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June 28th, 2011
03:28 PM ET
Yale's flip-flop on anti-Semitism center
By Amitai Etzioni, Special to CNN (CNN) - Yale University announced this month that it would close an institute dedicated to the study of anti-Semitism, the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism. In the wake of controversy over that decision, Yale has now announced that it will open a new center dedicated to the same subject. Between the closing and opening lies a telling tale about research in a politically charged world. Read more about Prof. Etzioni's thoughts on Yale's anti-semitism center
June 28th, 2011
03:22 PM ET
Muslim woman sues Abercrombie and FitchA young Muslim woman is suing Abercrombie and Fitch in a dispute over a headscarf. In the video above, CNN affiliate KGO has the story. 
June 28th, 2011
03:16 PM ET
Pope sends first tweet, launching new Vatican siteBy Richard Allen Greene, CNN (CNN) - Twitter has welcomed a new user - one who already has more than one billion followers. Pope Benedict XVI used Twitter to announce the launch of a new Vatican website, timed to coincide with Wednesday's 60th anniversary of his ordination as a priest. The website, News.va, showed a photo of the pope with what appeared to be an iPad. 
June 28th, 2011
12:10 PM ET
Dutch ban on Jewish, Muslim butchering passes hurdleFrom Eileen Hsieh, CNN Dutch lawmakers Tuesday approved an animal-rights measure that would ban Jewish and Muslim methods of ritual slaughter, the Parliament press office said. It must now go to the Senate for a vote, which will likely happen in September, press officer Leon Van Schie told CNN. The Dutch Party for the Animals proposed closing a loophole in the Dutch law that allows Jews and Muslims to kill animals that have not been anesthetized first. "The Party for the Animals believes that freedom of religion must end where animal suffering begins," leader Marianne Thieme wrote on her blog before the measure went to a vote Tuesday. 
June 28th, 2011
12:00 PM ET
Mormon scholar: 'Book of Mormon' like a fun-house mirror(CNN)–Prof. Richard Bushman shares his insight in CNN's "In the Arena" off-set interview on how the award-winning Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon, is not the best insight to Mormon beliefs. He teaches courses on Mormonism in its broad social and cultural context and on the history of religion in America. Bushman has taken an active part in explaining Mormonism to a broad public and in negotiating the tensions between Mormonism and modern culture. An emeritus professor at Columbia University, he received his Ph.D. in the History of American Civilization from Harvard. Among his books is the biography, “Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling.” He also serves as one of three general editors of the Joseph Smith Papers. Prof. Bushman, the character of Elder Price, an American Mormon missionary in modern-day Uganda, questions his faith, but regains it while performing the song, “I Believe.” He sings, “I believe that God has a plan for all of us. / I believe that plan involves me getting my own planet.” Is that lyric based in Mormon belief? I have been living in California and Utah for the past year while the musical "The Book of Mormon” has been packing the house on Broadway. I have not seen the show, but I have read endless reviews, listened to parts of the score, and talked with Mormon friends who have seen it. Based on what I have heard, and the lyrics of Elder Price’s song, the musical gets a lot of laughs, but it is not meant to explain Mormon beliefs. Read more about Bushman's views on the 'The Book of Mormon' Former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman in New Jersey last week shortly after announcing his presidential candidacy.
June 28th, 2011
01:00 AM ET
My Take: For Huntsman, a little faith could go a long way
By Stephen Prothero, Special to CNN One of the more intriguing questions posed by Mitt Romney's presidential run is whether a Mormon can win the Oval Office. Now that former Utah governor John Huntsman Jr. (also a Mormon) has announced his candidacy, a new question emerges: What sort of Mormon might be elected president? As any visitor to Disney World’s “Hall of Presidents” can tell you, Americans prefer their presidents white, male, and Protestant. Only two presidents have overcome these desiderata (John Kennedy and Barack Obama), and they have run against their religion (in the case of Kennedy) and their race (in the case of Obama), reassuring the American people that they weren’t really all that Catholic or all that black — that they were Americans first, and members of their religious or racial communities second. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Editor's note: 
Editor's Note: Stephen Prothero, a Boston University religion scholar and author of "God is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions that Run the World," is a regular CNN Belief Blog contributor.