California-born Greg Harder invests three to five hours every day in front of his computer screen as a “cultural detective specializing in interfaith,” a phrase he coined to describe his internet social-media activities.
The Internet and Religion: the Current Debate
Earlier this year an argument surfaced about the internet and religion. Is the internet taking people away from religion? Last April, Kimberly Winston of Religion News Service published “Is the Internet Bad for Religion?” She reviewed an academic paper by Allen Downey, a professor of computer science, whose research showed that “the share of Americans claiming no religious affiliation grew from 8 percent to 18 percent while the number of Americans connected to the Internet rose from almost nothing to 80 percent.”
Online Games and the Contemporary Religious Landscape
In Virtually Sacred (2014), religious studies scholar Robert M. Geraci tackles the topic of religion in online games. While his approach and conclusions raise some questions, there is no question this book is long overdue.
Study Surveys Buddhist Group’s Global Impact
A recent study shows how digital and social media has allowed one of the largest international religious and benevolent organizations to keep in touch with its more than 10 million followers worldwide, and help them in their mission to provide humanitarian relief.
Navigating the New Media Landscape
New communication and Internet technologies have created a dynamic new media landscape that has changed the face of religion in two decades. From the early days of the World Wide Web in the 1990s, the conversation on religion in cyberspace has been, and continues to be, highly prolific. Over time the Internet has established itself as the foremost marketplace of religious ideas, ultimately drawing even the most reluctant of the faithful into its spaces, including unconventional new religions.
Technology: A Re-introduction
We’ve become the tools of our tools and the fault – and the solution – lie not in our tools, but in ourselves.
For all the stunning achievements of science and technology in the last 400 years, there has been a blind spot at the center of both enterprises: the absence of an overarching vision that ties everything together, or the recognition that, in fact, everything is indeed connected.
The sheer amount of information now makes it impossible for any single person to grasp the whole of knowledge, as Leonardo da Vinci once could. As a result, scientists and technologists become buried in silos of information with little or no vision of what is upstream or downstream of their work.
The Horizons of Interfaith Peacebuilding: Communicating its Challenges and Opportunities
Gearing Up to Fight Climate Change with Fletcher Harper
A “How-to” Guide on Fighting Religious Intolerance Online
What We Learn from the First Abrahamic Apocalypse Story
Dr. Amir Akrami on Islam, Religious Diversity, and Peacemaking in Iran
Interreligious Calendars – Discovering the Stories Behind the Dates
Track II Diplomacy on Korean Security
Principled Pluralism and the Inclusive America Project
Video Resources for Religious Climate Activists
Religions for Peace USA’s New Webinars Series
Immigration Reform Webinar – Friday, May 24th, 3 pm EST
"Religions for Peace USA Connect" Offers New Platform
How to Develop Spiritual Friendship
Last spring semester I mentioned Spiritual Friendship in a course I was teaching on spirituality. One of the students shared with me that he had never heard the term. He was intrigued with the concept — it seemed to describe one of his relationships.
Camp Anytown – the Details and the Results
Camp Anytown is a nationally recognized, 50-year-old award-winning training program for youth focusing on leadership skills, human relations, and diversity. The goal of Camp Anytown Las Vegas is to create communities based on inclusivity, respect, and understanding through youth leadership and empowerment. This year our Spring camp is being held April 26-28.