tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post3618967726374553867..comments2024-03-26T11:33:59.219-06:00Comments on Religion in American History: What's the Matter with Colorado? or, Who's Zooming Who?Paul Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13881964303772343114noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-70840780293882447902008-09-17T21:11:00.000-06:002008-09-17T21:11:00.000-06:00Since this is a religious history blog. The follow...Since this is a religious history blog. The following caveat about David Horowitz’s "100 Most Dangerous Professors" list seems apropos. A cousin of mine (Marc Becker -- a historian at an insignificant state university in Missouri) made it onto Horowitz’s list. He earned this distinction, in part, for speaking ill of U.S. imperialist policies in Latin America, refusing to register for the draft, and serving as media contact for Historians against the War. <BR/><BR/>Interestingly, Marc and I both grew up in the Mennonite faith, which played a significant role in shaping our social and moral values. When I read Horowitz's write-up of him, the first thing that struck me was how he totally dismissed this influence. <BR/><BR/>As someone oriented towards the social gospel, I too keep hoping for a public figure to articulate religious values that I embrace. Assuming for a moment that the social mission of Trinity United Church of Christ influenced Obama’s worldview, he unfortunately cannot publicly acknowledge such an inspiration without the specter of Jeremiah Wright invading that discourse.Wayne Ratzlaffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02075202487480678986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-23533297874871791192008-09-15T19:05:00.000-06:002008-09-15T19:05:00.000-06:00RJC: Thanks, I've been following the slaughterhous...RJC: Thanks, I've been following the slaughterhouse plant story, and saw the material at Religion Dispatches. I'll put up a link. I'm not sure I have anything to say about it that's not there. <BR/><BR/>Anonymous # 1: We have indeed blogged here before about the adjunctification of higher education, and will do so again. It's academia's version of the stories in Greenhouse's book, while the obsession with assessment and quantifiable education is the corporate model written onto higher ed. Thanks for the link. <BR/><BR/>Anonymous #2: I was not aware I was actually in the evil professor book, that was sort of a joke, especially given my extremely insignificant perch here at a generic branch campus of a state U. Unless there's a new edition with a new 101 list, I think you may be mistaking me for someone else. Still, I hope you're right, I would be honored to be so mentioned. <BR/><BR/>To all 3: I appreciate the references to groups suh as Interfaith Worker Justice and Labor in the Pulpits. One could name many others. The point is, what sort of clout do they have as compared to Focus and like groups. Hardly any, I'd say, and that's too bad.Paul Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13881964303772343114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-23688973089649142572008-09-15T17:56:00.000-06:002008-09-15T17:56:00.000-06:00I just caught your name in that 101 evil professor...I just caught your name in that 101 evil professors book yesterday. I am not in academia, with only a mere M.Ed., but I have been following several academic blogs since the Sarah Palin drama. Now I actually just think your blog is quite interesting. So, I saw that goofy book yesterday in browsing the recycled books and checked to see if you were in there--you are! So funny.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-43955138903760564532008-09-15T14:14:00.000-06:002008-09-15T14:14:00.000-06:00The AFL-CIO and it affiliated unions have a "Labor...The AFL-CIO and it affiliated unions have a "Labor in the Pulpits" program: http://www.aflcio.org/joinaunion/faith/lip.cfm<BR/><BR/>Since this post is about labor and religion, I'd just like to say that it would be great to see this blog address higher-ed unionism. Although not a strictly academic issue, it is certainly a professional one that I'm sure many people have thought about. Because of the changing situation in higher education, higher ed is one of the only sectors of the American economy where unionism is growing, and higher-ed unions potentially have some very significant benefits for faculty, adjunct, graduate, and even undergraduate workers.<BR/><BR/>The key website for higher-ed unionism is Marc Bosquet's howtheuniversityworks.com, which is a blog that includes excerpts from his book, notes from his speaking engagements, and video dispatches from campuses all over the country.<BR/><BR/>I hope that this excellent blog can take some time to address this issue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-3626552105373414222008-09-15T11:48:00.000-06:002008-09-15T11:48:00.000-06:00Thanks for posting this, Paul. I think these are ...Thanks for posting this, Paul. I think these are important, yet often neglected, issues for American religious historians.<BR/><BR/>Interfaith Worker Justice has been doing a lot of work on these sorts of concerns. Their founder and executive director, Kim Bobo, has blogged on some recent labor issues over at the Religion Dispatches blog.<BR/><BR/>On a side note, I notice that the labor and immigration problems at the Agriprocessors kosher slaughtering plant in Iowa didn't get any play here on this blog. I'd offer to write something, but I'm too busy at the moment. For now, though, Kim Bobo's stuff is worth taking a look at.rjchttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12447486006327105309noreply@blogger.com