Outcomes, Incentives, and the Proof of What You Believe
In recent years there has been a spate of literature rethinking religiously-motivated service. Everything from international aid to short-term mission projects has come under fire, and many of the titles speak for themselves.
Two Ways Through Life: Reflections on The Tree of Life
Last week an old friend insisted that I see Terrence Malick’s recent film, The Tree of Life. The film instructs us from the beginning that we must choose which way we will follow through life, the way of nature or the way of grace. These paths are represented by the father and mother of three boys growing up in the 1950s, Mr. and Mrs. O’Brien (played beautifully by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain).
Violence and Celebration in Revolutionary Times
Last week, amid the slowing of protests and the celebratory atmosphere in Egypt following the departure of former President Hosni Mubarak, a debate emerged over the honoring of police officers allegedly killed by anti-government forces. As Bob Drogin reported in the Los Angeles Times, hundreds of officers blocked traffic in Cairo with chants and posters [...]
A Response to Ricky Gervais’ “Why I’m an Atheist”
This week British comedian Ricky Gervais asked a number of famous friends, including Conan O’Brien, to publicize “A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais: Why I’m an Atheist.” Written as a post for the Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog, the rarely-serious Gervais tries to give a “sensitive, reasoned answer” to questions about his disbelief in God.
Everything Matters!
Ron Currie Jr.’s Everything Matters! tells the story of Junior Thibodeau, a boy who comes of age with specific knowledge of the precise date of the end of the world: June 15, 2010. Junior’s knowledge of this impending catastrophe enables Currie to take the reader through a beautifully constructed long-form answer to a staple question of armchair philosophy: how would you live differently if you knew the date of your own death?
Why We Fight
This semester I’m teaching an undergraduate seminar course titled Faith and Political Violence: Perspectives on Religion and Terror in Modern Politics. With Thanksgiving around the corner and students already daydreaming of football and leftovers, I decided we’d watch the 2005 documentary film Why We Fight in lieu of the last class before break. The film, [...]
Adam Hollowell
Adam Hollowell received a Ph.D. in theological ethics from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland in 2009, where his research focused on Christian political theology, philosophical perspectives on church and state, and theories of justified war. Through his current position at Duke University Chapel, he teaches undergraduate courses on religion, politics, and ethics in the department of religion and Sanford School of Public Policy.
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Contributing Scholars
Joshua ToepperJoshua is the director of student ministries at The Foundry United Methodist Church in Houston Texas. He is passionate about religion, culture, society and how all three intersect. You can follow him on twitter at twitter.com/joshuatoepper.
Neil Krishan AggarwalNeil Krishan Aggarwal is a research psychiatrist at Columbia University. He graduated with a master's degree in South Asian religions and anthropology from Harvard University. Formerly Hindu Chaplain at Yale University while completing his psychiatric training, he is interested in cultural psychiatry, psychiatric anthropology, and global mental health among South Asians. His research is on developing psychotherapeutic styles from Hinduism, Sikhism, and South Asian Islam and the meanings of redemption/healing in these traditions.
Andy CookAndy Cook, 24, has a longstanding interest in religion, spirituality, and civic engagement. Growing up in the Conservative Jewish tradition, Andy learned from an early age the importance of asking questions, knowing why one believes what they do, and placing importance on the work of improving our world.