Mark Movsesian

Well, I said you couldn’t tell much from one interview. Last week, I  posted  about Pope Francis’s much discussed interview in an Italian Jesuit journal. I observed that the Pope seemed to be a mystic trying to place the Catholic Church outside politics–either progressive . . . . Continue Reading »

Here’s something that makes me wish I had a research leave coming up. The Center for Theological Inquiry in Princeton, New Jersey, has announced a year-long project on law and religious freedom, which it will host in cooperation with Princeton University’s program in law and public . . . . Continue Reading »

The Pew Religion and Public Life Project released its most recent survey yesterday, “A Portrait of Jewish Americans.” It turns out that Jews, who make up a little less than two percent of the population, mirror larger trends in American religious life. For example: The Rise of the Nones: . . . . Continue Reading »

As readers of this site know, the situation for Copts and other Christians in Egypt is  truly dire . On October 1, the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations will hold a hearing on the situation. Speakers include . . . . Continue Reading »

This month, Ashgate releases Volume III of  Religion in the Public Space , part of its Library of Essays on Law and Religion series. The volume is edited by Silvio Ferrari (Milan) and Rinaldo Cristofori (Milan), and contains essays by, among others, Jürgen Habermas, Charles . . . . Continue Reading »

An update on the  California headscarf litigation  I discussed earlier this month. Abercrombie & Fitch has settled the lawsuit and agreed to allow Muslim employees to wear headscarves while on the job. A federal district court in California recently ruled that A&F’s refusal . . . . Continue Reading »

You can’t tell too much from one interview, of course, but the  interview Pope Francis gave an Italian Jesuit journal last month , and which was released last week, seems like a blockbuster. Everyone understands this. Progressive Catholics are elated. After long years in the wilderness, . . . . Continue Reading »

A  post  yesterday by my St. John’s colleague Marc DeGirolami about Augustine’s two cities—the earthly and heavenly—reminded me of something I read in  Peter Brown’s recent book  on wealth in ancient Rome. Brown argues that a decisive shift in the . . . . Continue Reading »

[caption id=”” align=”alignnone” width=”466”] Staff at Abercrombie & Fitch Store, London (BBC) [/caption] Here’s an interesting case that reveals much about the way American mass marketers view religion and “diversity.” This week, a . . . . Continue Reading »

President Obama’s astonishing decision to reverse course and seek congressional authorization for military action in Syria has given Americans an opportunity to think about the situation a bit more. One important consideration is the fate of Syria’s Christians. This group, which numbers . . . . Continue Reading »