Politics

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Is Obama’s Real “Faith Asset” His Ability to Speak the Language of American Civil Religion?

Last June, at the Wharton Leadership Conference, Richard Greene, a well-known public speaking coach, offered his prediction that Barack Obama would win the Democratic nomination on the basis of his amazing strengths as an orator. Glossing over the fact that Greene said Romney would win the Republican nomination for the same reason (great speaking skills), […]

4Jun2008 | Andrea Useem | 3 comments | Continued
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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
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Mormon American Idol, Church on Second Life and Barack Obama in Indiana

It’s been a big night, yet another Tuesday evening of clicking back and forth between American Idol and Democratic primary results. So first things first: It looks like America is going to have its first-ever Mormon American Idol in 17-year-old David Archuleta. The three judges, Randy, Paula and Simon, go crazy for Archuleta’s earnest crooning, […]

6May2008 | Andrea Useem | 4 comments | Continued
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Faith, Hope and Poverty: A Story from Kenya

Life is frustrating, right? I’m not famous, my two-year-old won’t go to sleep at bedtime, and my least favorite contestant might actually win American Idol. Most of these problems are solvable or irrelevant or not really problems in the first place. But here’s one problem that has bothered me since 1996: How do I help […]

28Apr2008 | Andrea Useem | 1 comment | Continued
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The Compassion Forum: Highlights and Lowlights

Just finished watching “The Compassion Forum” — an intimate evening with the two Democratic presidential candidates, hosted by Messiah College in Grantham, PA, and Faith in Public Life, a progressive Washington D.C.-based organization. Overall, it was a little dull — after all, how much new ground can be covered after the endless months of campaigning? […]

13Apr2008 | Andrea Useem | 5 comments | Continued
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When a Woman Runs for President — in Afghanistan

I’ve just finished watching FrontRunner, the new documentary from New View Films about Massouda Jalal, the only female candidate in Afghanistan’s 2004 elections. It’s hard, of course, to think about a woman running for president without immediately making comparisons to the current presidential race in the U.S. - it’s like a cartoon that needs a […]

9Apr2008 | Andrea Useem | 2 comments | Continued
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Should Obama Make a Religion Speech?

That was the question this morning at a panel on Islam and U.S. Politics on Capitol Hill.
Have the “accusations” that Obama is a Muslim reached such a pitch that Obama should seize the moment and deliver a historic speech, ala his March 18 address on race? (Background: One-in-ten Americans think Obama is a Muslim.) The […]

3Apr2008 | Andrea Useem | 6 comments | Continued
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What Makes a Good Fanatic? The Big Guns Get Philosophical

As a freelancer, I have a lot of jobs, but one of the most enjoyable is editing transcripts for the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The task involves many solitary hours spent combing through the words of distinguished experts of religion. It’s an immersive experience, and I pay far more attention to the […]

12Mar2008 | Andrea Useem | 1 comment | Continued
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Romney, Muslims and “Conservative Multiculturalism”

While lounging on the couch after an indulgent Christmas dinner this evening, ReligionWriter could not resist turning her attention from relatives and instead reading an essay titled, “Mormons, Muslims and Multiculturalism,” which she stumbled upon while leafing through a recent issue of the conservative Weekly Standard.
The essay, which goes for a lengthy 6,000 words, would […]

25Dec2007 | Andrea Useem | 1 comment | Continued
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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
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