A definition of cipher (see http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cipher) is:  One having no influence or value; a nonentity   A cryptographic system in which units of plain text are arbitrarily transposed or substituted according to a predetermined code; or the key to such a system.  In hip-hop, the cipher is a locale where artists of various backgrounds, commitments, and training come together in a linguistic battle of wit and passion, where “aporetic flow” erupts into competing norms and continuous ad hominem assault. To “cipher”... Read more

The vast majority of humanists, even those actively engaged in the secular movement, share the general public’s sentiments on this issue. Live and let live, right? We should realize, however, that the social norm that discourages the criticism of religion can work to the great advantage of religious political activists. Social conservatives, for example, righteously claiming the highest moral authority grounded in religion, knowing that criticism of religion is considered off-limits, can demand that their policy positions be given legitimacy even when those... Read more

As many writers know, most humans are perpetually affected-whether directly or tangentially-by religion and the rhetoric that is used to discuss it. Because this is the case, it is important for writers to tap into the power that referencing realities pertaining to religion-such as liberation theology and social conformance-can play in generating interest and/or understanding in the mind of one’s audience.Although there are many writers who have made efficacious use of religious rhetoric to emphasize their point, few seem to... Read more

The 16th Street Baptist Church sits in the middle of downtown Birmingham, Alabama. During the heart of the Civil Rights movement, when Birmingham was known across the nation as “Bombingham,” marchers and protesters would assemble at the 16th Street Baptist Church, then walk across the street to Kelly Ingram Park, where they demonstrated against segregated public facilities and the exclusion of black men and women from local businesses. The church served as organizational headquarters for political protests in the city and a... Read more

It did not receive much attention on Monday, January 21 during President Obama’s second inauguration, but some were alarmed when the reporter at the private pre-inaugural worship service at St. John’s Episcopal Church noted that Rev. Andy Stanley, who gave the sermon, referred to the President as “Pastor in Chief.” In an interview with Christianity Today several days after the inauguration, Stanley said his remark had been taken out of context by some reporters, clarifying that it had come from being impressed... Read more

Call for Proposals  This Group, in its desire to further develop the intellectual traditions of the discipline, welcomes individual paper, papers session, and roundtable proposals that seek to address the following:  Black theology and its relationship to social issues (e.g., poverty, healthcare, sexuality, racism, etc.), particularly papers that have particular resonance with, but are not limited to, the concerns addressed by the Baltimore-located HBO TV program The Wire  Black theology in dialogue with world religions  Black theology as an act... Read more

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REGISTER FOR LIVE WEBCAST  LIVING WATERS: UNEARTHING GLOBAL POWER FOR JUSTICE Opening Worship Service Live from Friendship West Baptist Church, Dallas, TX Monday, February 18, 2013 6:45pm – 9:00pm CST Click Here to Register for the 10th Anniversary Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference opening worship service, hosted by Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III and Friendship West Baptist Church. Witness and share the special celebratory and thanksgiving remarks by Dr. Haynes, Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr., and Dr. Iva E. Carruthers.... Read more

The College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center and African American Studies Program2013 Conference and SymposiumSeptember 17-21, 2013Historic Downtown Charleston, SCI believe in the erotic and I believe in it as an enlightening force within our lives as women. I have become clearer about the distinctions between the erotic and other apparently similar forces. We tend to think of the erotic as an easy, tantalizing sexual arousal. I speak of the erotic as the deepest life force, a force which moves... Read more

The Rhetoric Race and Religion book club will convene on March 3, 2013 with a live tweet chat starting at 6:00pmCST using #R3bookclub as our hashtag. To celebrate our 1 year anniversary of the book club, our book for the month of March is David J Leonard’s “After Artest: The NBA and the Assault of Blackness.” Mark Anthony Neal notes that “In After Artest, David Leonard confirms why he is one of the sharpest minds writing about race and sports in America today.”Todd Boyd writes that “David Leonard offers... Read more