Category Archives: PHIL 525

It’s raining Freud and dogs

Just when we’ve finished up the Freud unit in the Nature of Religious Experience course. Headline from the Chronicle of Higher Education: Delusional Suspect in Community-College Stabbing Thought He Had Attacked Missouri Governor. The student who stabbed a community-college dean … Continue reading

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Colbert versus Erhman

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Bart Ehrman www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Fox News

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Christian Science new truce with medicine

NY Times reports the church rethinks its opposition to members seeking medical treatment. [F]aced with dwindling membership and blows to their church’s reputation caused by its intransigence concerning medical treatment, even for children with grave illnesses, Christian Science leaders have … Continue reading

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The bullies of religion

The Times Online (UK) has a short item featuring Archbishop Rowan Williams on bullying people into belief: In a speech at Guildford cathedral, Dr Williams criticised those who believed they had all the answers and treated non-Christians as if their … Continue reading

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Where’s Howard?

I’m on Twitter. One person I followed very early was Howard Rheingold. He’s an amazing guy. We had just a short email correspondence when I asked if I could use some of his social media tips for my PHIL 525 … Continue reading

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When Sociologists Get Religion

As my students know, Durkheim, the “father of sociology”, had a great deal to say about religion. Some of it, from my point of view, helpful. Sherkat, a professor of sociology at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, no longer has … Continue reading

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Religion and online games

I found this fascinating.  Many years ago, for my PHIL 525 class, the Nature of Religious Experience, students selected topics and discussed how they thought it related to religious experience. Some made forum groups on Stephen King and the Nature … Continue reading

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Minarets of Marseille

This in contrast to the recent Swiss ban on building any new minarets: The minaret of the new Grand Mosque of Marseille, whose cornerstone will be laid here in April, will be silent — no muezzin, live or recorded, will … Continue reading

Posted in Church and State, Islam, PHIL 525, Politics, Religion Blog, Religious Pluarlism | Leave a comment

Why church isn’t the same as faith

This isn’t a news flash, but I enjoy seeing issues we discuss in class echoed in the media. Andrew Sullivan posts this quote from Paul Zahl who’s discussing the work of Emil Brunner (d. 1966). A reflection by Brunner’s former … Continue reading

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Echoes of Schleiermacher

I receive monthly greetings from a Benedictine abbot, Abbot Philip. He’s the Abbot of Christ in the Desert in New Mexico. They were the site of a Discovery Channel show in 2006. I wrote and asked his permission to quote … Continue reading

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