Category: Popular Culture
The Rise of the Theological Left: A Response to Tony Jones
A new study from Public Religion Research Institute has been getting a decent amount of press lately, mostly for its contention that theological progressives in the U.S. are on pace to outnumber th... Read More
Am I Trayvon? Zimmerman? Both?
Originally Published on The Huffington Post As I strolled outside my Manhattan apartment this morning, reflecting on the Trayvon Martin decision, I had one of those moments that would shatter any poss... Read More
My Folk Rock Prophets
Some people assume that because I grew up outside organized religion I grew up without prayers, or hymns, or prophets. Knowing what I now do about all those things, I can see why pity creeps into stra... Read More
“The Libyan Revelation: Why Recent Events in Libya Should Revolutionize America’s Approach to the Muslim World” by Christopher C. Smith
On September 11, 2012, some fifty masked and heavily armed Islamists attacked an American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The compound’s staff was evacuated to another facility, but that fac... Read More
Virtue is its Own Reward: Why Michael Pollan’s “Cooked” is a Religious Text
After perhaps my 20th snide comment about something in "Cooked" that annoyed me, my fiancee asked me if I would please shut up and allow her to enjoy her food porn. This is an entirely reasonable req... Read More
“Recognizing a Saint: The Politics of Identity within the Canonization of Kateri Tekakwitha,” by Erin Routon
In 2006, a young boy in Washington State named Jake Finkbonner was playing basketball when he hit his face on the rim. As a result of that injury, Jake caught a flesh-eating bacteria that nearly too... Read More
Buddha Jayanti at Buddhist Vesak: Time of Spiritual Recollection, Celebration, Penance, and Renewal
Introduction Every year in the late spring, Buddhists all over the world celebrate Vesak, i.e., the birth, death, and enlightenment of Siddhārtha Gautama, who came to be known as Śākyamuni Buddha, ... Read More
Open Letter to Seema Jilani: A Small Step Toward Taking Responsibility for White Privilege
Now, not all undergraduate students are receptive to hearing about white privilege, but for those who are, their experience is not unlike the experience of the pilgrims in the Christian story of Pente... Read More