At Al Jazeera English, Elizabeth Shakman Hurd gives an abridged history of the past half-century of Tunisian politics, and relays the Enahddan notion that the revolution in Tunisia is neither unambiguously Islamist nor secularist.
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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.
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Neuroscience and free will
by Taline CoxLast month, The Chronicle of Higher Education posted a series of articles discussing “what science can and cannot tell us about free will.”
April 13, 2012
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Frequencies named Official Honoree of the 16th Webby Awards
by Jessica PolebaumFrequencies has been named an Official Honoree of the 16th Annual Webby Awards!
April 13, 2012
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Muslims and the Republican party
by Candice ScharfNona Willis Aronowitz, at GOOD, discusses the impact that Republican, anti-Islamic rhetoric has had on Muslim voters.
April 16, 2012
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Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to Cuba
by Taline CoxLast week at The New Republic, Carlos Eire reviewed the Pope’s recent visit to Cuba.
April 17, 2012
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Modern Mormons and socialism
by David SloaneAt Salon, Troy Williams retells an old Mormon tale and chastises likely Republican candidate for president, Mitt Romney, for abandoning his religion's socialist roots
April 17, 2012
events
Why religious studies?
by David SloaneOn April 18th, Columbia University's Institute for Religion, Culture, and Public Life will host Nathan Schneider for a talk on "Why the World Needs Religious Studies (and Why Religious Studies Needs the World)."
April 17, 2012
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Catholic bishops on religious liberty
by Wei ZhuLast week the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and its Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty released a lengthy statement entitled "Our First, Most Cherished Liberty," the latest manifestation of the tensions between the USCCB and President Barack Obama's administration.
April 19, 2012
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In defense of the sociology of religion
by Candice ScharfIn a recent contribution to ASA Footnotes, Christian Smith explains why it is crucial for sociologists to take religion seriously, arguing that it is imperative for sociologists to overcome ignorance and bias when it comes to religion.
April 20, 2012
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Whose Yoga?
by Phillip QuinteroNPR's Margot Adler reports on the current popularity of yoga in the United States, and its disassociation with Hinduism. She explores the perception of yoga as a form of relaxation and physical exercise, contrasting this with the efforts of the Hindu American Foundation to "take back yoga". Some American Hindus claim that something important is lost when yoga is understood narrowly, that is, without the importance philosophy and lifestyle have for its practice
April 23, 2012