Mining the Past; Building the Future
In The Prince Niccolo Machiavelli writes, "For men almost always follow in the footsteps of others, imitation being a leading principle of human behaviour. Since it is not always possible…
Breaking the Soundbite Barrier
As the controversy over the Islamic community center near Ground Zero continues to rage, professors from Boston University have decided to inject their expertise into the dialogue. Frustrated by the…
A Deficiency Worth Rectifying
We take our automobiles into the shop every three thousand miles for maintenance. We have annual check-ups with our medical doctors in order to assess our health. We go to…
Transmission of Cultural Memory
In the late '80s and into the mid-90's Americans had the opportunity to buy automobiles that were quite fuel efficient. On one gallon of gas the Geo Metro, a small-bubble…
From Mourning to Meditation
Nine years ago, two airplanes hurled into two towering symbols of American power. Nine years ago, a nation experienced unspeakable shock and immense agony. Families lost loved ones, never to…
Creativity, Genetically Modified Organisms, and Food
Skyscrapers, bullet trains, space shuttles, submarines, laptops, antibiotics, screenplays, governmental systems, language, playing cards: the creative impulse that we possess and endlessly deploy saturates our landscapes. Nearly anywhere we look…
Pilgrims and Pesticides
For thousands of years religious people have embarked on pilgrimages to hallowed sites that are venerated on account of the events that transpired there or the persons that dwelt there.…
Counting the Cost for Others
As Americans we consume roughly 19.5 million barrels (1,072,500,000 gallons) of oil a day.* Oil fuels our automobiles, our semi-trucks, our bicycle tires, our tooth brushes, our corn production, and…
The “I” in Digital Technology
Who am I? This question rings from the dawn of human history and is uttered afresh in each of our individual lives. The question "Who am I?" is not answerable…
The Foreign Policy Deficit
On February 23rd, the Task Force on Religion and the Making of U.S. Foreign Policy met with the White House's Joshua DuBois, the head of the Office of Faith-Based and…