School’s back in session and the economy’s in the tank. These are two simple truths. Now, plunged back into our workloads and faced with the utter futility of our studies, the lack of a bright tomorrow (though maybe a bright next-decade), it’s easy to despair. Well, despair not, because this week Bwog presents three films […]

Barnard religion professor Randall Balmer just guaranteed himself best-selling author status. Appearing on The Daily Show last night to plug his latest book, God in the White House, Balmer talked with host Jon Stewart (and his well-heeled audience of 2 million) about how religion has shaped the modern American presidency. Balmer argues that voters have become […]

The December issue of The Blue and White — our Denominational Domination issue — will be on stands (and online) later this week. In the meantime, here’s something to read besides your old class notes.  “O Ye of Little Faiths” by Alexandra Muhler While Columbia is an institution regularly accused of godlessness, our Student Governing […]

We were dismayed to receive the following Concerned Email from Nussbaum resident Allon Brann this afternoon. Brann, like so many unsuspecting students, attended the Nussbaum incarnation of ResLife’s Thanksgiving free-food giveaway. But “the holiday offering of cider, pie, whipped cream, and candy is merely a front for a sinister aim:  the indoctrination and eventual conversion […]

No, it wasn’t our fair University Professor, but three religious scholars who gathered in Roone Arledge Auditorium today to discuss God, truth and the other. Bwog Daily Editor and Sophomore Justin Vlasits reports. Having a coherent discussion among lay people about religion in any contemporary university is very, very difficult. In a setting that gets […]

Columbia College ’07 alumna Courtney Banks was lucky enough to get tickets to Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the Youth Rally at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers. Bwog was lucky enough that Banks volunteered to write about the experience. Yesterday, I joined some 25,000 seminarians, priests, nuns, elementary and high-school students, and volunteers at the […]

Mariela Quintana reflects on a day of reflection and offers suggestions to make this year’s Lent the most productive (and honest) one yet.  Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40 day period of prayer, penitence and self-denial before Easter.   Lent is a theologically complex and profoundly spiritual time for Christians and requires […]

Since when has Columbia been politically active anyway? Kanye now collaborates with… stuffed dinosaurs?  Apparently Communism is one of the faiths espoused by Columbia students. Now we finally know for sure: “every Muslim isn’t a terrorist, or white person a racist, or black person with a hoodie a gangster.” Is it at all telling about […]

Near fisticuffs! Veritas vs. Tarantino Double Backwards Meta: Bwog links to a Blue and White article about a blog devoted to the The New Yorker.  The 20th Century: A Blue and White Retrospective of… The 1920s and today: Drinking liberally The 1950s and today: Worshipping liberally The 1950s: Still drinking liberally

Finally! Joseph Ratzinger, better known as Pope Benedict XVI, made the announcement today: Archbishop John P. Foley, Journalism ’66, will be one of 23 new cardinals in November. According to the International Herald Tribune, Foley had “long been considered a candidate” for the job. At the fresh young age of 72, he’s eligible to vote […]

If you stopped out to pick up some apples at the farmer’s market (which, by the way, have raised from $1.00 last year to $1.25 per pound this fall at the stand closer to the bookstore) you won’t be able to avoid the sounds of fervent Christian music across the street, where a full-on revival […]

Actress to speak at Barnard commencement, nobody goes apeshit Barnard accepts 28% of applicants, nobody goes apeshit  “you don’t need a contested class council election to get a good turnout”  Athletes react to being told they shouldn’t be here (their reaction is that they disagree) Religion: not for show || Jesus eating matzah Staff Editorial: […]

UPDATE 01/03 at 6:00PM: Bwog regrets that it accidentally misquoted Professor Bulliet by confusing Muslim and Jewish regulations concerning pigs. The correction has been made, and we note that, as Prof. Bulliet put it, neither religion includes ritual pig-kissing. Professor, thank you for reading Bwog. We love you. His lectures might include elaborate graphs one […]

 “Modern Physics and Ancient Faith”: The 2006 Thomas Merton Lecture, delivered by Professor Stephen Barr in St. Paul’s Chapel,  October 30th. “Science and Religion,” “Faith and Reason” – buzzword dichotomies for the sound-bite arguments of our polarized political discourse. Given this, the absence of publicity surrounding Stephen Barr’s lecture “Modern Physics and Ancient Faith” – […]

Econ prof Jagdish Bhagwati on the Fall of Man: “If there had been trade in the Garden of Eden, Adam would have traded the apple for a kiwi fruit, and the entire history of humanity would be much more benign.” –Ana Ortiz