When Shrugging is Not an Option
- May/June 2025
- April 30, 2025
A surprising take on the dynamics between religion and right-wing populism Illustrations by Brad Holland Is religion a fuel for, or a barrier against, the rise of right-wing populist politics in the West? This question is preoccupying faith leaders, politicians, and commentators alike on both sides of the Atlantic as right-wing populists make conspicuous use
READ MOREA win for religious freedom? Or a dangerous attack on church-state separation? Detangling a web of law and fact in a contentious Supreme Court decision If you should ever find yourself sitting in a law school classroom, especially during your first year, there’s a key distinction you’re sure to encounter: issues of fact versus issues
READ MORERegardless of what you thought of his politics, there was something seductive about Paul Harvey’s style of storytelling. As an American radio icon for more than a half century, Harvey’s specialty was taking stories and finding an unanticipated twist that transformed the mundane into the intriguing. He demonstrated this skill most clearly in his long-running
READ MOREThe world’s largest democracy struggles under a toxic load of religious nationalism. The world has witnessed a turbulent wave of violent religious riots in India over recent months. In late May, a spokesperson for the ruling Hindu nationalist party made derogatory remarks about the Muslim prophet Muhammad during a televised debate. Her comments triggered fervent,
READ MOREDefenders of religious freedom in the United States are walking toward a cliff’s edge that most of us don’t want to acknowledge is there. In fact, recent events at the Supreme Court make the danger up ahead even harder for us to see. Consider Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the football coach prayer case. The
READ MOREBeyond Transformation and Isolation How should Christians respond to the spate of terrible events that have shaken American society to its core over the past two years: the Capitol insurrection, multiple police killings of African Americans, sky-high inflation, escalating gun violence, the increasing boldness of White supremacists, political upheaval, a global pandemic, and deeply rooted
READ MOREInterview with Brian Grim Some of America’s top companies have begun to welcome faith into the workplace as part of their overall diversity initiatives. Intel, Alphabet, Tyson Foods, American Airlines, and Texas Instruments are just a few of the international corporations that have created programs in recent years encouraging employees to “bring your whole self,
READ MOREFor decades religious minorities in America battled state-level Sunday rest laws. Today, are there moves afoot to dust off this old concept of synchronized rest? If there was any benefit at all to the COVID-19 shutdowns, it was that the world took a much-needed break. Offices, stores, sports, restaurants, and even churches deemed “unnecessary” closed
READ MOREWhy is there still a gaping hole in antidiscrimination protections for religious employees? In 1964 the United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, sweeping civil rights legislation still considered to be one of the most significant legislative achievements in American history. While lawmakers’ primary motivator was the nation’s fight against racial inequality, the Civil
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