Christmas in Rome: Religion as an Aesthetic Phenomenon
To spend this season in Rome is to recall that traditional religions specialize in beauty in worship.
Lying about Santa: The Irrelevance of Proof to the Holiday Spirit
When a serious philosophical lecture on the origin and meaning of Santa Claus is interrupted by the tinkling of bells, jovial laughter, and the mysterious delivery of a case of beer, our writer has the chance to muse on his own former Christmastime convictions.
The Advent Conspiracy movement preaches a message of economic sobriety in a season of excess.
Goy to the World: What Does Hanukkah Have to Teach Us About Living in Empire?
A goyish writer wrestles with the anti-imperial themes of Hanukkah and the discomfiting questions it raises for citizens of the American empire. Might an empire be a force for good? Is “force for good” an oxymoron? And finally: how does a Roman manage, in practical terms, to say no to Rome?
No Pagan Trees For Christmas Warriors
In the latest salvo in the Christmas Wars, Boss Creation’s Martha Boggs has come up with the ultimate tree decoration.
What does a Muslim from a predominantly Jewish-American neighborhood think about during the Christmas holiday?
Would Christian employees be comfortable being forced by their employers to say Happy Hanukah or Happy Kwanzaa or Happy Ramadan to their customers?
Overtly Christian displays are fine but respect is a two-way street...