Sightings Articles
Soldiering, Memory, and the Faiths of Americans — Jonathan Ebel
The Reverend Peter Gomes and evangelist Bradlee Dean have very little in common. Gomes is the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard Divinity School and the pastor of Harvard’s Memorial Church. Dean is the founder and leader of You Can Ru...
December 10, 2009
Christianity Past, Present, and Next -- Jonathan Ebel
Over the past twelve months, Islam has been the religion of concern in the American media. The scandals of the Catholic and Baptist Churches have taken some attention away, but understandably journalists have been assessing the role of Islam in local...
September 25, 2002
The Nature and Destiny of Inglis -- Jonathan Ebel
Where does one begin to discuss the actions of Mayor Carolyn Risher of Inglis, Florida? She is the public official who, last Halloween night, used official stationary to write a proclamation banning Satan from her town. Her story appeared in the St. ...
February 15, 2002
Territory Is Not Mind -- Jonathan H. Ebel
As if to remind us that in every victory there is also defeat, another airplane fell from the sky on Monday, killing all on board, and an undetermined number on the ground. Pushed from largest-font status in the headlines Tuesday morning was what cou...
November 15, 2001
Giving Christians Credit -- Jonathan Ebel
One needs to go no further than the mailbox to notice the current strength of the credit card industry. Offers for new cards pour in daily. Last week, Newsweek subscribers read the cover story "Maxed Out," a discussion of credit card spending and the...
August 29, 2001
Two Pictures of American Religion
The front page of the Chicago Tribune Metro section for July fifth shows two pictures of religion in America that capture well its ambivalence as a public force. The first story concerns Hindu leader Mata Amritandandamayi. The accompanying co...