Mitt Romney angered evangelicals during his first White House run in 2008 by blurring the theological lines between their faith and his Mormonism. Lurching in the other direction, he irked them again by scarcely mentioning religion at all during this year’s GOP primaries. But Romney has finally found some middle ground, evangelical leaders say, by sidelining theology and stressing the “Judeo-Christian values” that he shares with social conservatives. “He’s made it very clear not to gloss over the theological differences... Read more

A darker side is re-emerging and gaining ground. There is an increase in xenophobia, homophobia, discrimination, racism, religious intolerance and attacks on minorities – fuelled by far-right and populist agendas – and all too often by religious extremists. Far-right parties are gaining ground in Europe at an increasingly alarming speed. The recent disgraceful video and cartoon insults on Prophet Muhammad, and the controversial adverts in New York subway stations with the intent to insult and incite hatred, in the name... Read more

The religious right leaders and right-wing media predicting apocalyptic scenarios if President Obama is re-elected are just playing political games.  When Robert Knight says an Obama victory will “push us over” the edge into “losing our constitutional republic,” or Matt Barber says the election is about “good vs. evil” and “may determine whether we as a nation sink or swim, live or die,” or when John Hagee says it will “bring absolute socialism,” they’re just talking out of their collective... Read more

Throughout the 21st century one of the most hotly debated political issues has been the western view of Islam as a “terrorist” supporting religion and the reaction of Muslims to “desecration” of the name or memory of the prophet. While some Muslims rally in favor of bans condemning these western views of their belief system and others engage in behaviors the west considers appalling, there is frequently similar rage directed against Sikhs, Christians, Jews, and atheists in the United States.... Read more

The notion that societies should separate their religions from their politics has been around awhile. For the most part, in countries around the world, it seems that more and more less and less of their citizens are having a problem with secularism.   That is not the case in the United States and the 2012 election that country is engaged in is a case in point. Faith is mentioned repeatedly by all candidates and for a candidate to win any... Read more

I am both a leftist and a religious person – a fairly traditional adherent of the Jewish faith. To me these two facets of my intellectual life have always supported and strengthened one another. Nevertheless, I have grown quite accustomed to rhetoric which casually lumps religious belief alongside vile forms of oppression. This sort of thinking has unfortunately been standard among many on the left for more than a century. The Russian anarchist Mikhail Bakunin laid the groundwork for the standard... Read more

Socio-Theological Insights from Tupac Amaru Shakur September 13, 1996, marks the death of rapper, activist, and Hip Hop saint Tupac Amaru Shakur, one of rap’s most famed and beloved rappers. Tupac presented many with a discourse of the urban life from an urbanites perspective. Tupac did not just create a space for the “thug” to be better understood, but connected with the disenfranchised, marginalized, and disheartened soul to move deep into the complexities of what life brings to our front... Read more

by Andre E. Johnson, author of  The Forgotten Prophet: Bishop Henry McNeal Turner and the African American Prophetic TraditionI have just returned from the Association of the Society of African American Life and History (ASALH) where I had the opportunity to present work on Bishop Henry McNeal Turner as part of my on going effort to reclaim the prophetic voice of Turner. After presenting my paper, “Cry in the Wilderness: (Re) Claiming the Prophetic Voice of Bishop Henry McNeal Turner, a... Read more

By Crystal S. Lewis R3 Contributor I was checking my social media accounts this morning when I noticed that an article by author and businessman Alan Miller was getting a fair amount of attention on Facebook. He has written an opinion piece for CNN titled “My Take: ‘I’m spiritual but not religious’ is a cop-out”. The title caught my eye because I’ve been privately working through some of my issues with organized/institutionalized religion. In that process, I’ve been making peace... Read more

The Forgotten Prophet: Bishop Henry McNeal Turner and the African American Prophetic Tradition, by Andre E. Johnson, is a study of the prophetic rhetoric of 19th century African Methodist Episcopal Church bishop Henry McNeal Turner. By locating Turner within the African American prophetic tradition, Johnson examines how Bishop Turner adopted a prophetic persona. As one of America’s earliest black activists and social reformers, Bishop Turner made an indelible mark in American history and left behind an enduring social influence through... Read more