Joseph Knippenberg

Dana Milbank takes the failure of any of the conservative evangelical candidates as evidence of the diminishing clout of the once-formidable Religious Right.  His expectation seems to be that religious conservatives—especially those of the evangelical stripe—ought to support a . . . . Continue Reading »

This article describes a relatively new phenomenon in Europe—people seeking either formally or informally to renounce their ties to the religion in which they were baptized. In some cases, the issue is getting removed from the state’s rolls that determine whose tax money goes . . . . Continue Reading »

This is an interesting conservative variation on a theme often voiced by liberal observers of evangelical politics. The standard argument goes something like this: the culture war is either over or increasingly irrelevant to younger generations of evangelicals, who respond to a much broader array . . . . Continue Reading »

It’s hard to untangle exactly what the objections are to a course on “Application of Biblical Insight into the Management of Business/Organization.”  Or perhaps not. If the issue is quality, then an ordinary faculty course-vetting process should take care of that.  Such . . . . Continue Reading »

Robert Kraynak has published a very fine essay in the current issue of The New Atlantis .  In the essay, he argues—quite compellingly, to my mind—that contemporary efforts to appeal to human dignity need foundations that those who make the appeal typically are unable to provide. . . . . Continue Reading »

Yesterday’s Hosanna-Tabor decision by the Supreme Court is widely and rightly celebrated as a great victory for religious freedom.  I’m interested in its implications for higher education.  Both of the major trade publications covered it, the Chronicle here and InsideHigherEd . . . . Continue Reading »

To no one’s surprise, Mitt Romney won the New Hampshire Primary, with turnout just a tick above the allegedly dispirited showing four years ago.  Where’s the Republican enthusiasm advantage?  Apparently not in the Granite State.  We’ll have to watch turnout in the . . . . Continue Reading »

This piece suggests that Rick Santorum would “reverse” JFK’s views about religion in public life.  This essay , by frequent FT contributor Michael McConnell, suggests that that would be a very good thing. [C]onsider what Senator Kennedy’s absolute separation between . . . . Continue Reading »

Now that they’re paying attention to him, some observers kinda sorta like what they see. Michael Gerson regards him as the second coming of compassionate conservatism, something about which he knows a thing or two. The Catholic (and increasingly Protestant) approach to social ethics asserts . . . . Continue Reading »

The headline of this story —“majority of evangelicals pick Santorum in Iowa”—is misleading.  Last I checked, 32% wasn’t a majority.   After Santorum’s 32%, Ron Paul received 18% of the evangelical vote, and Gingrich, Perry, and Romney each received . . . . Continue Reading »