Quoting God charts the many ways in which media reports religion news, how media uses the quoted word to describe lived faith, and how media itself influences--and is influenced by--religion in the public square. The volume intentionally brings together the work of academics, who study religion as a crucial factor in the construction of identity, and the work of professional journalists, who regularly report on religion in an age of instant and competitive news. This book clearly demonstrates that the relationship between media culture and spiritual culture is foundational and multi-directional; that the relationship between news values and religion in political life is influential; and that the relationship amongst modernity, belief, and journalism is pivotal.

"In the 2004 Madeleva Lecture, Mary Ann Hinsdale uses the lens of her own life experience to tell the story of how visionary and prophetic women set in motion the important institutional structures that have allowed women to shape Catholic theology in North America over the past fifty years. She pays particular attention to issues and problems facing women theologians in the Catholic Church today, such as the implications of the changing demographics of women theologians; women's impact on the "theological establishment"; the reception of feminism and feminist theology by the hierarchy; and the unmet intercultural challenges posed by those "on the margins," as well as women theologians' response to them. Coming at the beginning of a new papacy, Hinsdale's compelling narrative is especially timely for a consideration of the future of women in the Catholic Church."--BOOK JACKET.

They are there after an urgent need, a moment of desperation. Like Ellen Cardwell?s telling of a highway angel who helped Ellen and her husband resume their trip after car trouble on California?s desolate Highway 1. Or Delores Topliff?s memory from her childhood, when on the brink of starvation, an angel on a bicycle dropped off bags of groceries. These stories will challenge and reward your faith in God?a God Who tells us to entertain strangers and, possibly, Heavenly Company. Contained within this book is an exclusive collection of real-life encounters with God?s angels and mysterious helpful strangers. Best-selling author Cecil Murphey (coauthor of 90 Minutes in Heaven and more than one hundred other books) and his cowriter Twila Belk masterfully bring together brand-new reports from all over the world that share one thing in common: the way in which God uses messengers to touch our lives. Filled with hundreds of pages of stories that will excite your spirit and touch your heart, you?ll travel from Africa to Texas to Russia and back again. Curl up with this powerful book and read amazing true accounts of individuals who have encountered angels, both seen and unseen.

Market globalization, technology, climate change, and postcolonial political forces are together forging a new, more modern world. However, caught up in the mix are some powerful religious narratives that are galvanizing peoples and reimagining – and sometimes stifling – the political and social order. Some are repressive, fundamentalist imaginations, such as the so-called Islamic Caliphate. Others could be described as post-religious, such as the evolution of universal human rights out of the European Christian tradition. But the question of the compatibility of these religious worldviews, particularly those that have emerged out of the Abrahamic faith traditions, is perhaps the most pressing issue in global stability today. What scope for dialogue is there between the Jewish, Muslim, and Christian ways of imagining the future? How can we engage with these multiple imaginations to create a shared and peaceful global society? Religious Imaginations is an interdisciplinary volume of both new and well-known scholars exploring how religious narratives interact with the contemporary geopolitical climate.

Around 20 percent of Americans fall into the category of “spiritual but not religious.” Yoga has become a ubiquitous pastime for middle-class Westerners. Mindfulness is increasingly incorporated into school curricula, sports programs, and even corporate culture. Hollywood icons and Silicon Valley trendsetters tout the benefits of a “spiritual” life. These developments reflect a widespread turn away from “religion” toward “spirituality.” Yet the nature of this spiritual turn is still poorly understood, and its consequences sorely underappreciated. The Shape of Spirituality brings together leading sociologists to challenge common notions that spirituality is individualistic, privatized, and apolitical—and to make the definitive case for its social and political significance. Contributors examine the sweeping influence of spirituality on a variety of realms, including health care and therapeutic practice, popular culture, civic engagement, public protest, conspiracy culture, and progressive politics. Leveraging cutting-edge quantitative and qualitative data, this authoritative book makes clear that, far from being marginal and inconsequential, spirituality holds profound public importance today.