Religious Education and Academic Freedom

Conservative Home-School College Confronts a Staff Exodus

RNS' Adelle Banks reports on a controversy at Patrick Henry College, where about one-third of the faculty is resigning, saying their academic freedoms have been violated. The full text of the article is linked above.

Quote:

"If you're going to convince somebody of your position, you can't just walk around shouting Bible verses," said [Erik] Root, [a departing instructor of government], who is looking for a new job. "You have to give them a reason for what you believe."

Religion in the workplace; `Da Vinci' at the box office; Faith in Hollywood

In Monday's RNS report Candace Goforth looks at how employers are handling the increasing role of religion in American culture and in the workplace: A Muslim employee's daily prayers. A lunchtime Bible study group. A Jewish employee's observance of the High Holy Days. What does any of this have to do with conducting business? These days, plenty. As more Americans bring their faith to work, employers need to be sure their workplace policies are keeping pace with the trend. That doesn't mean simply putting a menorah next to the Christmas tree in the lobby once a year. It means balancing the needs of expressively religious workers with those of employees who may think the only higher power that matters at work is the one signing the paychecks. Two studies -- one by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Studies and another by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life -- indicate religion has taken on a more prominent role in American culture. That translates to an increasing emphasis on those issues in the workplace.

Stephen Whitty updates us on how `The Da Vinci Code' performed at the box office during its opening weekend: You don't need a Harvard symbologist to decode this one. With its built-in advantage of a best-seller source novel, and the dependable Ron Howard directing fan favorite Tom Hanks, "The Da Vinci Code" translated fame into box-office success on its first weekend in release. Its estimated Friday-through-Sunday gross was $77 million, according to Exhibitor Relations, more than the rest of the Top Ten movies combined. The film fell short of the $100 million club, however, the preserve of genuine blockbusters like the "Harry Potter" films. Those looking for the year's biggest hit probably won't find it here.

Stephen Whitty also offers an analysis of the representation of faith -- as opposed to religion -- in Hollywood: There is faith, and there is religion, and Hollywood has never really embraced both. Filmmakers have occasionally paid lip service to the second. The Old Testament remains a sturdy source of spectacle; the rites of the Roman Catholic Church regularly enliven horror movies. Faith, however, is a less popular subject. That's because faith is not about facts, or the flesh. Faith is purely emotional, fully unconditional belief. This is not something that translates well into entertainment.

Wuerl to Succeed McCarrick

McCarrick Retires; Pope Names Wuerl Archbishop of Washington

Washington D.C.'s Cardinal Theodore McCarrick retires and Bishop Donald Wuerl is named as his successor, in this week's full-text RNS article, by National Correspondent Dan Burke (linked above).

Quote:

Almost immediately, however, Wuerl was asked to wade into thorny thickets such as immigration, abortion and "The Da Vinci Code." At first he fended off questions with humor and pleas for patience, saying he had "not been here long enough to know how to get back and forth to the cathedral."

When pressed, the soft-spoken new archbishop said his political philosophy is pragmatic rather than liberal or conservative, and said he prefers the role of pastor to that of political activist.

Muslim civil rights; the Arlington Group; Commonalities among religions

In Monday's RNS report Omar Sacirbey writes about Muslims looking to blacks for guidance on civil rights: African-American Muslims trace their Islamic heritage to slaves brought to North America in the 17th century, some 10 percent to 30 percent of whom were estimated to be Muslim. Many call themselves indigenous Muslims. Despite that role, many African-American Muslims complain that Muslims who immigrated to the United States in the 1960s have never taken them seriously as faith partners, and marginalized them in American Islamic institutions. But that may be changing as mainly South Asian and Arab Muslims feel their civil rights at risk in the post-Sept. 11 world. Increasingly, they are turning to African-American Muslims for their civil rights experience. That is translating into increased cooperation between American Muslim and African-American organizations.

Tim Wendling reports on Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who rode the gay marriage fight to GOP prominence: In June 2003, a group of evangelical Christian leaders met in Arlington, Va., to map strategy for a clash they viewed as the political equivalent of Gettysburg: same-sex marriage. For Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, the timing couldn't have been more perfect. Thought to have little chance of winning the Republican primary for governor, Blackwell seized the moment and led a successful, high-profile campaign to outlaw gay marriage in Ohio in 2004. Largely as a result, Blackwell is a national political figure and, courtesy of the organizers of the Virginia conference, a member of the Arlington Group, a powerhouse, by-invitation-only organization whose roughly 60 members have direct access to the White House.

