Believing in Tiger Woods
While Tiger Woods’ public apology offers us the chance to talk about rituals of confession and repentance, we must not forget to ask who this mythical “public” is that we hear so much about.
New Report: More Sex in the Pulpit
While religious conservatives are vocal on issues of sexuality—from pre-marital sex to masturbation to abortion—progressive religious leaders have largely ‘abstained’ from discussing these matters in the pulpit. A new report urges more clergy education and openness on sexuality issues.
Was Fox News commentator Brit Hume merely demonstrating Christian chauvinism when he recommended that Tiger Woods convert to Christianity? Or are there deeper levels of ignorance to be plumbed here?
Tiger Woods has admitted being serially unfaithful to his wife. What does this have to do with religion? Try the themes of transgression, confession, and the institution of marriage.
Jennifer’s Body and Why I Like Buffy’s Body Better
Has a hotly anticipated new horror film about a murderous cheerleader subverted the mythos of woman as the source of evil or just the opposite?
RDRoundtable: Republican Scandals Drag Secretive “Family” Into the Big Time
Last week it was discovered that several powerful republicans at the heart of two sex scandals—Sens. John Ensign and Tom Coburn and Gov. Mark Sanford, among others—are members of The Family, reputed to be an “aggressively anti-democratic” Christian movement quietly steering us toward a “theocentric” state. Three scholars discuss The Family with the author. Sparks fly.
Sacred&Profane: On Sexual Diversity, Perversity, and Ecstasy
Can a man have multiple wives? Do different positions bear spiritual fruit? What is the meaning of orgasm? Religious traditions thrive on intimacy with and access to the body, its experience of suffering, sorrow, and sickness, as well as rapture, delight, and bliss. A romp through America’s favorite, most taboo subject.
Sex Work: In Bed with the Religious Right
Is American sexual culture schizophrenic? Yes, and this has everything to do with the sexual politics of the religious right. Sexual opportunity is everywhere, but sexual rights have, at the same time, been concretely eroded.
After abstaining from every possible diversion, what's left but sex?
Birth of the Bloggernacle
Mormons are natural storytellers, they say, and commanded by the church to research family history and take an account of their lives. LDS and the internet: a match made in heaven.
Plutonic, Platonic, whatever you want to call it, it's not enough for gay people to be told they can be gay as long as they don't have love in their lives.
As online media supplants traditional publishing quantity is often mistaken for quality, some say. Especially where religion reporting is concerned.
A new study reveals that religious professionals are not being trained to deal with the most basic aspects of the sexual dimension of congregants’ lives. Not acceptable when it comes to issues like AIDS/HIV, workplace ethics, domestic violence, and LGBTQ needs.
Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven Libido
If Warren is correct to conflate promiscuity with homosexuality how does he explain the gay community's desire for marriage equality?
From Porn to Born-Again: A Remembrance of Bettie Page
The original bad girl, the Che Guevara of sex, Billy Graham’s right-hand woman: Bettie Page was many things to many people, and the story of her life spans American culture from burlesque to Christian Missionary.
It's not that Christianity itself is hostile to sex, but the Texas evangelical experiment trivializes both sex and marriage.
The religious right tries to cut off public funds for Planned Parenthood; a look at the effort to discredit PP with allegations of racism.