The
Faith of Flanders
By Mark I. Pinsky
No one would mistake Ned Flanders, the goofy next-door neighbor in "The
Simpsons," for a polished televangelist like Joel Osteen. But over
the past two decades the zealous cartoon character has become one of
the best-known evangelicals on America's small screen. With Americans
spending exponentially more time on their sofas watching television
than in pews listening to sermons, this is no insignificant matter.
[read
more]
Lifeline
for mainliners
By Mark I. Pinsky
These once-dominant liberal Protestant denominations have been drained
by demographic realities and eclipsed by conservative religious voices.
[read
more]
The
Golden Rolodex
By Mark I. Pinsky
Imagine a time before the Internet and the explosion of cable television
news and opinion shows. In those days, journalists looking for academic
authorities for their stories relied on something called the “Golden
Rolodex.” This was an informal list of easily reachable and articulate
professors, experts and authors whom we could call. Only death or disgrace
could dislodge those on it to make room for others.
[read
more]
Polygamy
sect raids
As part of a child abuse investigation, authorities in Texas have taken
away a large number of young girls from a ranch near San Antonio belonging
to the Mormon sect of Warren Jeffs. Jeffs himself is in prison, convicted
of being an accomplice to rape.
Mark Pinsky, religion correspondent of the Orlando Sentinel,
gave more detail about the raid, in the light of the 1993 siege of the
Branch Davidian sect in Waco, Texas, which led to the deaths of about
80 members.
[click
here to listen]
Dialogue:
Teflon
Televangelists
by Mark I. Pinsky
Faith and forbearance can sometimes be insurmountable
barriers for religion journalists.
When it comes to some true believers, I have learned, nothing you write
that questions their idols seems to make any difference.
The
gospel of money
Megachurch pastors and broadcast ministries are drawing
renewed scrutiny for living lavishly off the faithful’s
funds.
Fortunately, a divide is emerging in the world
of evangelicals:
the ‘haves’ and the ‘will have
none of it.’
By Mark I. Pinsky
One
Jew’s new view of
the evangelicals
New Jersey Jewish News |
