On April 12, 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest led a battle on Fort Pillow, a Union Army post located near Memphis. After the fort surrendered, Forrest continued the attack killing or wounding more than 500 Union soldiers and civilians. One-hundred-fifty years later, the debate continues. Was it a battle or a massacre?  Featuring the documentary film  “Remember Fort Pillow”  Produced by Dr. Dee Garceau, Rhodes College  A discussion will follow the showing of the film with panelists:  Dr. Dee Garceau, Rhodes... Read more

CFP: Religion and Popular Culture (MPCA Conference, Indianapolis, October 3–5, 2014):  Deadline April 30, 2014  Proposals for papers, panels, and presentations are invited involving any area of the study of popular culture and religion at the Midwest Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association conference at the JW Marriott Indianapolis, Friday-Sunday, October 3–5, 2014. All topics, approaches, and perspectives relating to religion and popular culture are welcomed and will be considered; we have a very open tent and welcome diversity of content,... Read more

State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s weekly radio show and podcast, comes to you this week from the Georgia Public Broadcasting studios in Macon, GA.  Tune in to hear about the decision to write and produce a big-budget religious blockbuster like “Noah,” finding Dr. King’s legacy in Georgia’s Moral Monday movement, and a Millennial Evangelical response to World Vision’s flip-flop on marriage equality. What’s a Revangelical?Last month, World Vision, a global Christian relief organization, announced that it would begin hiring people... Read more

New research from Allen Downey, a computer scientist at Olin College of Engineering in Massachusetts, shows a startling correlation between the rise of the Internet and the decline of religious affiliation in the United States. According to MIT Technology Review, back in 1990 only eight percent of the U.S. population did not have a religious affiliation. Twenty years later in 2010 that number was up to 18 percent. That is a jump of 25 million people. Americans seem to be losing their... Read more

Can the church say Amen? Who’s ready to get “turnt up?” These sentiments and seemingly conflicting statements described the mighty movement of the Hymns & Hip Hop (#H3C) conference hosted by the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and N.E.W. Leadership Academy in Atlanta that was held on March 28-March 30. In a word, this conference was refreshing! As a part of my thesis and graduate work I have attended various conferences that focus on the recent scholarship and issues in/surrounding Hip Hop. There... Read more

On February 12, 1968, Martin Luther King and his staff completed the master plan for what they dubbed the “Poor People’s Campaign.” The purpose of the campaign was to mobilize masses of impoverished Americans of all races and regions to descend upon the nation’s capital to “place the problems of the poor at the seat of government” and remain until the government announced substantive measures to address their plight. King was uniquely positioned to lead so bold a challenge to... Read more

by Peter Gathje R3 Contributor Hospitality isn’t all sweetness and light.  Mark came in for a shower at Manna House today.  But he was drunk.  So I had a short conversation with him, and not one that was pleasant for him or for me. “Mark, we can’t let you shower today.” “Why not?” “You’ve been drinking.” “I’ve had some, but I’m ok.” “No.  You’re not ok.  You can’t shower here today.  You’re not steady on your feet.  You could fall... Read more

For more than a century, Metropolitan Baptist Church was one of the premier churches in Washington. And for nearly 40 years, the Rev. H. Beecher Hicks Jr. forged a reputation as a “preacher’s preacher,” gathering a flock of as many as 7,000 people at the red brick church at 13th and R streets NW. It was a must stop for local politicians during election seasons, and sitting presidents, including Bill Clinton, would attend services there. Now, the congregation is meeting... Read more

Flip on Daystar television at any hour of the day and you’ll likely see the elements of modern televangelism: a stylish set, an emotional spiritual message and a phone number on the screen soliciting donations. Based in a studio complex between Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, and broadcasting to a potential audience of 2 billion people around the globe, Daystar calls itself the fastest growing Christian television network in the world. The Internal Revenue Service considers Daystar something else: a church. Televangelists... Read more

Neil deGrasse Tyson, the brilliant man behind the re-imagined Carl Sagan television series Cosmos, has created a lot of controversy lately. Young earth creationists are angry at deGrasse Tyson and the show because creationists believe that the earth is about six thousand years old; an idea that is directly contradicted by easily observable scientific evidence. However, while some are very angry with deGrasse Tyson and Cosmos, the show can actually strengthen religion and faith for others. On last Sunday’s episode of Cosmos, deGrasse Tyson... Read more