The Times columnist’s latest betrays a terrifying ignorance of Islam.
Mark D. Jordan’s recent RD op-ed garnered a response from Peter Steinfels, whose final New York Times column was referenced in the article. Here are both Steinfels’ letter, and Jordan’s response.
Something Borrowed, Something Blue: Avatar and the Myth of Originality
Avatar is now officially the top-grossing movie of all time, but that’s not because it shows us something entirely original (in 3D no less). Like all good myths, it is a mashup: a mix of well-tested stories, presented in an unfamiliar way.
A fine start. And now we look forward to a deeper, and broader conversation.
“God Needs You To Get Out of the Bubble”: Riverside Controversy Exposes Theological, Racial Fault Lines of the Christian Progressive Movement
What does it mean that Rhodes Scholar and Progressive Evangelical Brad Braxton resigned as senior pastor of the influential Riverside Church? In this discussion over the implications, a reverend and a scholar ask whether multiracial churches require making white people comfortable, why God needs liberal protestants to get out of the bubble, and what the future holds for the mainline church as a whole.
After several months of vocal opposition to Rev. Braxton's compensation package, the Rhodes Scholar will not lead one of the nation's premier progressive institutions.
The Gray Lady’s Regard: Ritual and the Wedding Pages
The New York Times Wedding/Celebration pages are pure periodical porn, invoking a cascade of genealogies and an overabundance of fortune. Religion is a whispered aside; and what of love?
Muslims Murder, Christians Don’t: What Went Missing in Analysis of Tiller’s Executioner
While much of the media had no trouble detailing the religious commitment of the Muslim killer of an army recruiter, most profiles painted Scott Roeder as a right-wing, anti-government, anti-abortionist, with a prior arrest history and mental problems. His connection with extremist Christian groups, apparently, is irrelevant.
How Much is a (Progressive) Pastor Worth?
When New York City’s fabled Riverside Church brought in a new, evangelical pastor with a pay package of $600K it made roaring headlines and sparked a lawsuit. Our writer attended the Sunday service and reports back on the "controversy."
Why is the highest journalistic award handing out prizes for reporting on the sexual dalliances of powerful pols? And we wonder why papers are closing their doors?
Freeman Dyson, American Heretic
When science moves from observation and description to assigning value, it veers into the sacred.
Pop-Eye: Meat The Wrestler
How did reviewers from the New York Times to Christianity Today miss the obvious religious references in this Oscar-nominated hit? Did they blink and reach for popcorn at the images of a tattooed Jesus Christ on Randy’s back, or was it more about the myth of modern individualism and body-soul dualism?