In the midst of urban violence and political turnoil in Guatemala, the idea of "Christian citizenship" has taken on a new meaning. Once overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, the country is now more than half non-denominational Christian. Kevin O'Neill, assistant professor of religious studies and American studies at Indiana University Bloomington, studies "an issue critically important not just to Guatemala but also to countries throughout Latin America, Africa and Asia, not to mention the United States of America. These are all places where the continued entanglement of evangelical Christianity and democracy is unmistakable."

About 80 faculty members at Indiana University's Bloomington campus have research or professional interests in the Middle East. They can be found from the Kelley School of Business to the Jacobs School of Music and in many specialized areas as well, such as designing national health care plans and government administration. The new director of IU's Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Program hopes to involve as many of them as possible in the program's future activities.

As rapid advances in biotechology raise questions about appropriate uses of these new tools, there is another kind of question to consider: Is it important for humans to accept certain physical limitations, even if those limitations could be eliminated?

In recent national surveys, more than 80 percent of Americans said they believe that God supernaturally heals people in answer to prayer. That doesn't mean they shun conventional medical treatment, but the barrier between naturalism and supernaturalism is collapsing. "There's an American penchant to have it all -- both the MRIs and the miracles," said Candy Gunther Brown, associate professor of religious studies at Indiana University Bloomington.

The question from one of her students is familiar -- "Is Oprah a religion?" -- and Kathryn Lofton is ready with a reply: "Oprah does things in a religious manner, but she is not a religion." In discussing how Oprah Winfrey has influenced so many people, Lofton approaches her as someone committed primarily to spiritual change through material means.

We are providing information about IU professors who can offer insights on the transfer of power in Iraq, as well as homeland security, ethics, media coverage and other impacts of the war on Americans.

State constitutions may offer a more likely route to the establishment of same-sex marriage, although the road is fraught with legal and religious complexities, according to Daniel Conkle, a law professor at Indiana University Bloomington. Conkle and other IUB faculty experts are available to offer insights into various aspects of gay marriage and the current debate surrounding the issue. These insights are based on their research and interests in consititutional law, religion, gay and lesbian political history, and family structure and sociology.

Five different topics in ethics will be discussed in an upcoming series of seminars sponsored by the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions at Indiana University Bloomington.

Insights from faculty at Indiana University Bloomington

Alberto Mizrahi, the world-renowned "Pavarotti of Jewish music," will perform an evening of cantorial music and Jewish song on Feb. 6 at the Indiana University School of Music's Auer Hall.

The topic of teenagers, religion and the law is explored in a just-published book by Roger Levesque, a professor of criminal justice at Indiana University.

Michael L. Walzer, one of America's leading intellectuals and a professor of social science at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., will speak at IU on Wednesday (Dec. 4) on "The Triumph of Just War Theory."

News tips from Indiana University

A significant growth in undergraduate students is rapidly filling the classroom space available for the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University.

The ongoing challenge of describing, interpreting and evaluating religious traditons and topics will be the theme for an upcoming symposium at Indiana University.