Is Biblical Literacy Really the Problem?
If you’ve listened to NPR or read blogs like this one over the past six months, you’ve probably heard something about the Pew Forum’s latest study on religious practice in America. The survey confirmed statistically what has been conventional wisdom for quite a while. Mainline Protestants are losing members, more Americans are describing themselves as [...]
The Election of the New Hope: Dispatch from Rome
Last night I went to Saint Peter’s Square in Rome. I hoped to to see the black smoke of the papal conclave. I figured the dark puff would roil out from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the sorry crowd would disperse into the dusk. I heard the smoke would disperse around 4:30pm so [...]
Caritas de libertati: A People of Hope
Surely you’ve heard the Good News: We Have a Pope. What do you make of it all? So far I’ve heard many different opinions on the matter. Some are excited, but I would say a large majority of those in my circles are fairly upset. While many feel positively towards the fact Pope Francis I [...]
The Nones, the Unaffiliated, the SBNR, and Those Who Serve Them
It is time to stop referring to the collective numbers that Pew Research is so famous for when we talk about the “nones.” Yes, on January 9th, USAToday did run a graphic on the front page of its national edition that showed that the “religiously unaffiliated” were now the third largest spiritual group in the world [...]
Losing Your Religion? Keep the Faith!
In Terence Nichol’s 2003 book The Sacred Cosmos: Christian Faith and the Challenge of Naturalism he begins with an anecdote where two sets of Catholic children are asked the question “Where is God?” One, a group from the West, and another, a group from the East, answered very differently. The children raised in the West [...]
The Megaphone of Money in American Politics
While the sums are larger and the stakes are higher in recent times, the fear that money corrupts those in power is an age-old issue. As far back as the Hebrew Bible those concerned with justice warned against the powerful and dangerous effects of money in politics.
#King: Who’s the Man with the Master Plan?
April 26th, 1992: there was a riot on the streets. Tell me, where were you? You were sitting home watching your TV… while I was participating in some anarchy. – Sublime – I had only just turned five years old some weeks before this. It was before I had entered kindergarten, which occurred the next [...]
CE or not CE? Rethinking the Way We Number Years
As we turn the year from Dragon to Snake in the Chinese calendar, it might be a good time to reflect on how we name years. Specifically, Western academic types might want to revisit the practice of using the designators CE (Common Era) and BCE (Before the Common Era). There are other calendars in common [...]
#Martin: Do the Right Thing. Put on the Hood.
On 26 February, exactly one year ago today, Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman. February is a month dedicated to black history, black pride, and black liberation. It was chosen because it contains the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. This is an interesting point on first glance. Why is [...]
The ‘Hindu’ Identity
Hariḥ Ōm and Namaste (customary greeting of Hindus). This being my first post on ‘State of Formation’, I would like to express my great pleasure in being amid this crowd of intellectuals and academicians. Interfaith dialogue is a must- evermore so in today’s world, filled with strife and violence in the name of religion. Unfortunately, [...]
Contributing Scholars
Joshua OxleyJoshua Oxley is a 2nd-year Master of Divinity student at the University of Chicago. He also serves as Humanist Advisor for the University, working primarily with secular students.
Prashant ParikhAn Industrial Engineering Graduate from the Georgia Institute of Technology, now working as a Systems Analyst, Prashant considers himself first and foremost a student of traditional Advaita Vedānta, from the Ārsha Vidyā Gurukulam. Born and brought up in Mumbai, India, he has been living in USA since 2005, thereafter gaining a subtle appreciation for the Vedic scriptures and Indian/Hindu culture.
In the face of myriad faulty interpretations of the Vedic scriptures, Prashant recognizes the imminent need of not only promoting, but also preserving these teachings. This, he believes, can be achieved by unfolding them in a traditional manner, as this kind of nuanced treatment alone can ensure posterity.
Additionally, he is involved in writing articles, facilitating study groups- online or otherwise- and always looking for new opportunities to share his enthusiasm for the subject.