Jean Dubail reports on scholar Karen Armstrong, who works to find common truths among religions: At a time when tensions between and within the world's major religions are roiling, Karen Armstrong reminds us that from their very beginnings, all of humankind's major faiths have shared essential truths. Armstrong, the one-time Roman Catholic nun who has become a leading scholar and popularizer of religious history, recounts the founding and development of these faiths during the so-called Axial Age from 900 B.C. to 200 B.C. This period -- the Great Transformation of her book's title -- proved pivotal to the development of monotheism in Israel, of Hinduism and Buddhism in India, of Taoism and Confucianism in China and of philosophical rationalism in Greece. Her point is that despite great differences among the peoples in these widely scattered regions, their faiths bear certain remarkable similarities.

MyChristianMusicSpace

Technology Emerges as Salvation of Christian Music Industry

Beau Black looks at the impact of digital distribution and online communities on the Christian music business in this week's full text RNS article, linked above.

Quote:

Like a growing number of independent acts, Green River Ordinance has taken full advantage of MySpace, building its list of "friends'" to more than 18,000. That list allows the band to spread the word quickly about concerts and CD releases -- or to mobilize fans as it did for a radio station's online contest to open for Bon Jovi. The winner, of course, was Green River Ordinance.

St. Louis Jesuits; Absent mothers; Lawyers and stem cells

In Wednesday's RNS report Dennis O'Connor reports that the St. Louis Jesuits, a group that transformed Catholic music, is back on tour: The St. Louis Jesuits are back. And although they've been called a religious version of the Beatles, there's a good chance most people haven't heard of this liturgical musical ensemble. But anyone attending a Roman Catholic Mass since the mid-1970s has probably sung more than a few of their masterpieces, including "Earthen Vessels" and "Lift Up Your Hearts." Susan Sarandon sang their memorable song "Be Not Afraid" just before Sean Penn's character was to be executed in the movie "Dead Man Walking." And their music was performed both at President Clinton's inauguration and President Reagan's funeral. Now, for the first time in nearly 20 years, the St. Louis Jesuits are back on stage for a limited tour. They also have produced their first recording since that era, a 12-song collaboration titled "Morning Light."

Dru Sefton writes that mothers who give up custody of their children still face a stigma: Times change, but not much for women who let their children live with their fathers. Every Mother's Day brings a churn of emotions for these nonresidential mothers, women who make the wrenching choice to give up their children -- something society still generally shuns. "The bottom line is, people still look askance," says one. The issue is complex, encompassing individual and societal views of motherhood and gender roles, as well as cultural norms and socioeconomics. As a researcher says, "There are layers of stigma involved."

Kate Coscarelli writes about stem cells attracting new activists -- lawyers: Since its beginnings, stem-cell research has attracted attention from doctors, politicians and religious activists. Now that the field is moving from theoretical musings to practical applications, you can add one more group: lawyers. From trial lawyers duking it out over attempts to establish stem-cell research institutes in California and Missouri to patent attorneys helping New Jersey scientists protect their discoveries, the legal world is increasingly seeking a piece of the action. With private industry and public funding dumping millions into stem-cell research, many are already speculating that the dividends for law firms could be huge.

Christian music revived by technology; Orthodox Jews collect door-to-door

In Tuesday's RNS report Beau Black reports on how technology is reviving the Christian music industry: Technology, once decried as the executioner of the music business, is now seen by many as its salvation. Not long ago, illegal downloads flattened CD sales and sent the industry into a panic. But that seems forgotten now, or nearly so, as Christian labels and artists and their mainstream counterparts are looking to technology to revolutionize how they reach listeners. This new wave of technology enables artists to find fans and connect with them immediately. It's also creating opportunities for Christian record companies -- particularly battered by the downturn in the music industry -- to target consumers. And it's allowing artists who are Christians but make music for the masses to find a broader audience, freeing their music from what some call the Christian music ghetto.

Jeff Diamant reports on how door-to-door soliciting is paying off for some Orthodox Jews: They are part of the scenery every Sunday in Teaneck's Orthodox Jewish neighborhoods -- Israeli, Russian and Brooklyn Jews going house to house asking for money. In an uneven stream, poor widows, parents of ill children, men out of work, and emissaries for Israeli schools and charities descend on streets around this town's dozen or so Orthodox synagogues. The trips are regularly fruitful. In just weeks of unannounced stops to Orthodox neighborhoods around New York, many “collectors,” as they are called, can receive several thousand dollars -- often more than $10,000 -- from other Jews who try to follow their religion's instructions on charity. This unusual model of giving, unfamiliar to those outside the neighborhoods -- even to many Conservative and Reform Jews -- is a fact of life in many Orthodox neighborhoods.

Germany prepares for prostitutes at World Cup; Small churches adapt to survive; and Geez

In Friday's RNS report Robert Cohen reports that religious and human rights organizations are complaining about Germany's preparations to accommodate sex workers during the World Cup:
As they prepare for next month's World Cup and the arrival of millions of soccer fans, German authorities are taking every precaution to guard against terrorist threats, hooligans and other potential problems. But Rep. Christopher Smith, R-N.J., and a coalition of religious and human rights organizations charged this week that German officials are turning a blind eye to the thousands of foreign prostitutes who are expected to flood the 12 cities hosting World Cup games. In anticipation of the World Cup, scheduled for June 9 to July 9, cities where the games will be played plan to provide special licenses for additional sex workers. Some have been planning temporary “sex huts” to accommodate the increased demand from patrons.

