by Gee JoynerRhetoric Race Religion Contributor In ancient Jewish tradition, an animal sacrifice– most often a lamb– was used as an offering, a tithe if you will, for God to illustrate humankind’s appreciation for the blessings they received from the omnipotent and beneficent Creator, or even a ‘Forgive Me’ card for immoral behavior, sins, and human transgressions. (Hosea 14:3 is referential evidence that Ancient Jews eventually ceased killing innocent beasts for sacrificial offerings—“ Take with you words, and turn to... Read more

Dr. Andre E. Johnson, the Dr. James L. Netters Assistant Professor of Rhetoric & Religion and African American Studies at Memphis Theological Seminary will teach a class in the Fall 2012 semester on use of religious language in political campaigns. Titled “Theologian in Chief: the president as Pastor, Priest, and Prophet,” the class will focus on the 2012 presidential campaign and examine the religious rhetoric of President Obama. He will teach the class in conjunction with the African and African American... Read more

Memphis Theological Seminary  is pleased to announce that Dr. Allan Boesak, South African clergyman, and one of South Africa’s leading spokesmen against the country’s policy of apartheid, will serve as a Visiting Professor for the fall 2012 semester. He will teach two courses at the seminary this coming fall: Tuesdays, 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.: Politics, Faith and Prophetic Witness – A South African Case StudyThis course will explore different periods of South African History. Wednesdays, 8:00 – 11:00 a.m.: “No Future... Read more

by Brian FoulksRhetoric Race and Religion Contributor And only prayers are the tightest game you can have-Andre 3000, “Thought Process” Church was my hustle.-James Baldwin, Fire Next Time The life of a person of faith is one of slippery trajectory into assuredness. The assuredness is the product of the promises of God; the slippery trajectory is the product of fickle humanity. God in God’s infinite wisdom has given humans the chance to explore the divine while trapped in a human... Read more

Young people are turning away from churches because they associate Christianity with Republican politics, a study reveals. Political science Professors David Campbell (University of Notre Dame) and Robert Putnam (Harvard University) published their findings, “God and Caesar in America: Why Mixing Religion and Politics Is Bad for Both,” in the March/April edition of Foreign Affairs. Campbell and Putnam also wrote American Grace: How Religion Divides and Unites Us (2010), which was recently released in paperback. For that book, they have... Read more

Since the time of the French Revolution, liberal democracies and the Roman Catholic Church have experienced a great deal of conflict, both ideological and political. The most recent of these debates focuses on mandate of the Obama administration that will force Catholic Institutions to provide contraceptive coverage and sterilization treatments in their health coverage. Unsurprisingly, this debate has released torrents of charged rhetoric flowing in both directions. However, I don’t believe that the public understands the full scope of the... Read more

Religion ranks as one of the most divisive factors in the world today. Yet, it also has brought billions of people together, forging a shared belief and unity of purpose across wide racial and geographical divides. So how has the power that binds become a force that divides? If we had to boil it down to one word, it would be ignorance — a condition shared by believers and nonbelievers alike. America today is a nation of religious illiterates. Even... Read more

By Jack Newman There is nothing quite like a good controversy to unite people of common interest…especially if that means uniting against a perceived threat. Or at least, such was my expectation when I attended Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs conference on religious freedom on March 1, during which the Center unveiled a newly published book (edited by Timothy Shah), Religious Freedom: Why Now? Defending an Embattled Human Right. Attending an event like this was... Read more

By Katherine M AcostaCountercurrents.org In 1975, country legend Loretta Lynn released a song with these lyrics: All these years I’ve stayed at home While you had all your fun And every year that’s gone by Another baby’s come There’s gonna be some changes made Right here on nursery hill You’ve set this chicken your last time ‘Cause now I’ve got the pill. She was denounced in pulpits throughout the country and the song was banned from many radio stations. It... Read more

by Giovanni Neal BKA Blame GirlRhetoric Race and Religion Contributor Issue: So I am reading this blog post about discrimination in relation to same-sex and interracial marriages, but I see another type of discrimination going on. Who’s to Blame? Blame: The article details the contradiction of the Black community’s stance on same-sex marriage, which we all know is behind. However, the first paragraph is what caught my eye. Months ago, Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church, in Kentucky, turned away an interracial couple,... Read more