Sightings Articles
A New Old Sort of Union -- Martin E. Marty
"I propose, fellow citizens, a new sort of union, or, if you please, a Christian party in politics." Speaking was Ezra Stiles Ely, who rounded up evangelicals' votes for Andrew Jackson. Moderator of the Presbyterian Church and head of the American Su...
February 11, 2002
Religion and the Course Catalog -- Martin E. Marty
It is one thing to speak of pluralism in scholarly fashion, and another to deal with its outer reaches when confronted with its manifestations. It is one thing to advocate governmentally-supported "faith-based" ventures, and another to deal with the ...
February 4, 2002
Flagging Emotions -- Martin E. Marty
Commentators have begun to assess the new phase of responses to terrorism. One hears and reads in many places stories matching what Jon Steinman noticed in his recent article "Enthusiasm Wanes for Flags" (Chicago Tribune, 24 January). Flags have been...
January 28, 2002
Tolerance and Counter-intolerance -- Martin E. Marty
No, it has not been a slow week on the public religion front; there is always more to sight than Sightings has room or time for. But, in response to some requests in your responses -- and we do profit from them, even when we do not answer them -- we ...
January 21, 2002
Yes, Virginia -- Martin E. Marty
This Wednesday, January 16, is the 216th anniversary of the Virginia General Assembly's 1786 adoption of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom. This weekend the Council for America's First Freedom held its annual celebration of the event. (I am ...
January 14, 2002
The Minister as Professional -- Martin E. Marty
"The profession of ministry is too important in our culture and society for it to go unmonitored by and uncontributed to by universities." That was the answer the late Edward H. Levi once gave me when I asked on what rationale he supported the inclus...
January 7, 2002
Stories of the Year and of History -- Martin E. Marty
At year’s end observers of American culture are busy trying to make sense of the religion they have been sighting as seldom before in 2001. For many, this means choosing the "Top Ten" religion stories of the year or, more appropriately, choosing the ...
December 31, 2001
Music and the Church -- Martin E. Marty
Last week Sightings spotted a New York Times writer saying nice things about some Southern Baptists for their charity. This week, on Christmas Eve, we look back to another Times seasonal story, and find it saying things naughty -- not nice -- about C...
December 24, 2001
A Conventional Clean-Up? -- Martin E. Marty
Every time the Southern Baptist Convention does something "in-your-face," the organs that its defenders call "the media" swoop in on them. Sometimes comprehendingly and sometimes uncomprehendingly, they criticize the assumptions and pronouncements of...
December 17, 2001
Statistically Speaking --Martin E. Marty
Last Thursday the Pew Research Center and the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life released data on a sure-to-be-noticed-poll. It assesses American attitudes to matters religious after September eleventh. To the degree that one trusts such polls, on...