Category: Popular Culture
Religious Literacy: Knowledge vs. Understanding
Religious literacy is important to me. It drives my commitment to interfaith and to education; it is essential to progressing into a more understanding and empathetic world. I catch myself giving impr... Read More
About Comparing the Movement for Marriage Equality to the Civil Rights Movement, Part II
Part I of this series started to look at the arguments and logic of a amici brief that was prepared by Christian conservatives in Michigan. The brief, which is meant to challenge recent legal developm... Read More
About Comparing the Movement for Marriage Equality to the Civil Rights Movement, Part I
Kate Abbey-Lambertz at the Huffington Post reports on an amicus brief filed by 110 conservative black pastors from Michigan. The brief is meant to oppose recent developments towards marriage equality ... Read More
Popular Culture as Common Ground: Doctor Who as a Third Space for Interreligious Dialogue
People who know me well know that I am a pretty big fan of the British Sci-fi series Doctor Who. And by pretty big fan, I mean grade-A certified Whovian who watched the 50th anniversary special in 3D ... Read More
An Open Letter From a Rabbi to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver: A Jewish Response to Donald Sterling
Dear Commissioner Adam Silver, Thank you for taking such swift and just action against Mr. Donald Sterling, the owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, for his disparaging remarks against black people. Th... Read More
“I Wanted to Be an Iconoclast”: A Protest Against the Pledge of Allegiance and a Call to True Iconoclasm
This past week, my stickler-for-the-rules seven-year-old son got in trouble at school for refusing to stand for and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. This refusal came not from a strong familial protes... Read More
Religious Interactions, Pop Culture, & Historical Imagination (Spoiler Alert)
Religious themes currently permeate the film and television industries in the United States. The film Noah still floats toward the top of the charts leading to interesting conversations about authen... Read More
The Myth of a Judeo-Christian Tradition
In the United States, it’s common to hear frequent and impassioned references to the concept of ‘Judeo-Christian’ culture, ethics, or values. Any cursory review of American media wil... Read More