Mark Movsesian

The Center for Law and Religion Forum has an interview today with Baylor University sociologist Rodney Stark about his recent book,  America’s Blessings . The book critiques public opinion surveys that purport to show the decline of religion in America and an increase in Americans . . . . Continue Reading »

[caption id=”” align=”alignleft” width=”203”] Photo from The Economist [/caption] The Economist  has a couple of interesting stories this week on the continuing plight of Christians in the Middle East. First, from the magazine’s valuable religion blog, . . . . Continue Reading »

[caption id=”” align=”aligncenter” width=”500”] Mosaic in S. Costanza, Rome [/caption] Here’s a puzzle. The mosaic in this photo is in Rome’s Santa Costanza, a lovely fourth-century church with some of the oldest surviving Christian art. The . . . . Continue Reading »

At Commonweal, Notre Dame law professor Rick Garnett has some interesting reflections on the implications for religious freedom of last month’s Supreme Court decision in the Defense of Marriage Act case, United States v. Windsor : It is easier to respect religious freedom in law and policy . . . . Continue Reading »

Riots broke out  in a Paris suburb this weekend after police ticketed a woman wearing the full Islamic veil, or burqa, on a local street. Since 2011, France has banned the burqa in public places on pain of a €150 fine. The details of this weekend’s incident are unclear, but police . . . . Continue Reading »

As Matt Cantirino notes today, Christianity Today has posted about a new list, published by the real-estate blog, Movoto, of the “saintliest” cities in the United States . Can you guess number one on the list? Bet you can’t. It’s Babylon on the Hudson–and my home . . . . Continue Reading »

At the Center for Law and Religion Forum today, my colleague Marc DeGirolami has a  very thoughtful post  on whether separation from the state, in the American model, really strengthens religion. One often hears the claim, of course, from both the Right and the Left: Religion is strong in . . . . Continue Reading »

Pew’s Forum on Religion and Public Life has released the latest version of its periodic survey of public attitudes toward various professions in America. The survey asks whether a given occupation contributes to society’s well-being. The results? The military tops the list, with almost . . . . Continue Reading »

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights today handed down its decision in the much-anticipated  Sindicatul Pastoral cel Bun v. Romania , a case involving the right of priests to unionize against the wishes of their church. Relying on the principle of church autonomy, the court . . . . Continue Reading »

The  Economist’s  religion blog, “Erasmus,” has  an interesting post  on the sympathetic response of American Christians to the plight of Christians in the Middle East. Erasmus says this is a new development: Until recently, politically active American Christians, . . . . Continue Reading »