Public Life
Communion of the Saints
By Mark Silk — December 31, 2008
A few days ago, Ed Kilgore over at Beliefnet’s Progressive Revival lamented that the old-time creedal beliefs no longer define the body of the faithful the way they used to. These days, a “conventionally orthodox Protestant” like himself is likely to considered a bad Christian in many conservative Protestant circles because he supports abortion rights […]
Public and Private
By Mark Silk — September 3, 2008
Anyone interested in the place of religion in American public life owes a thoughtful read to Paul Vitello’s fine piece on pastors’ web electioneering and the IRS. In the old days, what was said in church more or less stayed in church; it was a semi-private space where pastors could speak to their congregants without […]
Templeton Time Out
By Mark Silk — July 11, 2008
Over at GetReligion, Mark Stricherz has been perusing the obits for Sir John Templeton, the investment genius and philanthropist whose wallet singlehandedly (who singlewalletedly?) revived the Victorian enterprise of reconciling science and religion. Mark is upset that while a number of them note that Sir John’s grantmaking drew some sharp criticism, not to say secularist […]
Cultural Time Out
By Mark Silk — July 8, 2008
OK, by no stretch is this about religion and the campaign but I couldn’t resist. JULY 8–Lured by $1 beer and the prospect of “hot chicks” and “hardcore fights,” thousands of Arkansans were duped last month into appearing as extras in comedian Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest staged mayhem. Cohen and his confederates organized cage fighting […]
Pew React on Google
By Mark Silk — June 26, 2008
Google News has asked for a comment from me on the Pew Forum’s U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, so for those of you who might be interested, it is here.
Pew-a-thon
By Mark Silk — June 23, 2008
Today, the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released the second installment of its Landscape Survey, this one on religious beliefs and practices. I haven’t had a chance to pick through it carefully, but here are a couple of items worth noting, derived from today’s conference call with the press. First, as longtime readers […]
Ixnay on the ulgarityvay
By Mark Silk — June 17, 2008
In a communication to me, reader B. DelMonico writes, “I appreciate this forum, but could I ask you to please not post comments that use the term “Papal Bull S***”, or at least edit the term out. It is flat-out offensive and has no place in civil discourse.” Being offensive I do not consider grounds […]
Big Tim
By Mark Silk — June 15, 2008
Tim Russert’s death has been so big a story because he was one of those fixed stars in American public life–a journalistic personality who you expected to be there, shining away, as presidents came and went. Usually those stars just grow dim, like Chronkite or Brokaw, reappearing as hosts or commentators for this or that […]
Welcome back, Fr. Mike
By Mark Silk — June 12, 2008
As Saint Sabina’s awaits the return of its pastor Sunday, Chicago Sun Times religion columnist Cathleen Falsani (on a brief leave to finish up a book on religion and the Coen bros.) has written a brief profile of Chicago’s most notorious priest. The mot du jour for the likes of Michael Pfleger (and Jeremiah Wright) […]
In case you’re in the neighborhood
By Mark Silk — June 3, 2008
I’ll be in Boulder Thursday to deliver a keynote speech, “Think Locally, Act Globally,” at a conference on Media, Spiritualities and Social Change” sponsored by Naropa University and the journalistic components of the University of Colorado and the University of Nevada, among others. I’ll be speaking at UC’s University Memorial Center at 3:30. The campaign […]
Field of Marital Dreams
By Mark Silk — May 28, 2008
If the new Field poll is on the money, not only is same-sex marriage a done deal in California, but anything looking like the national GOP of the past generation can pack up and head back east. The only religious bloc in solid opposition are evangelicals (those identifying themselves as born again). Other Protestants (by […]
Bipartisan
By Mark Silk — May 6, 2008
While you’re waiting for Indiana and North Carolina to weigh in, you might make a note of the forthcoming issue of the Review of Faith and International Affairs, which will evaluate the record of U.S. international religious freedom policy since passage of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998. The issue features key foreign policy […]
WHOFBCI
By rvineis — April 22, 2008
Tara Wall hopes that whoever prevails today and in November they will sustain the White House Office of Faith Based Community Initiatives. Wall’s editorial today is part of a quiet discourse about government sponsored religion that hasn’t received as much ink as the candidates’ personal faith.
Blue Populism Rising?
By Mark Silk — April 22, 2008
While the eyes of the country are on PA today, the New York Times‘ Adam Nossiter calls attention to the special election to fill the seat in Mississippi’s first congressional district–the Elvis district in the northeast part of the state centered on Tupelo. There, the Democratic candidate, Travis Childers, seems to be giving his GOP […]
Strange Beach Fellows
By rvineis — April 17, 2008
As promised, here is the advertisment from the Alliance for Climate Protection featuring the odd coupling of Rev. Al Sharpton and Pat Robertson.
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