles Marsh, reprimands his fellow evangelical believers for "recasting Christian doctrine" in order to follow their "wayward" brother in Christ,... [ Continue reading: ] Rise Up, Rich Men and Soldiers! Pity the poor New York Times, struggling to cover foreign affairs as best it can absent serious discussion of class and religion... [ Continue reading: ]  Theocracy, Eh? Kathryn Joyce: Stephen Harper brings the culture wars north to Canada. [ Continue reading: ] The Heartwarming Business Jacques Steinberg of The New York Times investigates the fate of a reality TV show that was scheduled to appear last summer on ABC, but instead was shelved indefinitely, possibly due to an ideological conflict of interests between the heartwarming... [ Continue reading: ] Salt Lake Evolution The Utah Senate initially approved a bill last Friday that would make public school teachers include anti-evolution caveats when teaching the about the origins of life: a position the ACLU, which opposes the bill, has likened to the textbook stickers... [ Continue reading: ]  He Died on Good Friday... "But it is relevant to his theme to note that thanks to Booth's derringer ball, the Lincoln who had let Jesus go became the Lincoln who resembled Jesus. Quickly Lincoln the icon pushed Washington upstairs: The self-made rail-splitter became the... [ Continue reading: ] Black Jesus Jesus as Steve Biko (well, if Biko spoke Xhosa), this week in Utah, when the South African film portraying Jesus as a modern-day African revolutionary, Son of Man, premieres at Sundance.... [ Continue reading: ]  The Unholy Alliance Fights Back World Harvest Church Pastor Rod Parsley, whose products you can read about here, along with his fellow megachurch "patriot pastor," Rev. Russell Johnson, has come under sharp criticism from a group of 30 liberal-moderate ministers. The critics' group, hosted by... [ Continue reading: ] God Sez New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin joins the swollen ranks of bumbling politicians and clerics made to apologize to the public after declaring that some instance of God's wrath is punishment for a wayward citizenry. During a Martin Luther King Day... [ Continue reading: ]  Libel and Blood Libel Nearly a month after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made his Christmas Eve address to his nation, which included his debated comment that, "'minorities, the descendants of those who crucified Christ, have taken over the riches of the world,'" the conservative... [ Continue reading: ] Faith-Based Lawsuit Approved From the 7th Circuit U.S. Appeals Court in Chicago, an important ruling in the case Freedom From Religion Foundation v. Elaine Chao, et al. will allow taxpayers to challenge executive-directed programs -- in this case, namely Bush's Faith-Based Initiative --... [ Continue reading: ]  God's Kinder, Gentler Army Fetal funerals, ultrasound machines, and baby bonnets for women who want abortions. John Leland of The New York Times reports on the kinder, gentler side of the anti-abortion movement, one that advances its aims through innocuous-sounding Bible studies, church-run pregnancy... [ Continue reading: ] My God! Abramoff. "'After reading the e-mail, it became pretty obvious he was putting money before God. We are righteously casting him out.'" Hard times are here for Ralph Reed, candidate for lieutenant governor of Georgia, as the Georgia Christian Coalition -- a... [ Continue reading: ] Actual Episcopalians In response to the irreverent and over-hyped new NBC sitcom, The Book of Daniel, the Episcopal Diocese of Washington -- part of the Episcopal Church that serves as fictional premise for the show -- is playing the good sport, having... [ Continue reading: ] Natural Christian Poetry Ever had the irresistible urge to see the culture wars put to tortured verse? To understand anew the debates surrounding abortion, evolution, and the fires awaiting a "post-Christian" Europe through the medium of Christian poetry? Well, then! Here you go:... [ Continue reading: ]  The Messy, Cosmic Landscape "'I have no need for this hypothesis.'" Through its annual education supplement, The Village Voice investigates another kind of Intelligent Design critic: string theoritician Leonard Susskind, the physicist author of the recent book, The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the... [ Continue reading: ] Shiavo/Sharon Shiavo/Sharon? The AP predicts that Ariel Sharon's response after doctors bring him out of his artificial, drug-induced coma -- either regaining consciousness, or requiring life support -- could spark serious Jewish debate on the halachically correct approach to rejecting life-prolonging... [ Continue reading: ] Antagonistas News from the front: Planned Parenthood antagonizes the American Life League with a series of pro-condom key chains that riff on the religious (spinning off of Michelangelo's depiction of God and Adam) and the patriotic (Uncle Sam posters, American flag... [ Continue reading: ]  Forgiving Eye for the "Part of God's Plan" Guy The Times Online reports on a proposed campaign among Vatican officials to perform an extreme makeover on one of the Bible's worst baddies: the ultimate betrayer, Judas Iscariot. Under the proposal, Judas would be redeemed through a "re-reading" of his... [ Continue reading: ] "Letter of 500" Fascism Continues in Russia After eight Russian Jews were stabbed during a Wednesday night attack on a Moscow synagogue, and after a year of growing anti-Semitic, racist and xenophobic sentiments among Russian nationalists, and several recent attacks on African immigrants and gypsies, the Federation... [ Continue reading: ] Stop the War on Easter Now! Do you feel more or less persecuted than last year? Georgia Republican state representatives play to their constituencies, with some after-the-fact Christmas- (and possibly Easter) saving legislation, on behalf of "persecuted Christians."