In this week's Sightings essay for @MartyCenter, Bruce Winkelman explores how as monastic ordination declines, and “living like a monk” trends, a new book offering a Buddhist perspective leaves key issues unaddressed. Read more via martycenter.org/sightings/a-… #MonkLife

Please join Krista Dalton (Denison University), and Erin Galgay Walsh (University of Chicago Divinity School) for a discussion about ways of shaping the study of religion and the field of Jewish Studies beyond simply research output. Register now via ow.ly/CW8b50ZZPVw

In this week's Sightings essay for @MartyCenter, T. Patrick Hill examines Pope Leo XIV’s critics miss the ways in which his AI warfare critique is rooted in the just war tradition, which links morality, politics, and theology. Read more via ow.ly/L0zz50ZYYui #JustWarTheory

📣 Join us for the second gathering of the Chicago Public Scholars Consortium! Bringing together scholars, journalists, creatives, and museum professionals who are interested in making their work on religion accessible to broader publics. Register now at events.uchicago.edu/event/27…

In this week's Sightings essay for @MartyCenter, Simeon Chavel explores how stereotypes about Jews, money, and "networks" can distort history and turn complex realities into racialized assumptions about an entire people. Read more via ow.ly/h2aL50ZW0M3 #JewishHistory

A preview of what’s to come this year in Sightings and an invitation to join us through your readership and comments or by submitting a piece of your own. Read more via martycenter.org/sightings/a-…

A recent Upworthy article quoted Marty Center Executive Director Emily D. Crews's reflections on that very question, citing her Smart Sightings essay, "The Religious Experience of Mark Rothko." Links ow.ly/nlfW50ZurWw ow.ly/hArI50ZurWx #MarkRothko #ReligionAndArt

In this week's Sightings essay for @martycenter, Nathan J. Hardy explores how defenders of Trump’s golden statue echo Christian arguments on relics and icons, framing political devotion as saintly honor. Read more via ow.ly/SMam50Z5eFm #ReligiousStudies #FaithAndPolitics

In this week's Sightings essay for @martycenter, Russell P. Johnson examines how the Star Wars movies offer a spirituality that resonates with many religious believers, but there are downsides to studios being in the mythmaking business. Read more via ow.ly/ixAL50Z2Swi

In this week's Sightings essay for @MartyCenter, David Barr examines how William Schweiker teaches students to think independently, face reality honestly, and pursue an ethics grounded in human dignity. Read more via martycenter.org/sightings/wi… #AcademicEthics #MoralPhilosophy

In this week's Sightings essay for @martycenter, Becky Garrison explores how “spiritual narcissists” exploit religious language, using charisma for power and profit, prioritizing money and status over genuine compassion. Read more via ow.ly/5cfi50YUCq8

In this week's Sightings essay for @martycenter, Rebekah Mui examines how Duggar-linked IBLP teachings stress obedience and forgiveness in ways that silence victims and protect abusers within a rigid religious system. Read more via martycenter.org/sightings/de… #DuggarFamily #IBLP

In this week's Sightings essay for The Marty Center, Shaun Blanchard explores how Trump's feud with Pope Leo echoes past Vatican-state conflicts, highlighting Catholicism’s complex role in American politics. Read more via ow.ly/Orbz50YO2HN #Catholicism #Vatican

In this week's Sightings essay for @MartyCenter, Mat Messerschmidt examines how Nietzsche’s “death of God” expands online, where algorithms fracture discourse and turn shared values into divisive anti-values. Read more via ow.ly/5Omw50YKxk0 #Nietzsche #DeathOfGod

In this week's Sightings essay for @martycenter, Deepak Sarma examines how psychedelics raise urgent questions about religion, law, and experience. Divinity schools must engage their resurgence and rethink spiritual categories. Read more via martycenter.org/sightings/wh… #Psychedelics

In this week's Sightings essay for @martycenter, Charles Hawkins explores how Taxation is part of a robust religious ethic since it can reduce inequality, preserve dignity, and define care for the vulnerable as a shared responsibility. Read more via ow.ly/6Cex50YxO1E

Only a few hours remain to give! The Marty Center is building bridges between the academy and the broader public to advance knowledge and combat misinformation. Join our work today via givetoday.uchicago.edu/schoo… #UChiGivingDay #UGiveUChiDiv

Giving Day is here! The Martin E. Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion was founded on the belief that understanding religion is critical to a functional society. Join the community and support our work by giving a gift for Giving Day via ow.ly/gRRE50YyUZB

This week's Sightings is a three-part publication on religion and ethics in the hit show Pluribus, featuring articles by Emanuelle Burton of UIC, Rick Elgendy of Wesley Theological Seminary, and @UChicago PhD student Amar Peterman. Read more via ow.ly/MTly50YyTvb. #Pluribus

In this week's Sightings essay for @MartyCenter, Paul Pribbenow explains how Operation Metro Surge brought fear to Augsburg, but a lived theology of neighborliness endures, serving a diverse community with courage and care. Read more via ow.ly/iBBw50YpeZa #Augsburg