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Greg Smith

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Sex Outside of Marriage by Religion (#0940)

2012/12/11 By Greg

A new study published in the American Sociological Review, found that Muslims and Hindus "are more likely than Christians and Jews to refrain from sex outside of marriage".  More specifically, the data shows: Those who report having premarital sex: 94% of Jews 79% of Christians 65% of Buddhists 43% of Muslims 19% of Hindus Those who report having extramarital sex: 4% of Jews 3% of Christians Less than 1% of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists So What? While this Read More …

Review of When God Talks Back (#0939)

2012/12/10 By Greg

Meet the Author T. M. Luhrmann is a psychological anthropologist and the Watkins University Professor in the Stanford Anthropology Department.  Her books include Persuasions of the Witch’s Craft (1989), The Good Parsi (1996), Of Two Minds (2000), and When God Talks Back (2012). Luhrmann was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2003) and awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship (2007). Book Basics T. M. Luhrmann grew up in an environment that Read More …

Review of America’s Blessings (#0925)

2012/11/26 By Greg

Meet the Author Since 2004, Rodney Stark has been a University Professor in Social Sciences and the Co-Director of the Institute of Studies of Religion at Baylor University.  Stark is an American sociologist of religion who previously taught for over thirty years at the University of Washington.  He has published 30 books (my review of What Americans Really Believe / my review of The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Read More …

Religious Athletes (#0881)

2012/10/13 By Greg

According to recent research by Grey Matter Research & Consulting "relatively few Americans react negatively to the frequent intersection between professional sports and religion."  The study considered seven different types of religious expression: Athletes from opposing teams gathering together on the field or court after a game for prayer, Athletes speaking up about their faith in interviews after the game, Athletes speaking up about their faith in interviews after the Read More …

Most Religious President (#0874)

2012/10/06 By Greg

Forrest Wickman's recent article in Slate asks the question "Who is the most religious (American) president of all time?"  He concludes that this distinction probably belongs to Jimmy Carter.  Carter, a Georgia Baptist, has always been straightforward about his religious beliefs and practices. While in office, Carter attended church wherever he went, even while on the road, and continued to teach Sunday school when at home. He prayed daily and read the Bible, and when he Read More …

Election Night Worship? (#0870)

2012/10/02 By Greg

A grassroots movement hopes that Christian churches will leverage the election night as a way to show their oneness in Christ by celebrating Communion / Eucharist / Lord's Supper in their respective gathering places that evening.   More specifically, Election Day Communion is a time for Christians to come together in our respective churches, regardless of party, political affiliation, or denomination. Let’s all share this sacred act of communion together, reaffirming our Read More …

Review of Sacred Ground (#0848)

2012/09/10 By Greg

Meet the Author Eboo Patel is the founder and president of Interfaith Youth Core, a nonprofit that seeks to make interfaith cooperation a social norm.  He is the author of Acts of Faith: The Story of an American Muslim, in the Struggle for the Soul of a Generation (2010), and is a regular contributor to the Washington Post, USA Today, and the Huffington Post.  He served on President Obama's inaugural Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Read More …

Obama & Romney on Faith (#0834)

2012/08/27 By Greg

President Barrack Obama and presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney both responded to questions about their religious experiences in the current edition of "Cathedral Age," the quarterly magazine of the Washington National Cathedral.  Their responses to the question "How does faith play a role in your life?" follow: Romney: Faith is integral to my life. I have served as a lay pastor in my church. I faithfully follow its precepts. I was taught in my home to Read More …

From Bigotry to Critical Thinking (#0829)

2012/08/22 By Greg

Charles Negy, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Central Florida, is receiving considerable attention after an e-mail he sent to the students in his  cross-cultural psychology class in January was posted on reddit a few days ago.  Kaustuv Basu's article explains that Negy wrote the note after a class session about religion in which several Christian students behaved in a manner described as bigoted.  Since any excerpt from the note would not allow my Read More …

Religion in Your County (#0815)

2012/08/08 By Greg

I was pleasantly surprised to learn the Association of Religion Data Archives offers free and easily searchable county-level information on religion (a big thanks to Jerry Park for mentioning it a few days ago).  A few seconds after clicking through to the site I was viewing data on my current county of residence.  The bar graph appears below, but the actual data produced by the county search includes the 2010 report broken down by religious bodies and the ability to see Read More …

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Greg Smith

Greg is a follower of the Way of Jesus who strives to make the world a better place for all people. Currently, he serves as Chief Executive Officer of White Rock Center of Hope and as Interim Senior Pastor of Advent Lutheran Church. He has served ten congregations, taught religion to undergraduates for eight years, and helped three organizations provide quality healthcare to underserved populations. (Read More)

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