Interviews

Does Polygamy Have a Legal Future in the U.S.?

Having written previously about polyamory (maintaining multiple romantic relationships) and polygamy (well, really, polygyny — having more than one wife at at time,) I have been intensely interested in the on-going case in Texas, in which more than 400 children of polygamists were put into temporary state custody following allegations of physical and sexual abuse […]

11May2008 | Andrea Useem | 6 comments | Continued

The Optimistic Muslim: David Liepert and the “Faith of Life” Network

Over the last several months, I’ve corresponded with David Liepert, a Calgary anesthesiologist and father of four. His new book, Me and You: Beyond Belief, Toether: A Path to Peace All Our Faiths Can Share, tells the story of his conversion from Christianity to Islam, and all the insight he gained along the way. He […]

2May2008 | Andrea Useem | 5 comments | Continued

For the terrorist ‘cheering section,’ it’s about ‘policy not principles:’ Q+A with Dalia Mogahed

If you have grown weary of punditry or sweeping op-ed comments about the state of the Muslim world, you may share my feeling that poll data feels like a breath of fresh air in the public conversation about Islam. What do Muslims around the world think about pressing issues like terrorism, U.S. foreign policy and […]

4Mar2008 | Andrea Useem | 3 comments | Continued

The “Crisis” of Covering Islam in America: Q+A with Terry Mattingly

If there’s one religion blog that sets the standard when it comes to high quality coverage of religion-in-the-media, it’s GetReligion.org, a multi-contributor blog founded by veteran religion reporter Terry Mattingly (or, as he’s known online, tmatt.) The blog has a very specific angle: taking a critical look at how religion is, or isn’t, covered in […]

28Jan2008 | Andrea Useem | 5 comments | Continued

Native Deen Responds: “Our Audience is Global”

Earlier this week, I reviewed the latest album of Muslim hip-hop trio Native Deen, Not Afraid to Stand Alone.
Displaying a great deal of patience and civility, the band and its manager, David Hawa, agreed to answer some of my criticisms in an e-mail interview: Abdul-Malik Ahmad responded on behalf of the group. Ahmad, in […]

16Jan2008 | Andrea Useem | 5 comments | Continued

The Grinch Who Stole Eid ul-Adha

What are the biggest Christian and Jewish holidays of the year? Religiously speaking, Christmas and Hannukah are not the answer — rather, as observant Christians know, Easter has more significance for followers of Christ, and, as Jews know, Hannukah pales besides Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashonah.
Maybe it’s a coincidence, but the same phenomenon happens in […]

17Dec2007 | Andrea Useem | 3 comments | Continued

Surviving Salafism: An American Muslim Recovers from Extremism and Makes a Difference

When ReligionWriter reviewed Daveed Gartenstein-Ross’ Feb. 2007 memoir, My Year inside Radical Islam, she was excited to see an American go public with a story about getting sucked into Islam’s radical fringes. Yet Gartenstein-Ross’ reflections were limited by the fact that when he extricated himself from Islam’s dark side, he also decided to leave the […]

12Dec2007 | Andrea Useem | 8 comments | Continued

Why Romney’s Task Is Very Different From JFK’s

If you’re into religion and politics, then December 6 is shaping up to be every bit as important, if not more, than January 3, when the Iowa caucuses are held. That’s because this Thursday, GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney will deliver a long-awaited speech on religion, and more specifically, his own Mormon faith — the […]

3Dec2007 | Andrea Useem | 3 comments | Continued

Evangelical Executives: Q+A with D. Michael Lindsay

When ReligionWriter first heard about sociologist Michael Lindsay’s new book, Faith in the Halls of Power: How Evangelicals Joined the American Elite (Oxford, August) her first thought was: “Another book about evangelicals?” But after hearing Lindsay speak at the Religion Newswriters Association conference in September, and again at the Pew Forum […]

6Nov2007 | Andrea Useem | 1 comment | Continued

“A Misbegotten Martyr:” Ricky Rodriguez’s Tragic Quest for Justice

Last week, Don Lattin spoke with ReligionWriter about the evangelical influences behind the sexual theology of The Family International, a religious sect founded by leader David Berg in the late 1960s. Berg’s spiritual step-son, Ricky Rodriguez, was raised to be the group’s leader — Berg prophesied that Rodriguez would eventually sacrifice his life for the […]

16Oct2007 | Andrea Useem | 3 comments | Continued