PJCMedia

What We Talk about When We Talk about Philip Roth

admin — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 18:40:02 +0000

Philip Roth is a titan of American literature with a remarkable oeuvre of more than thirty novels and countless literary accolades under his belt. On March 19th, 2013, Roth celebrated his eightieth birthday, a milestone marked by celebrations in his native Newark, New Jersey, as well as around the country. At the Program for Jewish Civilization, Director Jacques Berlinerblau, who teaches a course on the secular Jewish fiction of Philip Roth, interviewed one of the country’s foremost Roth experts, Dr. [...]

Summer 2013 Certificate in Holocaust and Genocide Studies Announced

admin — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 21:11:35 +0000

The Certificate in Holocaust and Genocide Studies, designed for high school teachers, is a rigorous, non-degree program geared to the specific curricular and pedagogical needs of educators. The seven day summer course is held on the campus of Georgetown University and will be taught by Georgetown faculty. Guest lecturers from think tanks, government and non-governmental agencies, authors, independent scholars, and clergy will enhance the learning experience. Participants will have access to Georgetown University’s libraries, as well as the numerous museums [...]

Secular America: Nones, Atheists, the Unaffiliated

admin — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:46:37 +0000

Lately, the American media has written extensively about the so-called “nones,” following an influential Pew survey in October 2012 that found religiously unaffiliated Americans to be at an all-time high. But who are these atheists, agnostics, non-believers, and other secular folk? What are their lifestyles and belief systems? Here to answer this question is Professor Phil Zuckerman of Pitzer College, founder of the first Secular Studies program in the nation. Professor Zuckerman is an ethnographer whose books include Society without [...]

French Laïcité: What Does It Stand for?

admin — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:38:07 +0000

The French notion of laïcité, which regulates ostentatious public displays or expressions of religion, is one of the classical models. Even so, it is misunderstood both in France and outside of it. In this interview, two of the preeminent architects of modern laïcité, Jean Baubérot and Henri Peña-Ruiz, discuss how they understand this complex concept with Dr. Sarah Fainberg as part of the February 2013 “Secularism on the Edge” conference. Their conversation ranges from explorations of the theoretical to practical, [...]

America: A Christian Nation or a Secular Nation?

admin — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:29:59 +0000

On February 20-22, 2013, the Program for Jewish Civilization held an international conference on secularism in the United States, France, and Israel. In the opening event of the “Secularism on the Edge” conference, Professor John Fea of Messiah College discusses his historical research on the development of church-state relations in the United States. By examining documents such as the Declaration of Independence, Treaty of Tripoli, and Constitution of the Confederate States of America, Dr. Fea and Jacques Berlinerblau of Georgetown [...]

Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ on the Obama Administration and the USCCB

admin — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 19:23:24 +0000

Throughout 2012, the question of healthcare reform has dominated national news. A central point of contention? Insurance coverage for female employees’ contraceptives. Several religious groups, including the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, vocally opposed to the Obama administration’s healthcare mandate efforts, arguing that they contravened freedom of religion and forced employers to act contrary to their consciences. In this video, Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ of Georgetown University addresses several key issues relating to Catholics, the Obama Administration, and the [...]

Israel’s 2013 Election: At a Political Crossroad

admin — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 15:56:24 +0000

On January 14, 2013, the Program for Jewish Civilization convened a day-long conference on the legislative elections that will be held on January 22 in Israel. The conference comprised three spectacular panels, bringing together scholars, policy practitioners, and journalists from all over Washington, DC and the Middle East. Moran Stern, who teaches for the PJC at Georgetown University, moderated a panel on domestic Israeli politics, made up of Natasha Mozgovaya of Haaretz and Natan Sachs of the Saban Center at [...]

Robert Lieber on Why America Is Great

admin — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 02:40:45 +0000

The world financial crisis and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has led commentators to conclude that the United States is slipping from its position as global hegemon. In today’s Faith Complex, Robert J. Lieber, Professor of Government and International Affairs at Georgetown University, joins new host Mitchel Hochberg to discuss why America is not destined to decline. In his just-released book, Power and Willpower in the American Future: Why the United States Is Not Destined to Decline, Dr. Lieber argues [...]

Tawfik Hamid on the Jamaa Islamiya and the Arab Spring

admin — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 19:40:30 +0000

Last year’s Egyptian revolution and ouster of Hosni Mubarak has created new political opportunities for previously marginalized groups. Among these is the radical Islamist Jamaa Islamiya (literally “Islamic Group”), which has been accused of ties to Al-Qaeda and is treated as a terrorist group by American and European governments. As Egypt moves forward, a power struggle between secular and religious factions, including hardline Salafis, is becoming increasingly significant. In this Faith Complex, Dr. Tawfik Hamid discusses his history with the [...]