Canon 5: Religion | The Riveter Magazine

To accompany this week’s book review of Patricia Miller’s Good Catholics: The Battle Over Abortion in the Catholic Church, our editorial staff provides recommended reading on the subject of RELIGION.

by The Editors

1. “The Hair or the Hijab” Photo Story by Katie Currid
Shot in Lykkeskolen, an Arab school in Aarhus, Denmark.
Images republished here with the permission of the photographer.

Here’s a blurb from her site explaining the story: “Upon reaching the age of 14 or 15, young Muslim women face the choice of whether to continue wearing their hair as they do or to don the hijab. The hijab is the Muslim veil which instills modesty upon the wearer, as stated by the Qur’an. Not all Muslim women take the hijab, but if they do, it is a deeply personal choice.”

Hair or the Hijab – Sara S. sits and talks with friends at Lykksekolen in Aarhus, Denmark. Sara is one of the few girls in her class that has not yet taken the hijab, the Muslim veil. Women of the Muslim religion typically take the veil around the age of 14 or 15, around the time of first menstruation. However, many decide to wear the hijab at an earlier age of their own accord and some decide not to wear it at all.

Lessons – Alaa E. takes a sheet of paper from her chemistry teacher during class at Lykkeskolen. The decorations on the wall behind her and her friends are from an Eid party, which means feast in Arabic. Lykkeskolen is a friskole, a type of Danish school that has a specific focus in addition to normal public school academics and is also privately funded. Lykkeskolen, which translates from Danish as “happiness school,” places a focus on Islam and Arabic, in addition to mathematics, chemistry, reading comprehension and more.

Fashion – Sara S. walks into a classroom to meet her friends Monday during school. Sara does not wear the veil but plans to take it during the next Ramadan. Muslims wishing to begin wearing the hijab typically start on Ramadan, the holy month of fasting, because it is a time period when Muslims feel their faith the most.

Sass – Alaa E. mimics her physics teacher, Chawke Zeid, during class Wednesday at Lykkeskolen. Although Alaa E. and many of her friends wear the veil, their personalities are not dictated by the hijab, and the same can be said for those who do not choose to wear the veil. They are all 13-year old girls and act as such.

Lykkeskolen – Hallal A.’s hair hangs over Doaa A.’s face as she stands on top of the stairs outside her classroom Tuesday at school. Lykkeskolen is connected to Bazar Vest, an Arabic-oriented food market that brings together different vendors that sell Halal meats and specialize in Middle Eastern foods.

Playtime – Sara S. and Alaa E. play football in the schoolyard on Tuedsay in Aarhus, Denmark. The girls play football almost every day during their breaks between classes and were especially excited to be outside this day because it was unseasonably warm.

2. “Did Christianity Cause the Crash?” by Hanna Rosin
The Atlantic, December 2009

Apparently, God wants you to be rich. At least according to followers of “prosperity gospel,” an offshoot of Christian faith that promises to grant believers material abundance in the here and now. During the time of America’s worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, you can see why such a religion might have taken off. But did it in fact contribute to the crash itself, by encouraging people to buy more than they could afford, hoping that God would somehow make it up for them? Hanna Rosin spends some time in the world of affluence evangelism to see if it unintentionally lent a helping hand to the subprime-mortgage industry.

3. “In Search of the Skeptical, Hopeful, Mystical Jew That Could Be Me” by Daphne Merkin
The New York Times Magazine, April 13, 2008

The early 00’s saw the emergence of trend religions, Kabbalah being at the front of the pack. This offshoot of the Jewish faith had many things going for it in 2008, specifically that A-list celebs like Madonna and Demi Moore were sporting the belief’s signature red bracelets. After her mother passed away, Merkin decided to explore this mystic area of Judaism. What’s more, as a resident of L.A., she had a firsthand access to the Kabbalah Center of Los Angeles, the very establishment adopted by Madge herself.

4. “A Campy Pirouette and a Scissor Leap: An Appreciation of Jesus Christ Superstar“ by Laura Snelgrove
The Hairpin, April 18, 2014

Laura Snelgrove suffers through the silly to find the important takeaways in one of the campiest musicals of all time.

5. Two pieces from The Toast

“Talking to God: On Losing Religion but Not Faith” by Rafaella Marcus, April 22, 2014
Maybe you’ve been there, maybe you haven’t–either way, the story of one person’s journey to understanding their personal relationship to religion and spirituality is one many of us can share.
“When We Were Witches” by Liz Labacz, April 17, 2014
If you grew up in the 90’s and were a fan of The Craft, then you’ve definitely been there. Once again The Toast offers an account of one person’s unique spirituality, which in this case involves Wicca, witch hats, and a group of friends who found a support system when they needed it most.

6. “A Mighty Fortress” by Margaret Talbot
The New York Times, February 27, 2000

The Scheibners are fundamentalist Baptists. They purposefully separate their family, which consists of the mom, dad, and seven children, from popular culture at large. And yet, they remain accessible. The proof of this is in Talbot’s account of her relationship with the Scheibners. It’s one that conveys striking truths, and reveals tough situations that would test anyone’s judgement of this conservative sect. It also upholds a sense of openness between the reporter and her subjects, an unexpected turn in a story about a faith that is frequently portrayed as closed-off. If you’re like us, you have a lot of questions about these contentious Christians. Hopefully this article provides some answers.

The Riveter Canon 5: Religion

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