There is a trap in the study of religion and politics. All traditions are equally susceptible to it, but as…
The religion trap
Riverbanks
We had never rented an RV. We had never imagined ourselves renting an RV. It seemed like the last thing…
The Idea of the Muslim World and the global politics of religion
The idea of the Muslim world enables narratives in which Islam “causes” people to do things.
Theologies of American exceptionalism: Moreton and Paarlberg
"For its proponents, Americans and perhaps others, Christian free enterprise is not a religion but a natural way of being,…
Theologies of American exceptionalism: Introduction
The one-day workshop which produced these essays focused on “Theologies of American Exceptionalism,” asking participants to expound on an exemplary…
Religion and politics beyond religious freedom
I would like to thank each of the contributors to this series for their generous engagement with my book, Beyond…
Making up people
Several decades ago in an essay entitled “Making Up People,” the Canadian philosopher Ian Hacking wrote that, “if new modes…
Beyond Religious Freedom—An introduction
Last summer I read All Can Be Saved by the eminent historian of colonial Latin America, Stuart Schwartz. It’s a…
The specific order of difficulty of religion
In a recent essay on equality and citizenship in a multi-religious Sudan, Noah Salomon describes a commitment among development experts to…
Believing in religious freedom
Like a good movie, the story of international religious freedom offers something for everyone. It pits cowardly oppressors against heroic…