From New Humanist, in 2005 Russian artist Anna Alchuk was publicly vilified and put on trial for her involvement in the Caution:Religion! exhibition — three years later she drowned herself; visiting Israel just weeks before the current Gaza conflict, Sally Feldman found that rising religious bigotry is one of the biggest barriers to peace; thirty years after the revolution consumerism and political apathy dominate Iran, but a new generation may change that; Theodore Dalrymple on why being faith-less is no excuse for rewriting history; here are the Bad Faith Awards 2008. From Edge, does the empirical nature of science contradict the revelatory nature of faith? From America, a look at why a little unbelief is not always a bad thing; and a review of Sense of the Faithful: How American Catholics Live Their Faith by Jerome P. Baggett. For decades, it was the scourge of the environmental movement, but now the greens are going nuclear. A warming climate is freeing up the country’s resources in previously frozen expanses of land and sea, and Greenlanders are bestirring themselves to seek independence from Denmark. Safe, but also sorry: Security expert Bruce Schneier talks about privacy and property in the information state. The academic and the almost-absurd coexist in "pleasantly mad" fashion at an Oxford symposium that takes a keen interest in aspects of food overlooked by mainstream culture.

The Nation sponsors a forum on "Gandhi, King and the Power of Nonviolence: Alternatives to Force in the 21st Century". The Successories President: The posterized secret of Obama's success? Class is the new black: Debra J. Dickerson on how she had to look beyond race and learn to love equality. A review of The Breakthrough: Politics and Race in the Age of Obama by Gwen Ifill (and an excerpt). Simon Schama on the great hope, Barack Obama. The American Character: Bucking scholarly trends, Simon Schama argues it has a bright future. The moral ambiguity of Everest: Amid the ongoing "torch" drama, a timely book delves into the summit's dark side. A book that changes everything: A review of Against Intellectual Monopoly by Michele Boldrin and David Levine. A structural crisis of the system: An interview with Istvan Meszaros. From The Journal of Markets & Morality, a review of Catholicism and Religious Freedom: Contemporary Reflections on Vatican II’s Declaration on Religious Liberty. Ezra Klein on what it means to be pro-Israel. What does it mean, in 2009, to be a political or judicial conservative? From PopMatters, the Ultimate Fighting Championship owes its rise to prominence to America’s most recent guilty pleasure: reality TV; and Americans can't afford to spend like they used to, but is frugal living ever really going to become trendy? 

From Resurgence, Andy Christian considers whether art made from such found items helps to raise awareness of what we are doing to the Earth; and a review of The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability by James Gustave Speth. Obama’s Cheney dilemma: Cheney pushed for expanded presidential powers; now that he's leaving, what will come of his efforts? Rahm Emanuel is at the intersection of politics and policy — and a lot of incoming arrows. Which way to universal healthcare? Two leading reformers debate the role of private insurers. In this over-exposed age, what does it take to achieve lasting recognition? Social scientists deployed in war zones to engage with civilians and advise US military commanders are under fire from their peers. New books bemoan the rise of undeserved renown and argue that our obsession with instant celebrities heralds the end of civilisation. A review of Pat Robertson: An American Life by David John Marley. A review of Rich Like Them: My Door-to-Door Search for the Secrets of Wealth in America's Richest Neighborhoods by Ryan D'Agostino. An article on why the recession will be over sooner than you think. Darwin’s recessionary tip: Act like a beetle. A review of The Tragic Sense of Life: Ernst Haeckel and the Struggle Over Evolutionary Thought by Robert Richards. 

From Bookforum, Keith Gessen on two books that survey the embattled intellectual legacies of Alexandr Solzhenitsyn and Edward Said — and point up some surprising parallels in their careers (and a letter to the editor and a reply by Gessen). Modern Darwins: The father of evolution would be thrilled to see the science his theory has inspired. Science News interviews Charles Darwin; a look at how Darwin’s dangerous idea has adapted to modern biology; scientists sift through genetic data sets to better map twisting branches in the tree of life; investigating the genetic books of life reveals new details of "descent with modification"; and an article on dumb designs for sex: Evolutionary biology walks on the weird side. Hail to the reader in chief: Barack Obama. From Slate, a look at how Obama will write and rewrite his presidency; Bruce Reed on the principles and promise of Obamaism; and forget FDR and Lincoln: Obama is most like JFK. From Taki's Mag, a review of Vindicating Lincoln: Defending the Politics of Our Greatest President by Thomas Krannawitter; and Hamilton’s Curse: How Jefferson’s Arch Enemy Betrayed the American Revolution by Thomas DiLorenzo; and is social conservatism necessary? From Orion, an essay on the gospel of consumption and the better future we left behind. An interview with Wendell Berry on small farms, local wisdom, and the folly of greed.