Stephen Prothero on Tiger Woods and religious literacy
The author of Religious Literacy, Stephen Prothero has a very interesting article in USA Today this morning (”A Buddhist moment in America”). In it, he takes a look at Tiger Woods confession from the perspective of religious literacy. It is well worth reading.
Nonetheless, we expect, sometimes unconsciously, for things to proceed largely on Christian terms. We expect our presidents to be Christians and to quote from the Bible. And when they fall short of the glory of God, we expect them to call their shortcomings sins and to confess them not only to us, but also to Jesus. Part of living in a multireligious society, though, is learning multiple religious languages. In a country where most citizens cannot name the first book of the Bible, we obviously need more Christian literacy. But to make sense of the furiously religious world in which we live, we need Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist literacy too. Read full article at USA Today…
Philosophy Bites: Jesus as Philosopher
Philosophy Bites is always one of my favorite podcasts. In this recent podcast, Don Cupitt argues for Jesus as a philosopher. His argument finds its basis in the discussion over the Jesus of history versus the Christ of theology. If first-century Christians painted Jesus with their own brush, is Cupitt doing the same? Does it matter?
Book Review: Eastern Philosophy
Eastern Philosophy
by Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad
Orion, 2005
256 pages (hardcover)
Having recently taught a course that touched on various concepts found in Eastern philosophy, I was surprised to find that in graduate-level theological education, the closest 90% or more of my students came to knowing anything about Eastern philosophy, was what they heard in the movie, Kung Fu Panda.
This is not an exaggeration. (more…)
Book Review: Rethinking Human Nature
Rethinking Human Nature: A Christian Materialist Alternative to the Soul
by Kevin J. Corcoran
Baker Academic, 2006
152 pages (paperback)
Suppose for a moment that it is two hundred years from now and you’re dying. Your body is connected to a machine and at the last minute your consciousness is to be transferred to an entirely new body. Well, it is not so much transferred as it is copied, but people in this period ignore that part in favor of the illusion of long life. (more…)
