By reminding us of a number of the most curious headline-stories spanning the previous twelve months, RD's "2010: What Did We Believe In?" invites a range of emotional responses. My own reactions tended to the extremes: extreme worry at some of the crass and narcissistic excess of a great deal of contemporary American religiosity; but also extreme interest in, and even a whiff of hope inspired by, the relentless creativity and imaginativeness with which Americans by and large apply themselves to the pursuit of their spiritual dreams.
On the hopeful side of the ledger, I’d like to invite reflection on two things that a great many Americans seem willing to consider sacred, in Laderman’s sense of a loose and somewhat un-formed spirituality: democracy and art.
Read Full Article »