No, The American Church Isn’t ‘in Exile’: Among the many discussions about Rod Dreher’s Benedict Option is this contribution from David Congdon. Students can find links to other commentaries and points of view, using this piece as a point of departure for their own assessment. Says Congdon, “Many Christians have already put down their weapons […]
Why the Lord Doesn’t Allow David to Build the Temple: This essay from Jewish poet Atar Hadari discusses why David is not God’s person or politician of intersection between the Temple and Israel. David remains a revolutionary hero, a guerrilla leader and desert tribal bandit—too much of a renegade at heart to be entrusted with His house. […]
The Science of Sinning Less: What new research reveals about self-control and willpower — Few topics in social science right now are hotter than willpower and self-control, considering both the number of studies on the subject and the disputes over their validity. Psychologists, sociologists, and other scientists aren’t just interested in self-control’s practical benefits. They want to […]
Under Caesar’s Sword (from the University of Notre Dame): By all counts, religious freedom violations are on the rise worldwide. Islamist extremism and ethnic nationalism have pushed persecution to record levels three years in a row, according to Open Doors research. Christians bear the brunt, experiencing between 60 percent to 80 percent of religious discrimination, UCS […]
Predicting Faculty Integration of Faith and Learning: Concern for the secularization of Christian higher education prompts researchers to investigate the extent that faith and learning are integrated at a faculty level and what factors might predict faculty integration. Faculty and administrators concerned with maintaining faith in the classroom may want to consider the contributing factors discussed. […]
A new kind of sacred space on campus: Despite a drop in enthusiasm for organized religion among young people, many are still looking for avenues to spirituality that value dialogue, understanding, empathy and authenticity. The recently opened Snyder Sanctuary at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., is an architectural answer to facilitate this spiritual search, to help people of […]
Don’t Bet On The Emergence Of A ‘Religious Left’: It’s doubtful that a revitalized “religious left” will materialize. The first and perhaps most significant reason for skepticism is that there are far fewer religious liberals today than there were a generation ago, but that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. Advocacy based in religion offers a host of […]
Life Is The Network, Not The Self: The fundamental unit of biology is not the “self,” but the network. This view of life has practical consequences. The fungal growths swarming my Petri dishes have a lesson beyond the immediate practical benefits of managing and studying living networks. Every textbook diagram and every written metaphor shape how we […]
Interview With Religion Writer Bob Smietana: Smietana is senior writer at Facts and Trends magazine whose work has appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, and Christianity Today. “A religion writer is somebody who writes about religion, religious practice, religious from the ideas behind religion to the nitty‑gritty practice to the arguments over money, to the […]
Bible classes in schools can lead to Strife Among Neighbors: Frank S. Ravitch, Chair of Law and Religion at Michigan State University, notes that if a public school offers a class that focuses on religion or the Bible, the material must be taught without promoting any particular religious position: “Teach it, don’t preach it.” These classes cross the line […]