Small churches find they must change or die, reports Jeremy Gray from Chelsea, Ala.: When Leonard Irvin became pastor of Mount Signal Baptist Church in 2003, only about 10 people were attending its Sunday services. At its peak in the late 1960s, the church drew an average of about 125. Attendance may never return to that level, but it has almost doubled since Irvin came on board. “We had a meeting one night and decided if we can't reach some younger families, our church is destined to die in 20 years,” Irvin said. Members didn't want that. In a suburban landscape where mega-churches are thriving, smaller, older churches like the ones in the rural South with dwindling congregations often must choose between changing their worship styles to attract younger members or continuing as they have for decades and accepting that their churches may cease to exist.

Nancy Haught looks at "Geez," an irreverent journal that spreads “holy mischief”: Open a copy of Geez, and you'll find “postmodern drivel,” as one reader ranted, or “great joy and comfort,” as another raved. Edited in Canada and designed in Oregon, Geez is a mostly straight-faced, sometimes slightly irreverent journal promoting “holy mischief in an age of fast faith.” It pokes, piques and prods Christians, and the unconverted among its readers, to live out the revolutionary values of Jesus in a consumer-driven, postmodern, materialist world.

An interview with Franklin Graham

Questions and Answers with Franklin Graham

Kristen Campbell sits down for a Q&A with Franklin Graham, in this week's full-text RNS artcile, linked above.

Quote:

Q: If you never had to answer another question about a particular topic, what would it be?

A: I think this thing over Islam, because it's crazy. ... I don't have an agenda against Islam. ... I don't go around and give speeches on Islam. I don't do that. That's not what God has called me to do. But I think after 9-11 this country has been confused about Islam. I think they're still confused over Islam. And you have some people saying it's a peaceful religion, and then we see things on television that just horrify us. And so there's a lot of confusion over it. And I think most people today have probably made up their own minds what they think about it.

Conservative Jews on gay issues; Jewish resistance to intermarriage; and religious groups' stance on Darfur

In Monday's RNS report Holly Lebowitz Rossi reports on the Conservative Jewish stance on gay issues: When it comes to the questions of whether to ordain gay and lesbian rabbis and perform same-sex commitment ceremonies, Reform and Orthodox Jews know where their movements stand. Simply put, Reform Jews do both, Orthodox Jews do neither. The Conservative movement is not as easy to categorize. On paper, the movement forbids both the ordination of homosexual rabbis and the blessing of homosexual unions. But a years-long debate among Conservative legal scholars is coming to a head, making stark the movement's ideological struggle between preserving traditional Jewish legal precedent and embracing modern morality -- and raising questions about what the future of this movement might look like. It is a controversial moment, but not one that threatens the movement's ultimate survival. After all, the very foundation of Conservative Judaism is this middle ground, murky as it may be, between traditional Jewish legal authority and contemporary moral values.

Jeff Diamant reports that Jewish resistance to intermarriage may be fading: For decades, Jews marrying outside the faith have been sermon fodder for Conservative rabbis, who have lambasted intermarriage as the bane of the American Jewish existence. The rabbis have feared that with intermarriage rates nearing 50 percent -- and, more critically, with only a third of intermarried couples raising their children to be Jewish -- the American Jewish population, estimated at 5.2 million, will dwindle to insignificance in a few generations. But that attitude toward intermarriage has come with a price that increasing numbers of Conservative rabbis are acknowledging: the alienation of intermarried couples from Judaism, at least from its Conservative movement. Now, a document circulating through Conservative temples, the religious middle ground for American Jewry, is calling for a warmer embrace of interfaith couples, both to encourage conversions and to improve the odds the couples will raise Jewish children.

Piet Levy attended the Darfur rally on the National Mall yesterday and reports on how religious groups are continuing to pressure Sudan: More than 10,000 people, including a massive outpouring of Jews, flooded the National Mall on Sunday (April 30) crying out for an end to the genocide plaguing Darfur in western Sudan. But within a few hours, the masses dissipated. And so now the question is, what happens next? Rabbi David Saperstein has an answer. The director of Washington's Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism announced from the rally's platform that a new coalition, with support from the Southern Baptist Convention and the National Council of Churches, will visit every embassy and consulate of NATO and the African Union, as well as Russia and China, over the next month, urging for political pressure to bring the crisis to an end. "It staggers the moral imagination to try and understand how people can let the people of Darfur starve to death," Saperstein said.