Sightings Articles
Peacemaking — Martin E. Marty
The Economist's (July 5) long headline talks about "Mediation and Faith: Not a Sword, but Peace." The subtitle notes that "In some cases, only the religious have the patience to be reconcilers." The anonymous editors include a couple of cautionary no...
July 14, 2008
On Patriotism — Martin E. Marty
Ninety years ago this Fourth of July weekend, the City Council of West Point, Nebraska passed a resolution that citizens were not to hold "assemblages not in sympathy with the war" or to distribute literature "out of harmony with the war," that is, W...
July 7, 2008
More Pew Findings — Martin E. Marty
In this business and with pleasure one cannot not comment on the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life surveys. They are the most ambitious and expansive polls and draw the most public attention. Chancy as all opinion polls are, these Pew products pr...
June 30, 2008
Cheers, not Sneers — Martin E. Marty
The Economist pays more and more attention to religion in world affairs. This time, "When Religions Talk" (June 14) deals with a topic which is often trivialized or treated with yawns, or, as here, partly faint—I think it is faint—condescension by th...
June 23, 2008
Returning to the Gospels — Martin E. Marty
"Public religion," Sightings' constant theme, includes "public theology." This week The Christian Century (June 12) offers a challenge on that theme from the Anglican Bishop of Durham, N. T. Wright, as noted a New Testament scholar as is being read a...
June 16, 2008
Weaker Faith — Martin E. Marty
Four weeks ago Sightings picked up on a column in The Wall Street Journal by Alan Jacobs, whom I misnamed. His fan club quickly alerted me to his achievements. While I had read some of his columns in Books and Culture, his name evidently had not regi...
June 9, 2008
The Idolatry of America — Martin E. Marty
Let Damon Linker, author of The Theocons: Secular America Under Siege summarize Charles Marsh and hisWayward Christian Soldiers: Freeing the Gospel from Cultural Captivity: "A professor of religion at the University of Virginia and a devout evangelic...
June 2, 2008
Differentism — Martin E. Marty
"Women Blaze an Interfaith Trail: Two teachers become first Jewish female and first Muslim female to receive advanced degrees from Catholic Theological Union," and "She's First Jewish Graduate of Catholic Theological Union" were headlines in The Chic...
May 26, 2008
On the IRS — Martin E. Marty
Billy James Hargis, a now forgotten but once towering figure on the not yet couth religious right, built a radio ministry and developed an anti-Communist front that has to be remembered as rabid. The preacher of righteousness was so overtly political...
May 19, 2008
Manifesto — Martin E. Marty
A week from Sunday we will join millions of worshipers in many lands and churches in dusting off the ancient church's Athanasian Creed in a Trinity Sunday ritual. As a boy I would join in confessing incomprehensibly that "the Father [is] incomprehens...