In 20th century Germany, theologian Paul Tillich witnessed the religious and political crises of his time, and he recognized the need for action at the appropriate time. Out of this rhetorical situation, he adopted the classical concept of kairos, which permeated his life and work. I argue that Tillich’s notion of kairos presents three new dimensions: the existential, the demonic, and the extension of the present into the future. Although he believed that his work only spoke to the “kairos of his time,” Tillich continues to address us today, urging us to seize the kairos of our own time, and challenging rhetorical theorists to rethink the notion of kairos.

This study tested the moderating influence of the strength of social identification with religion on the relationship between similarity and dissimilarity in religious affiliations and the quality of leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships. One thousand five hundred and seventeen employed people, residing in India, responded to a survey from a subordinate perspective. The results of the survey provided support for the moderating influence of the strength of social identification with religion and further showed that at low levels of identification, the quality of the relationship was better in different-religion dyads than in samereligion ones. Hence the main implication is that studies have to consider moderators in examining the influence of demographic similarities/dissimilarities on LMX relationships as they can tease out the conditions under which the relationships hold.

This study situated in the area of media and religion in Africa investigates the emergence of Pentecostalism in Uganda and the creative use of radio and television by indigenous Pentecostal pastors. Informed by political economy and cultural studies perspectives, the research examines questions of media presence, ownership, message, and the influence of the socioeconomic and cultural environment in enabling the intersection of media and religion. Findings reveal a creative use of media by pastors for evangelism, mobilization of resources, and strategic political positioning in the country.

“Cults” offer an opportunity to study religiously-associated actors who understand death very differently than mainstream faith communities. Here, we consider Heaven’s Gate members’ “exit statements,” recorded before the mass suicide that they believed was the next step for spiritual advancement. We pair Terror Management Theory (TMT), which investigates factors affecting anxiety toward death, with Burkean analyses of metaphor and equipment for living. We suggest that these statements’ metaphorical frames (including mass suicide as graduation and bodies as mere vehicles to be transcended) serve as strategies to decrease anxiety and fear surrounding death generally, but particularly of death by mass suicide.