Of all the moral subjects and ethical rules elaborated throughout the Bible and the history of Christianity, why have so many American Christians seemed disproportionately obsessed with sex? And how has that obsession divided America?
In “Moral Combat: How Sex Divided American Christians and Fractured American Politics,” R. Marie Griffith offers a compelling history of the religious debates over sex and sexuality that came to dominate American life.
"Because of the civil rights movement, the battle became more about politics and policy — and not just marching in the streets — and that becomes the sphere of specialized folks." Quote from Lerone Martin, assistant professor of religion and politics.
Thanksgiving is a day most Americans look forward to, a day of watching parades and feasting on delicious food with friends and family. However, the rosy picture we have in our minds of our Pilgrim forefathers sitting down to eat with the local Native American tribes is, frankly, a myth. In honor of the holiday, American religious historian Mark Valeri shares the true and harrowing tales of the Pilgrim immigrants, and how and why their story came to national prominence in the post-Civil War era. He also examines how the myth of that first Thanksgiving has taken root in the American identity, and traces the revisions the story has undergone through the decades.
Two WashU psychologists are teaching students about mindfulness, both as practitioners and as scientists. Todd Braver and Heather Rice explore the historical, religious, and scientific roots of the practice. You are invited to read the following three stories (Part I: The Basics, Part II: The Research, and Part III: Where Religion Meets Science) in any order. Also included are Bonus Videos from groundbreaking neuroscientist Richard Davidson's visit to campus in 2014 for the Witherspoon Lectures in Religion and Science.
Prof. Leigh Eric Schmidt, of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics, writes about how secularists have pushed back against religion in the public sphere using Atheist museums, Satanic temples and Thomas Paine statues.
The tomb of a Maya ruler excavated this summer at the Classic Maya city of Waka’ in northern Guatemala is the oldest royal tomb yet to be discovered at the site, the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Guatemala has announced.
“The Classic Maya revered their divine rulers and treated them as living souls after death,” said research co-director David Freidel, professor of anthropology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.
“This king’s tomb helped to make the royal palace acropolis holy ground, a place of majesty, early in the history of the Wak — centipede — dynasty. It’s like the ancient Saxon kings England buried in Old Minster, the original church underneath Winchester Cathedral.”
Trick or Tweet 2017 has come to a close but the fun has not!
You can help choose the best display by visiting the Trick or Tweet 2017 album on the ArtSci Facebook page and like your favorite department display by November 7th! Religious Studies has THREE photos so like them all!