... [ Continue reading: ] If Brooke Hurley Had Breasts, She Would Not Be Dancing With Ben Tel Sharlet: Lest anyone think my taste for stupid dick jokes is limited to making fun of fundamentalist swordsmen, a link to a rare exercise in Jewish adolescent fiction kindly published by my comrades at Killing the Buddha. Of course, the real joke is that the right wing magic sword thing is true, while the mundane teen angst tale is entirely made up. I never had a thing for shoes. [ Continue reading: ]  The Only Good Muslims Christian apocalypticist and host of the recently cancelled Trinity Broadcast Network show, "International Intelligence Briefing," Hal Lindsey takes his case to Fox's "Hannity & Colmes," defending himself against TBN's publicized concerns that Lindsey's views were offensive to their Middle Eastern... [ Continue reading: ] Philosophy of Design Intelligent Design gets set for another trial, with a group of California parents suing a rural high school which introduced the evolution alternative as a philosophy elective. The new case, if it holds up, could force a more nuanced discussion... [ Continue reading: ] Acid Devils While 2.5 million Muslim pilgrims making hajj stone the devil (under heavy police supervision to prevent stampedes), NPR raises him right back up with an examination of "Backmasking" in acid rock songs and other music, as part of a special... [ Continue reading: ] Poppa's Got A Brand New Sword Do you experience erectile dysfunction? Would you like a little more size? Pastor Rod Parsley wants to help -- he'll turn your "male headship" into a deadly weapon with extra inches. [ Continue reading: ] Constitutional Abstention In a lawsuit filed last month in Georgia, a 10th grade student, Jessica Bradley, and her father are suing a private Christian high school, Covenant Christian Academy, for expelling Bradley for "sexual immorality" after the teenage girl kissed another girl... [ Continue reading: ] Worldly Retribution Lo and behold, Pat Robertson has managed to louse up his own plans this time, if a euphemism like "louse up" can still be used when talking about a $50 million tourism partnership lost. After Robertson's ill-conceived announcement that God... [ Continue reading: ]  Klingenschmitt Fast Lt. Gordon James Klingenschmitt, the Navy chaplain who began hunger striking outside the White House eighteen days ago over alleged prohibitions on praying in the name of Jesus, has declared his campaign a success, to the apparent bafflement of the... [ Continue reading: ] Thoughts for the Day "Thought for the Day," a three-minute BBC segment that, for 36 years, has been allotted for religious perspectives on topical issues, may soon be opened up to secular contributors after years of lobbying by the British National Secular Society. While... [ Continue reading: ] We Will Bury You A Justice Sunday III bulletin from the Rev. Herbert H. Lusk II, the pastor of the Greater Exodus Baptist Church, the inner-city Philadelphia church where conservative Christians have convened to rally for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. Preached Lusk, who... [ Continue reading: ] Pray for Rain Religion of the Ages: Amid severe, drought-fueled wildfires, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who made headlines last year for his much-publicized "covenant marriage" ceremony with his long-time wife, has issued an official proclamation directing citizens of the state to pray for... [ Continue reading: ]  Jew Love "'I feel jealous sometimes. This term that keeps coming up in the Old Book -- the Chosen, the Chosen.'" The Washington Post's Alan Cooperman delivers another thoughtful report, about the evangelical-Jewish alliance, using the pastorship of the Jew-loving, Southern Baptist... [ Continue reading: ] Voodoo Fest How do you do the voodoo? The BBC features a reader forum on whether voodoo is good or evil, on the eve of the annual voodoo festival in Benin, where 60% of the population practices the religion. Not an empirical... [ Continue reading: ] Holy Wars Are Still Now A funny little article from Charles Haynes, the First Amendment Center representative and talking head of choice for all things litigio-cultural. Even as Haynes predicts little respite from religious controversies in 2006, he affects fatigue with the culture wars he's... [ Continue reading: ] Holy Oiling the Machine Via Salon, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday on the clandestine consecration of the hearing room where the questioning of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito is taking place today. The consecration -- which included blessing the doors to the room,... [ Continue reading: ] Straight Religion Knight Chair of Media and Religion at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California, and our colleague here at The Revealer, Diane Winston, deconstructs the "Book of Daniel" debacle, suggesting that the real story isn't the... [ Continue reading: ]  Men of God and Abramoff Salon.com's Joe Conason tallies the number of religious figures and moralizing laymen involved in the Jack Abramoff scandals (such as Ralph Reed and Tom DeLay), saving his best bile for Rabbi Daniel Lapin, an