The wisest possible ordering of society is revealed not in sacred books, but in free and open dialogue of committed citizens. The Muslim world has historically been subject to movements of both reform and renewal. Only the most shallow reading of its history could maintain that social, economic, and political structures haven’t changed, and along with them the way in which Muslims imagine what it means to be a Muslim in a Muslim world. Yet Muslims, and indeed all peoples,... Read more
When the world changes, all commitments must be renewed. Our churches are filled primarily with members driven by inertia, social acceptance, entertainment, and available member services rather than a commitment to God put into practice through worship and service. John Lennon’s great song, Imagine, is often played at Christmas time (apparently without irony) to remember his murder. The song invites us to imagine a world without God and without religion. Can you imagine such a thing? The answer is almost... Read more
We have turned humanity into an object of Christian faith, and social behaviors into essential Christian practices. A couple of decades ago I sat visiting over lunch with my fellow students at the University of Malaya. The conversation turned to our professors. A young woman with her hair wrapped tightly beneath her headscarf and wearing a long, shapeless baju kurong, asked about the religion of my thesis supervisor. I told her that he was Muslim, but that he seemed to... Read more
The fantasy filled fear-mongers like Louie Gohmert and Wayne LaPierre don’t just misrepresnt Muslims or the dangers of fiscal chaos, they misrepresent human nature. And this is far more dangerous to the United States than any terrorist threat because this misrepresentation destroys the fabric of human society in the name of defending it. “The American people clearly see the daunting forces we will undoubtedly face: terrorists, crime, drug gangs, the possibility of Euro-style debt riots, civil unrest or natural disaster.... Read more
Should private companies be able to establish the religious beliefs of their owners as the norm for their employees? We need an ongoing, public, exploration of our differing religious ethics. We need inter religious dialogue so that we begin to understand what is really at stake when we talk about the establishment of religion, or the prohibiting of its free expression. As I write the owners of Hobby Lobby, a large chain of retail stores, are engaged in a legal... Read more
Yesterday I was one of three speakers at a forum on science and religion. Speaking as unelected representative of all Christians I basically made a single point: that the orthodox Christian tradition teaches that God reveals God’s self in two ways: through the created order (natural revelation) and through particular moments in which God speaks through humans to humans (special revelation, in particular Jesus Christ and the Bible) Thus for Christians there can be no contradiction between what we learn... Read more
Over the last couple of years I’ve had the opportunity to talk with working scriptwriters and directors about just what makes for a compelling story. Specifically the TV series Dallas, the second generation. To paraphrase one of them “If you want people to enter a world you create week after week you have to create characters that people want to live with, to get to know, and to try to understand.” He then followed up: “and the story must be... Read more
It is no news that fewer and fewer Americans, especially young Americans, have no religious affiliation. (http://religions.pewforum.org/affiliations) And if Charles Taylor is right (A Secular Age) a much greater number can at least imagine having no religion. This news comes at a time when Christian churches have never been more active in providing personal and social services, as well as using the latest tools in pedagogy, entertainment, and marketing to make their churches attractive. Does this mean that young people... Read more
You aren’t a leader if you can’t lead across cultures in a complex religious environment. . . . I continue to muse on a read through three years of the HBR. In the last blog I suggested that the classical liberal arts university and its dedication to leadership got distorted by the demands for technical knowledge, vocational training, and faculty self-interest. What about seminaries? I suspect that a similar process has occurred in theological education. To go back a bit,... Read more
You aren’t a leader if you can’t lead across cultures in a complex religious environment. . . . This past week, in a study of a really different culture, I read through three years of the Harvard Business Review. Quite fascinating. I had expected some pretty dry reading about statistics, supply chain flows, automation of manufacture, and so on. What I found was issue after issue of Psychology Today for business executives. Because it turns out that the HBR is... Read more
Robert Hunt: Interfaith Encounters
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In