Muslim Messiahs? American Civil Religion and U.S. Military Service Edward E. Curtis IV | March 14, 2018 Critical Approaches AboutCritical Approaches On October 19, 2008, former Republican Secretary of State and retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Colin Powell appeared on the NBC News Sunday morning program Meet the Press to endorse Democratic candidate Barack Obama for president. Powell outlined multiple reasons for his choice, many of which were driven by sober policy concerns and a sense of which person was better suited for the job. But there was also a “push factor” behind his choice: he had grown weary of anti-Muslim rhetoric in the Republican Party and the attempts to tarnish Obama as a Muslim... Read the rest of this entry
Our Apocalypse Problem from Baghdadi to Bannon (Part 2) Between Radical Jihad and the Radical Right Michael Pregill | April 27, 2017 Critical Approaches / Current Events AboutCritical Approaches Several statements and policy decisions made by the new Trump administration after the inauguration in January 2017 have confirmed many observers’ fears that the extreme behavior, language, and proposals associated with the Trump campaign were in fact mere hints of worse to come. The now-notorious “American carnage” speech Trump delivered at his inauguration established that apocalyptic urgency and messianic deliverance would continue to be defining themes of his presidency, moderated only by the more tedious realities of governance that have inevitably interfered... Read the rest of this entry
Our Apocalypse Problem from Baghdadi to Bannon (Part 1) The Mainstreaming of Apocalyptic Politics in America Michael Pregill | April 13, 2017 Critical Approaches / Current Events AboutCritical Approaches The apocalyptic ideology of ISIS needs to be appraised in a balanced, nuanced way. If we are serious about confronting the apocalyptic tendencies and perspectives of fringe groups as they not only potentially radicalize populations but may eventually lead to – and legitimate – violence, then we must be ready to acknowledge that this is not only a problem “over there,” but rather also constitutes a problem much closer to home. As recent events have made clear, this is a problem with tangible consequences for our society, our discourse, and our politics, and so such comparative analysis proves to be much more than a merely academic exercise. Read the rest of this entry