Two recent contributions from the United Kingdom shed some light on the elusive phenomenon knows as the "emerging church" or, alternatively, the "emergent church" movement.
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Choosing a religious leader
by Winnifred Fallers SullivanIf there is one fixed star in American understandings of religion it is that government should not be in charge of picking religious leaders. Religion should be self-governing and religious leaders should be chosen by their flocks. Any other arrangement would not be free.
July 9, 2010
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HI governor vetoes civil unions bill
by Aaron WeinsteinCiting her belief that the debate over civil unions should settled by referendum and not through the state legislature, Hawaii governor Linda Lingle vetoed a bill Tuesday that would have granted same-sex and unwed heterosexual couples the same legal rights as married couples. Lingle, a 57-year old Republican -- and the first female governor in the Aloha state's history -- explained that her decision was based purely on the merits of the legislation, not on her own moral beliefs.
July 9, 2010
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Presbyterians split on gay-friendly measure
by Jake AlterA vote before the Presbyterian Church's (U.S.A.) General Assembly in Minneapolis this past Thursday allows gays in a committed relationship to serve in the clergy but limits the definition of marriage to that between a man and a woman.
July 9, 2010
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“Women, Religion, and Peace”
by Charles GelmanThe United States Institute of Peace, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs, and the World Faiths Development Dialogue have recently initiated a concerted exploration of "the intersection of women, religion, conflict, and peace." Led by Katherine Marshall (Berkley Center and WFDD) and Susan Hayward (USIP), the project seeks to foster greater attention to women's roles in conflict situations and peacebuilding efforts.
July 9, 2010
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Recognizing the reality of sexual abuse
by Amanda KaplanReuters reports on the Vatican's decision to "revise Church law on sexual abuse of children by priests, doubling a statute of limitations and introducing penalties for child pornography, Catholic Church sources said on Thursday."
July 10, 2010
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“The Origins of the Modern Public”
by Charles GelmanCBC Radio's daily program Ideas, hosted by Paul Kennedy, has run an extensive (14-part) series on "The Origins of the Modern Public," with installments featuring, among others, Michael Warner and Craig Calhoun. The series traces the emergence of the modern public from the early modern period to the present.
July 12, 2010
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“Rethinking secularism,” but in German
by Charles GelmanThe latest issue of Transit, the Austrian journal of European affairs, takes as its theme and thrust "Säkularismus neu denken" (i.e., rethinking secularism). Featuring essays by an international assemblage of major thinkers (including many friends of The Immanent Frame), the issue also situates its intervention specifically in the contemporary European context.
July 12, 2010
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A rhetorical challenge
by Amanda KaplanCriticism from counterterror experts targeting President Obama's recent attempt to curtail the demonization of Islam and Muslims by way of limiting the number of rhetorical references to Islamic radicalism makes the headlines.
July 12, 2010
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Iran’s clerical mobilization
by Jake AlterThe Iranian regime has decided to further curtail dissident opinion among its youth. A few days after cultural authorities "issued guidelines for permissible male haircuts," it was announced that Iran "will send 1,000 religious clerics into schools in Tehran to tamp down Western influence and political opposition." Simultaneously, it has been reported that the Iranian regime looks to strengthen its foothold on the internet and produce more pro-government blogs, reports Nazila Fathi for the New York Times.
July 12, 2010