The Urbanophile discusses the vibrant presence of religion in modern metropolises.
here & there
Announcements, events, and opportunities related to topics of interest to TIF readers are posted here. Additionally you may find round-ups of news items and brief commentary on current events.
For a listing of all of the events announcements, click here.
For a listing of announcements regarding books, click here.
here & there
Religion and democracy
by Sam HanOver at Boston Review, Princeton political scientist Jan-Werner Müller has written a lengthy article considering the rise of Christian (Catholic) Democratic parties in Western Europe and the Christian socialism of Jacques Maritain that had gained political traction in the middle years of the last century. He considers whether this history, largely unrecognized in the United States, bares any lessons for the prospects of overtly religious political parties---like the AKP in Turkey---in liberal democracies.
November 9, 2010
here & there
The Hedgehog Review revisits secularism
by John D. BoyThe fall 2010 issue of The Hedgehog Review addresses the question, "Does religious pluralism require secularism?" Several contributions are freely accessible online: Rajeev Bhargava's essay on secular states, Charles Taylor's on the meaning(s) of secularism, and Craig Calhoun's on a non-subtractive understanding of secularism.
November 9, 2010
here & there
Paranormal activity
by Charles GelmanMark Oppenheimer, of The New York Times, profiles Jeffrey Kripal, author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion (2008) as well as the forthcoming Authors of the Impossible: The Paranormal and the Sacred, who advocates that the study of the supernaturalism and paranormal phenomena be integrated into the study of religion.
November 16, 2010
here & there
New blog on religion and modernity
by Jessica PolebaumContending Modernities, a research initiative of the University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, has launched a new blog, featuring essays by Margot Badran, Daniel Madigan, S.J., Vincent Rogeau, and Scott Appleby, as well as video and information on the project's upcoming launch events in New York City.
November 17, 2010
here & there
‘Tis the season for reason
by Aaron WeinsteinIn this age of overt commercialization of the holiday season---where no sooner have children returned from trick-or-treating than Christmas music is pumped through convenience store aisles on loop---Americans have become accustomed to the omnipresence of seasonal cheer. But, as Laurie Goodstein noted in The New York Times the this past week, there is a new band of interest groups wrangling for the holiday spotlight: "Just in time for the holiday season, Americans are about to be hit with a spate of advertisements promoting the joy and wisdom of atheism."
November 17, 2010
here & there
Alternative Catholic churches in Belgium
by David WalkerThe New York Times features an article about a grassroots movement in Belgium and the Netherlands "that defies centuries of Roman Catholic Church doctrine by worshiping and sharing communion without a priest."
November 18, 2010
here & there
Getting one’s atheism on the cheap
by Charles GelmanJacques Berlinerblau, on The Chronicle of Higher Education's Brainstorm blog, enumerates some of the prevalent misconceptions that inform what he calls "Pop Atheism."
November 18, 2010
here & there
Muslims and their garb
by John D. BoyA few weeks have passed since Juan Williams, the erstwhile NPR commentator, said that he gets nervous when he sees passengers in "Muslim garb" on an airplane. A website called Pictures of Muslims Wearing Things has exposed just how ludicrous the concept of "Muslim garb" is.
November 19, 2010
here & there
“Women, Family, and Society in Islam and Catholicism”
by Jessica PolebaumThe University of Notre Dame's Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies concluded the New York City launch of its new research initiative, Contending Modernities, this morning with a four-woman panel discussion on "Women, Family, and Society in Islam and Catholicism."
November 19, 2010