apologist for Christian conservatives whose fake... [ Continue reading: ] "Giving Voice" to MLK Max Blumenthal has a smart take-down of the conservative revisionist history that's enabled Christian activists such as Tony Perkins, Chuck Colson and Jerry Falwell to posture as the rightful heirs of the civil rights legacy -- going so far as... [ Continue reading: ] Hear God's Voice; Dream God's Dreams Quadruple your ability to hear God's voice: "'[it takes] a lot of the guess work out.'" One of the better press releases we've seen in a while.... [ Continue reading: ] The Book of Pat From the land of absent internal censors: Pat Robertson wonders aloud whether the sudden stroke suffered by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, whom Robertson nonetheless considers "a very likable person," was divine retribution for organizing the Gaza withdrawal last year.... [ Continue reading: ]  Doing Little for God or Conservatism The surprisingly successful campaign of Chilean Socialist, agnostic presidential candidate, Michelle Bachelet, has been making global news for over a month, at The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and the BBC, all of which make note of her lack... [ Continue reading: ] How the Other Half Worships "In the little church, everybody is sort of a king." Urban blight photographer, Camilo Jose Vergara, releases a new book, How the Other Half Worships, about the world of storefront churches: make-do houses of worship contained within the shells of... [ Continue reading: ]  The Late, Great Hal Lindsey Report An inside scandal (of limited proportions) at Trinity Broadcast Network, which reportedly just cancelled Hal Lindsey's weekly television program, "International Intelligence Briefing," over concerns that the famous Christian Zionist and author of The Late, Great Planet Earth was offending Arabs... [ Continue reading: ] Bill O'Reilly v. Liberal Jews "Are U.S. Jews really worried the Christian right is trying to control the country?" That's the thoroughly disingenuous question Bill O'Reilly proposes for his "The O'Reilly Factor" show tonight, upon which he'll interview Reform Rabbi James Rudin, a long-time adviser... [ Continue reading: ] American Visitation The National Catholic Reporter's John L. Allen, Jr., looks into the ongoing apostolic visitation of American seminaries, a Vatican order that coincides with its recent ruling against gay priests, and finds that most host seminaries found the one-week visits to... [ Continue reading: ] Holy Land: Holy Land A coalition of U.S. evangelical groups, led by none other than Pat Robertson, is negotiating with the Israeli government to lease 125 acres of land in Galilee -- possibly at no charge from Israel's ministry of tourism -- in order... [ Continue reading: ]  Pashkevil-joy Joel Greenberg of The Chicago Tribune, surveys the admonitory posters, or pashkevils, which cover the walls of ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods in Jerusalem, warning the haredim against movie-watching, "media of all kinds," and tight clothes, even as much of secular Israel begins... [ Continue reading: ] Historical Jesus Goes to Trial It's like Miracle on 34th Street, the Scopes trial, and The Greatest Story Ever Told all wrapped up in one; a story-line made in TV mini-series heaven. Christianity itself -- or at least one of its humble servants, Italian priest... [ Continue reading: ] Saint More The Guardian re-names Thomas More the patron saint of "liars and bullies," on the occasion of two plays opening about the theologian in London.... [ Continue reading: ]  Jesus TV: Milking the Culture War Time magazine gives a preview of "The Book of Daniel," an NBC sitcom premiering this Friday, which already has all its liberal-moderate Christian street creds in order, having managed to piss off the American Family Association with screeners that the... [ Continue reading: ] Reporting Faith Based Initiatives Frank James of The Chicago Tribune runs through the laundry list of lawsuits pending against faith-based groups accused of proselytizing while they provide the community services they're funded for. A number of the cases are familiar: Silver Ring Thing's high-budget... [ Continue reading: ] Megachurch Turnover Robert Schuller, among the inventors of the modern megachurch, turns the Crystal Cathedral's pulpit over to his son. The LA Times reports that "unlike televangelists such as Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson, the elder Schuller stayed out of politics." Yes... [ Continue reading: ] Great Stuff New recruit, on her way to Iraq: "You can just hope God is on your side and move through the tour and all that other great stuff." (NYT)... [ Continue reading: ] ID News Unexpected allies for the Intelligent Design movement: Orthodox Jews.... [ Continue reading: ] Imams for Hire NYT reports that the Lincoln Group, a U.S. contractor recently exposed as subverting the Iraqi press by placing propaganda articles, has also been making quiet payments to Sunni clerics in Iraq. The Times article, by David S. Cloud and Jeff Gerth, is a clumsy effort, unsure of where to point readers' indignation. After all, is it a bad thing if the U.S. hires Sunni clerics to advise the military on better relations? Yes, actually, if you believe in freedom of religion. [ Continue reading: ]  Chronicling C.S. Lewis: Marketing and Mythology Lewis' theology was concerned with myth, which is why he cannot be fully appropriated by the kind of evangelicalism that is buying up copies of Mere Christianity. [ Continue reading: ] |