On June 19, 2012, the Southern Baptist Convention elected Rev. Fred Luter of New Orleans, Louisiana as its 57th president. He becomes the first African American to hold that position in the group’s history, dating back to 1845 when the group split with other Baptists because it defended slavery as biblical. Much has been said and written about this historic event and we thought we would capture some of the commentary here. 1. Southern Baptists, Righting Own Racist History, Denounce... Read more

Sean Connable, Ph.D. is a educator and rhetorician at Christopher Newport University. His teaching and research interests include fundamentalism, constitutive rhetoric, and identity; leadership theory; faith and mediated culture; as well as the exploration of a rhetorical approach he calls the “constitutive frame.” He currently serves on the board of Deeper Still Missions, a nonprofit missions support agency, aiding them in research and analysis that is used to assist and mentor missionaries presently active in the mission field. When not... Read more

More than a year after the first stirrings of the Arab Spring, there continues to be a strong desire for democracy in Arab and other predominantly Muslim nations. Solid majorities in Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan believe democracy is the best form of government, as do a plurality of Pakistanis. Indeed, these publics do not just support the general notion of democracy – they also embrace specific features of a democratic system, such as competitive elections and free speech.... Read more

In her new book, The New Religious Intolerance: Overcoming the Politics of Fear in an Anxious Age, Martha Nussbaum extends her distinguished body of work on liberalism, education, literature, and the emotions by turning to the growing anti-Muslim agitations in Europe and the United States. She spoke to Web Editor David V. Johnson by email from the University of Cologne, where she was lecturing on the themes of her book. David Johnson: The idea for the book came from a... Read more

One of the great historical strengths of the progressive movement has been its resolute commitment to the separation of church and state. As progressives, we don’t want our government influenced by anybody’s religious laws. Instead of superstition and mob id, we prefer to have real science, based in real data and real evidence, guiding public policy. Instead of holy wars, othering, and social repression — the inevitable by-products of theocracy — we think that drawing from the widest possible range... Read more

There was a time in America’s history that, when talk turned to religion, it was widely assumed you meant Protestant forms of Christianity. Eventually, and with some struggle, this was broadened to include Catholics and Jews, creating a tri-faith “Judeo-Christian” conception of faith in the United States. Groups outside this understanding were, at the time, either too small, or considered too strange and foreign, to be seriously considered. Thanks to a number of different factors, immigration, social upheaval, and shifting... Read more

The summer months of a presidential election year rarely hint at the “total war” the fall will bring. Publicly, the two campaigns move like panting dogs on an Alabama blacktop in mid-July. Each is content to sniff the other from a safe distance. There are occasional growls, but only such as honor requires. When the two do feel the need to engage, they employ as much mock ferocity as possible in hopes that sheer bluster will win the day. It... Read more

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld today the entire Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (which some have termed Obamacare). In a case unprecedented in its scope, the court said Congress may require citizens to purchase health insurance because it is a form of taxation. Most evangelicals will likely be unhappy with the ruling, according to a recent survey. In a 5-4 decision, the court said Congress acted within its power when it passed the law. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote... Read more

Everything changed after 9/11.” This political mantra has become part of our national life. It is invoked to explain war-making in foreign lands, the creation of government departments such as Homeland Security, and the expansion of federal surveillance powers, both at home and abroad. In the past decade, it has also drawn special attention to the presence of Muslims in the United States. Scholars, analysts, and policy-makers have emphasized the unique nature of the threat posed either by or to... Read more

With the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi elected president of Egypt, many people are asking what this says about how average Egyptians see the role of religion in public life. The United States especially is watching Egypt with interest right now because of the historically strong relationship between the two countries. But to understand religion’s role in Egypt, it is crucial to understand that Egypt contains powerful non-partisan religious voices that preclude religious scholars siding with Islamic parties, as occurred in... Read more