Category: Religion

November 30, 2011

Justin McDaniel: Amulets and the Commercialization of Thai Buddhism

The following is a guest post by Justin McDaniel, author of The Lovelorn Ghost and the Magical Monk: Practicing Buddhism in Modern Thailand. In June 2001 a police sergeant in Pattaya (Central Thailand) was arrested and charged with attempted murder...

November 29, 2011

Interview with Alan Wallace, author of Meditations of a Buddhist Skeptic

The following is an interview with B. Alan Wallace, author of Meditations of a Buddhist Skeptic: A Manifesto for the Mind Sciences and Contemplative Practice. Question: How does Meditations of a Buddhist Skeptic differ from your previous books? B. Alan...

November 28, 2011

B. Alan Wallace: Meditations of a Buddhist Skeptic

This week’s featured book is Meditations of a Buddhist Skeptic: A Manifesto for the Mind Sciences and Contemplative Practice, by Alan Wallace. The following is the conclusion to the book’s opening chapter, Toward a Revolution in the Mind Sciences: Galileo,...

November 2, 2011

Denis Lacorne: Secularists or Christian? The Religious Lives of American Political Candidates in the Public Sphere

“What is certain is that the primary season has reopened a three century old battle of narratives opposing Enlightenment secularists to Neo-Puritan and evangelical believers.”—Denis Lacorne In an essay for the Huffington Post, Denis Lacorne, author of Religion in America:...

October 14, 2011

Demented Faith or Godless Mamon: The Financial Times on Denis Lacorne's "Religion in America"

We conclude our week-long focus on Religion in America: A Political History, by Denis Lacorne with some excerpts from a review of the book in the Financial Times. In his review, Clive Crook praises Religion in America for its timeliness...

October 13, 2011

How the French Have Viewed American Religion

The following is an excerpt from Denis Lacorne’s Introduction to Religion in America: A Political History. “Twentieth-century French perceptions of America, however contradictory, share a common pessimistic message. The United States is not really a democracy. It is either a...

October 12, 2011

Tony Judt on Denis Lacorne

As Denis Lacorne makes his way around the United States to discuss his new book Religion in America: A Political History (Bostonians: You’ll have two chances to see him today!), we decided to post an excerpt from Tony Judt’s foreword...

October 7, 2011

Udi Aloni and Judith Butler

Udi Aloni’s What Does a Jew Want?: On Binationalism and Other Specters includes interventions and conversations with Slavoj Zizek, Alain Badiou, and Judith Butler. All three figures have been commentators of Aloni’s work and have joined him in conversation about...

October 4, 2011

Events with Udi Aloni, author of What Does a Jew Want?

“The closest you can get to an intellectual orgasm.”—Slavoj Zizek on Udi Aloni’s documentary Local Angel: Theological Political Fragments Beginning next Monday, October 10th, there will be a series of events at Columbia with Udi Aloni, author of What Does...

September 30, 2011

Interview with Diana Lobel, author of The Quest for God and the Good

“We need to get away from the popular caricature of God as an old man in the sky seated upon a throne.”—Diana Lobel The following is an interview with Diana Lobel, author of The Quest for God and the Good:...

August 18, 2011

The debate over Political Theology continues at The Immanent Frame

Today we check in with the debate on Political Theology by Paul Kahn going on over at The Immanent Frame. Since we last updated you on the discussion on sovereignty and American political theology six new posts have gone up....

August 4, 2011

Ludger Viefhues-Bailey on Anders Breivik and the Attacks in Norway

“After the horrid day in Oslo, it is undeniable: political religion has taken hold, even in allegedly secular Europe.”—Ludger Viefhues-Bailey In an essay for Religion Dispatches, Ludger Viefhues-Bailey, author of Between a Man and a Woman?: Why Conservatives Oppose Same-Sex...