The Religions Next Door
Aug 18–19, 2008 - comment
Do you know what your Buddhist neighbor believes about Heaven? Can you explain what your Muslim co-worker knows of grace?
Today Dr. Land’s special guest is Dr. Marvin Olasky, professor of journalism at University of Texas at Austin and the editor-in-chief of World, America’s fourth most-read newsweekly. He joins us today to talk about his book titled, The Religions Next Door – with the provocative subtitle, What we need to know about Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam — and what reporters are missing.
It used to be that we all knew and understood the religions of our neighbors. While our family were proud Baptists, the good folks next door might be Methodists, and those across the street might be Catholic. But America has changed is the past several decades. These days, on a typical street in America, the Baptists might smell the incense wafting in from the Hindu home next door, or, on a warm summer evening, hear the chanting from the Buddhists across the street. The melting pot has added many more exotic spices! As Christians we need to be informed and educated about the new and unfamiliar religions that surround us. That’s why we are so delighted to have with us Dr. Marvin Olasky, who has studied Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam in depth, and has written about them in his book, The Religions Next Door. As a journalist, he is in a unique position to observe that, when it comes to religion, the American press is time and again missing the story.
topic(s): Faith, Bible, Citizenship, Religious Liberty
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Guest Corner
Marvin Olasky
Professor of journalism at the University of Texas at Austin
Visit Marvin Olasky's website.