Religion, politics and culture


Religion and the First Amendment

Faith and Conscience in America
Charles C. Haynes of the First Amendment Center discusses the meaning and logic of the First Amendment.

See more on religious liberty and the First Amendment here.

The black church in America

Dual streams of African-American religion
R. Drew Smith of Morehouse College discusses the activist and spiritual dimensions of the black church in America.

Foundations of the Black Church
A primer on the African-American church tradition

The Hispanic church

Demographic Shifts and Trends
Latin Americans are strongly associated with Catholicism, but almost one quarter of all Latinos in the United States are Protestants. Gastón Espinosa of Claremont McKenna College explores religious trends and demographics among Latinos. (Article also cited in America's Religious Awakening: The Enduring Spirituality Of Latinos And Immigrants by Wayne Trujillo.)

Religion, politics and region

Religion, politics and the Christian right
The era of the religious right is on the wane, but religion still matters in American politics. A discussion by Trinity College's Mark Silk at a conference sponsored by the Walter H. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Religion and region in the United States
Americans' views toward religion vary considerably throughout the different regions of the United States. This discussion provides an overview of America's religious landscape, focusing particularly on the West Coast. Mark Silk of Trinity College and Wade Clark Roof of UCSB lead off the discussion.

Religion and terrorism

‘Terror in the mind of God’
University of California, Santa Barbara Professor Mark Juergensmeyer interviews religious militants around the world and offers insight into their thinking.

Inside the global jihad
Steven Simon of the Council on Foreign Relations explains why Osama bin Laden's words have currency in the Islamic world – with extremists and ordinary Muslims alike.

Clash of civilizations

What is the West’s Problem with Islam?
Author Christopher Caldwell takes on the "clash of civilizations," Nov. 19, 2008 at the Zócalo forum.

Beyond the clash of civilizations
Boston University Professor Adam Seligman explains why internal conflicts within societies can be even more dangerous than international conflicts and the so-called “clash of civilizations.”

Iran and the clash within civilizations
The deadly street demonstrations during the summer of 2009 highlight the concept of “clash within civilization” — a turnaround of the much-bandied phrase, “clash of civilizations.”

World religions

Understanding ‘The Big Three’
Judaism, Christianity and Islam arose in an age of transcendence. Boston University Professor Adam Seligman provides an overview.

A ‘moody’ God
Author Robert Wright takes a look at the many facets of God, and correlates the tone of scripture with “events on the ground.” Summary of a presentation June 10, 2009 at the Zócalo forum.


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