R. Gustav Niebuhr

R. Gustav Niebuhr

Director of the Religion & Society Program, Syracuse University

Gustav Niebuhr is an associate professor of religion and the media, an interdisciplinary position in the College of Arts & Sciences and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Since June 2004, the “On Faith” panelist has directed the Religion & Society Program, an interdisciplinary undergraduate major. Niebuhr served as a visiting fellow/scholar in residence at the Center for the Study of Religion at Princeton University from December 2001 to 2003. Supported by a Ford Foundation Grant, he conducted research on religious diversity and interfaith collaboration. Prior to his academic tenure, Niebuhr was a national correspondent for The Washington Post, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, writing feature and analytical articles, and reporting on news about religion. He won several awards, including the 1993 Templeton Religion Writer of the Year Award from the Religion Newswriters Association. His articles have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the New York Times Book Review, the Carnegie Reporter, the Christian Century, Tricycle: The Buddhist Review and Beliefnet.com. An experienced public lecturer,Niebuhr most recently spoke at Auburn Theological Seminary in May 2006 on “Is ‘Tolerance’ a Social Good?” and at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in May 2005, he lectured on “Religion as News.” Close.

R. Gustav Niebuhr

Director of the Religion & Society Program, Syracuse University

Gustav Niebuhr is an associate professor of religion and the media, an interdisciplinary position in the College of Arts & Sciences and the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. Since June 2004, the “On Faith” panelist has directed the Religion & Society Program, an interdisciplinary undergraduate major. more »

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December 2007 Archives



December 23, 2007 7:50 PM

Caesar Renders Unto the Holiday

I couldn't vote for this bill. I don't like that whiff of defensiveness that clings to it, as if the authors had spent too much time thinking about an alleged "war on Christmas" to which a certain television network has devoted much attention.

But could it be amended? Not easily. But let's see. We might start by dealing with the numbers quoted. They represent an extremely diverse group, theologically and ecclesiastically, and incorporate a great many who don't recognize each other as Christians as well as those who might be described as only nominally within the faith. On the other hand, we might insert a statement I once heard from the great Rev. Gardner Taylor, a fellow panelist here, in response to a question he got about the success of so-called megachurches. Don't be overly impressed by crowds, I recall him saying. Wise and memorable words.

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