Sightings
Reporting and commenting on the role of religion in public life.
Special Issue on the George Floyd Protests
A Letter from the Editor
Protest and the Raging Messianic
By Foster J. PinkneyHow do our responses to pestilence and protest reflect the value of human life in our religious imagination?
June 5, 2020
Protests, Looting, and Iconoclasm
By Nathan HardyConsidering how Christian acts of iconoclasm may illuminate the aims and effects of property damage and looting during protests
June 4, 2020
Stop Asking What the Bible Means to the President
By Seth PerryA historian of the bible in America reflects on what Trump’s recent photo-op in front of St. John’s Church does (and doesn’t) mean
June 8, 2020
The Coronavirus and Us
By Richard A. RosengartenExploring the "ultimate dimensions" of COVID-19 as Americans prepare themselves for a season of quarantine and isolation
March 16, 2020
Recent Columns
Halting the Hajj
By David J. WassersteinThis year’s pilgrimage, or hajj in Arabic, is basically off. The Saudi authorities have announced that no foreigners will be permitted to come to Arab...
July 2, 2020
Seeing a Religious Left
By Timothy GutmannWhen President Trump called churches “essential” and demanded that states allow them to reopen despite concerns about spreading the coronavirus, he en...
June 29, 2020
Jobs for All?
By Steven Tipton & Brooks HolifieldSince the pandemic took hold three months ago, one in eight Americans has lost their job. One in three workers counts as unemployed, two in five from ...
June 25, 2020
In What Do We Trust?
By William SchweikerCries for justice are resounding with anger, moral righteousness, and hope in cities and towns around the world. Anyone deaf to these cries lives in d...
June 22, 2020
Unexpected ‘Openings’ and the Essence of Religious Practice
By Cynthia G. LindnerDuring these last three months of our national pandemic quarantine, religious communities across the country closed their buildings to public gatherin...
June 18, 2020
America’s Sirens
By Richard A. RosengartenSirens are foreboding, unforgettable presences in Western mythology. Usually portrayed as distant, alluring temptresses, their songs threaten to overw...
June 15, 2020
COVID-19 and the Limits of Utilitarianism
By Nicholas BuckCrafting policy decisions in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic calls for careful practical moral and political reasoning. Amid debates about ne...
June 11, 2020
Stop Asking What the Bible Means to the President
By Seth PerryIt would be insulting to the president’s core supporters to suggest that the absurdity and ham-fistedness of his photo-op with a bible last week was n...
June 8, 2020
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Browse by Associated TagsSighting Religion in the Public Square
Through the eyes, ears, and keyboards of a diverse group of writers, Sightings displays a kaleidoscope of religious activity: a reflection of how religious currents are shaping and being shaped in the world.