Sightings Articles
Benisons -- Martin E. Marty
The University of Chicago’s rarely heard alma mater has a redundant line that includes the words “blessings” and “benisons.” I use the latter word increasingly, so: “Christ-mass” benisons to the Christ-massers among you. And all the other benisons to...
December 23, 2002
Catholicism and American Hispanics: In, Out, or Spiritual? -- Martin E. Marty
Sighting evidences of religion in American public life is easy, there are so many. Choosing which to highlight is more difficult. Friday last, the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law and an executive order giving a jump-start to federal funding of "f...
December 16, 2002
Interfaith Marriage -- Martin E. Marty
Sightings attends to public expressions of religion. Not too long ago, that would have left topics such as marriage, residential life, leisure life, and worship safely in the private sphere. The rest of the world then took care of public life: econom...
December 9, 2002
The Good, the Bad and the WCC -- Martin E. Marty
The good news is that Israel Singer, chair of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultation (IJCIC) at a recent conference sponsored by the Anti-Defamation League, combined firmness with civility in dealing with Jewish-Catholi...
December 2, 2002
Interfaith Louisville -- Martin E. Marty
Sighting interfaith groups and movements nationally serves one kind of purpose. But just as "all politics is local" (and the local is the national/global), interfaith endeavors witnessed up close, in particular locales, are especially revealing. ...
November 25, 2002
Bishops' Press -- Martin E. Marty
Chicago's Cardinal Francis George wryly but very sadly told the press at the Catholic bishops' meeting in Washington, "At this moment you probably have more credibility than I have. They'll believe you rather than believe me, so I would ask you to co...
November 18, 2002
By the People -- Martin E. Marty
"By the People," a sixteen-month initiative from MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, is designed to encourage citizen involvement in a conversation on "America in the World." Preparing for a National Issues Convention of randomly-chosen citizen-delegates, Ro...
November 11, 2002
Who's Counting? -- Martin E. Marty
Who's counting? Answer: the United Jewish Communities, through the National Jewish Population Survey 2000-01, which has been counting Jews and measuring Judaism in the United States. Sponsors and commentators use superlatives: largest, most detailed,...
November 4, 2002
The USA and Your Chevrolet -- Martin E. Marty
Thursday's Sightings by John P. Crossley (October 24, 2002) reviewed well the status of debates on how courts handle "under God" clauses and other issues on the frontline of "church-state" issues. Reading it called to mind the fact that whiners about...
October 28, 2002
Pedagogy -- Martin E. Marty
Given the many and lively reactions to recent "Sightings" that report on the absence and then the presence of, and sometimes the conflict among, religious voices in respect to the impending Iraq War, let's talk this week about the nature and intentio...