Superman turns 75 this year, and in the latest cinematic retelling of his story, “Man of Steel,” Clark Kent is looking as youthful as ever. In fact, the coming Superman movie is one of a number of new superhero and sci-fi epics that demonstrate again our appetite for action flicks – and religious themes.
The bombings at the Boston Marathon and the subsequent identification of two ethnic Chechen immigrant brothers as the suspected perpetrators once again raised questions about the relationship between religion and violence. The older of the two men in particular seemed to be inspired in part by radicalized elements of Islam.
The shooting massacre at a Connecticut grade school has shocked the nation and prompted a flood of reflections on the role of faith in providing consolation and understanding. But there is also an intense debate over how, or whether, religious groups should weigh in on the public policy debate about gun violence.
Theologians have pondered the nature of evil for centuries, but for Americans, the attacks of Sept. 11 brought the issue home as few other atrocities in recent times have.
The State Department will release its annual report on human trafficking by the end of June, spotlighting the global trade in enforced labor and the selling or prostitution of people – as many as 27 million, mostly women and children – without their consent or benefit. The issue is increasingly mobilizing religious groups.
The suicide of a New Jersey college student whose intimate encounter with another man was broadcast on the Internet by two other students has cast a spotlight on the problem of bullying and its often brutal consequences. Religious groups condemn hateful behavior like bullying but can differ on the solutions.
The United States sentences more of its citizens under the age of 18 to life without parole than any other major developed nation, and American believers are increasingly viewing juvenile justice as a critical challenge for faith groups. This edition of ReligionLink focuses on this controversial topic.
The indictment of nine members of an extremist militia in the Midwest known as the Hutaree has cast a spotlight on shadowy right-wing hate groups, and on their fringe religious worldviews. The Hutaree case also comes amid concerns about growing threats stemming from contentious policy debates such as health care reform.
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