THE QUESTION

At his inauguration, President Obama said: "To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect." Is that possible? What must happen?
Posted by Sally Quinn and Jon Meacham | Your Thoughts

FROM THE PANEL

Dr. John Mark Reynolds can be found blogging regularly at Scriptoriumdaily.com along with other faculty from the Torrey Honors Institute, a great books program at Biola University for which he is founder and director. He is also Associate Professor of Philosophy for Biola. In 1996 he received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Rochester. Dr. Reynolds' first book, "Three Views on the Creation and Evolution Debate," was co-edited with J.P. Moreland. His latest book, "Towards a Unified Platonic Human Psychology," is a close examination of Plato's view of the soul as seen in the Timaeus. Several of his technical articles have been published on philosophy of religion as well as popular articles in journals such as The New Oxford Review and Touchstone. Dr. Reynolds lectures frequently on ancient philosophy, philosophy of science, home-schooling and cultural trends. He regularly appears on radio talk shows, including the Hugh Hewitt Show.

Conversation and Conversion

President Obama was right to reach out to the Islamic world at his inauguration. Given his background, Obama has a unique chance to promote what is good about the United States while distinguishing those virtues from our problems and failures.

John Mark Reynolds, Director of the Torrey Honors Institute, Biola University | 12 COMMENTS
Feb 5, 2009 at 12:24 AM
"“On Faith”" panelist John Shelby Spong served as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark for 24 years before his retirement in 2000. His books, seeking to make contemporary theology accessible to lay readers, have sold over a million copies. His latest book, The Sins of Scripture: Exposing the Bible's Texts of Hate to Discover the God of Love (2005), examines the holy book of the Judeo-Christian tradition. A committed Christian who has spent a lifetime studying the Bible and whose life has been deeply shaped by it, Spong has been a visiting lecturer at universities, Including Harvard, and churches worldwide, delivering more than 200 public lectures each year to standing-room only crowds. His best-selling books include Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, A New Christianity for a New World, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, and Here I Stand.

Appeals for Peace Must Move Beyond Religion

John Shelby Spong, Former Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Newark | 9 COMMENTS
"On Faith" panelist Starhawk is a prominent voice in modern Wiccan spirituality and cofounder of Reclaiming (www.reclaiming.org), an activist branch of modern Pagan religion. She is the author or coauthor of ten books, including The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess (1979) --considered an essential text for the Neo-Pagan movement--and the novel The Fifth Sacred Thing (1993) . Her works have been translated into Spanish, French, German, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Greek, Japanese, and Burmese. Many of Starhawk's political essays were collected into her book Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising . Her newest book is The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature . Starhawk has also recorded several tapes and CDs; most recently Wicca for Beginners (2002), Wiccan Rituals and Blessings (2003), and a four-CD set Earth Magic (2006), all produced by Sounds True. She consulted on and contributed to three films known as the Women's Spirituality series, directed by Donna Read for the National Film Board of Canada: Goddess Remembered, The Burning Times, and Full Circle . Committed to bringing the techniques and creative power of spirituality to political activism, Starhawk travels internationally teaching magic, the tools of ritual, and the skills of activism.

U.S. Must Earn Respect With Consistent Values

Starhawk, Co-founder, Reclaiming | 11 COMMENTS
Hadia Mubarak, an "On Faith" panelist, is a senior researcher at Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. Starting this fall, she will be a doctoral student at Georgetown University's Islamic Studies department. Mubarak received her Master's Degree in Contemporary Arab Studies with a concentration in Women and Gender from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. She received her Bachelor's Degree in International Affairs and English from Florida State University. In 2004, Mubarak was the first female to be elected president of the Muslim Students Association National (MSA) since its establishment in 1963. MSA is an umbrella organization of approximately 600 chapters in the US and Canada, which serves to promote religious awareness on college campuses and foster an atmosphere that accommodates the religious diversity of its student body.

Time to Embrace the Muslim World as a Partner, not an Enemy

Hadia Mubarak, Researcher, Student | 14 COMMENTS
Susan Brooks Thistlethwaite   |   Arthur Waskow   |   Susan Jacoby
ALL PANELIST RESPONSES »

READER RESPONSE

» bluefirewitch | I think moving forward as a country means recognizing all religions. Pagans have been largely ingor...
» vicbennettnet | Although I do think we need to approuch the so called Muslim World with care, I also believe the wor...
» ArabAmerican50 | President Obama is doing exactly the right thing by talking directly to muslims around the world who...
MORE RESPONSE
Join the Conversation. Add Your Comment »
All Previous Questions »

About On Faith »


From the Religion Desk

Blogs and Columns

Under God

Marketing Churches
Like Toothpaste

» David Waters | Survey says Protestants more loyal to their toothpaste than their denomination. Good news?

For God's Sake

'Belief' in Evolution

» Brad Hirschfield | Let's change terms of engagement in evolution/creation war.

The Faith Divide

Muslims Do Speak Up

» Eboo Patel | For peace and for true tenets of Islam, study shows.

Catholic America

The Pope is Catholic

» Anthony Stevens-Arroyo | Controversial reinstatements are Pro-Catholic, not Anti-Semitic.

Georgetown/On Faith

Afghanistan Again

» Daniel Brumberg | Critics of Obama's plan have a point.

Divine Impulses

Gene Robinson

» Sally Quinn Interviews | Gay Episcopal Bishop on his inaugural prayer, Warren's views.

Top Local Global

On Faith is an interactive conversation on religion moderated by Newsweek Editor Jon Meacham and Sally Quinn of The Washington Post. It is produced jointly by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com, as is PostGlobal, a conversation on international affairs. Please send your comments, questions and suggestions for On Faith to editor and producer David Waters.