Richard Land
Encyclopedia
Dr. Richard D. Land, aka Chief Red Bull, (born 1946) is the president of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), the moral and ethics concern entity of the Southern Baptist Convention
in the United States, a post he has held since 1988. He is also currently serving as interim pastor at Red Bank Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN.
appointed Land to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
(USCIRF), a federal agency, created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1988, for the purpose of monitoring the freedom of conscience, thought and religion or belief abroad.
President Bush reappointed Dr. Land for a second term in June 2004. He was subsequently appointed by then Majority Leader Bill Frist
in July 2005. Land continues his service to the Commission.
President Bush appointed Land to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel
in May 2008.
Land advocates for a fundamentalist biblical position on issues ranging from religious liberty to the economy when he appears on radio and television news programs. In 2005, Land was recognized as one of the "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America" by Time Magazine.
Land has been appointed to a Board of Reference for the establishment of the Judge Paul Pressler School of Law in downtown Shreveport
, Louisiana
. The facility, which will stress the Creator God, inalienable rights, and original intent of the U.S. Constituiton, will be tied to Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College
in Pineville
.
In July 2011, Land spoke about Muslims and Sharia
. He said while using Islamic law in US courts was unconstitutional, Muslims had the right to abide by Islamic rules, so long as they weren't imposed on the government. He concluded that Muslims had the right to have a mosque
near where they live, the right to use Islamic customs in their marriages, and the right to choose to veil
.
In October 2005, Land and Pat Buchanan appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" to discuss the United States Supreme Court.
Land addressed immigration reform on Greta Van Susteren's "On the Record" on Fox News in July 2010.
Land appeared in the PBS Frontline documentary The Jesus Factor, covering the Evangelical
Christian
views of President George W. Bush. Land often appears on news programs to discuss Christian matters. Land also appeared in the movie Article VI
, in which he discusses religion in politics.
"The Consequential Election of 2010." The Hill guest columnist.
"God and Immigration Reform." USA Today guest columnist.
"The Unalienable, Universal Right to Religious Freedom." ERLC.com
"Biblical Marriage Under Assault." ERLC.com
"Starting Over on Health Care Reform." ERLC.com
, an open letter sent to President George W. Bush
by leaders of the religious right in October 2002 which outlined a "just war
" argument in support of the subsequent military invasion of Iraq
.
, a statement opposing abortion and same-sex marriage. It was originally signed by about 150 prominent Christian clergy, ministry leaders and scholars and was released at a press conference in Washington, DC.
Land serves as Executive Editor of FFV, a national magazine dedicated to addressing issues of traditional religious values, the challenge of Christian ethics, and other cultural trends.
Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
in the United States, a post he has held since 1988. He is also currently serving as interim pastor at Red Bank Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN.
Public Policy involvement
In 2001, President George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
appointed Land to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom
United States Commission on International Religious Freedom
The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom is an independent, bipartisan U.S. federal government commission created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. USCIRF Commissioners are appointed by the President and the leadership of both political parties in the Senate...
(USCIRF), a federal agency, created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1988, for the purpose of monitoring the freedom of conscience, thought and religion or belief abroad.
President Bush reappointed Dr. Land for a second term in June 2004. He was subsequently appointed by then Majority Leader Bill Frist
Bill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
in July 2005. Land continues his service to the Commission.
President Bush appointed Land to serve on the Honorary Delegation to accompany him to Jerusalem for the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in May 2008.
Land advocates for a fundamentalist biblical position on issues ranging from religious liberty to the economy when he appears on radio and television news programs. In 2005, Land was recognized as one of the "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America" by Time Magazine.
Land has been appointed to a Board of Reference for the establishment of the Judge Paul Pressler School of Law in downtown Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. The facility, which will stress the Creator God, inalienable rights, and original intent of the U.S. Constituiton, will be tied to Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College
Louisiana College
Louisiana College is a private institution of higher education located in Pineville, Louisiana, affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention, serving a student body of approximately 1,300 students. The college operates on a semester system, with two shorter summer terms...
in Pineville
Pineville, Louisiana
Pineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
.
In July 2011, Land spoke about Muslims and Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
. He said while using Islamic law in US courts was unconstitutional, Muslims had the right to abide by Islamic rules, so long as they weren't imposed on the government. He concluded that Muslims had the right to have a mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
near where they live, the right to use Islamic customs in their marriages, and the right to choose to veil
Hijab
The word "hijab" or "'" refers to both the head covering traditionally worn by Muslim women and modest Muslim styles of dress in general....
.
Media appearances
Land joined ABC's "This Week" with Christiane Amanpour for a roundtable discussion on "God and Government" and "Civic Discourse."In October 2005, Land and Pat Buchanan appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press" to discuss the United States Supreme Court.
Land addressed immigration reform on Greta Van Susteren's "On the Record" on Fox News in July 2010.
Land appeared in the PBS Frontline documentary The Jesus Factor, covering the Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
views of President George W. Bush. Land often appears on news programs to discuss Christian matters. Land also appeared in the movie Article VI
Article VI (film)
Article VI: Faith. Politics. America is a documentary film at the intersection of faith, politics, and bigotry. Religious leaders, political pundits, and average citizens are asked who has the right to be elected? Has the Founding Fathers of the United States vision of religious freedom been upheld...
, in which he discusses religion in politics.
Articles
"Americans Don't Want a 'Truce' on Social Issues." The Wall Street Journal guest columnist."The Consequential Election of 2010." The Hill guest columnist.
"God and Immigration Reform." USA Today guest columnist.
"The Unalienable, Universal Right to Religious Freedom." ERLC.com
"Biblical Marriage Under Assault." ERLC.com
"Starting Over on Health Care Reform." ERLC.com
- More first-person articles by Dr. Land can be found here.
Radio
He is also the host of For Faith & Family and Richard Land Live!, two nationally syndicated radio programs. He was the primary author of the Land letterLand letter
The Land letter was a letter sent to U.S. President George W. Bush by five evangelical Christian leaders on October 3, 2002, outlining their support for a just war pre-emptive invasion of Iraq...
, an open letter sent to President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
by leaders of the religious right in October 2002 which outlined a "just war
Just War
Just war theory is a doctrine of military ethics of Roman philosophical and Catholic origin, studied by moral theologians, ethicists and international policy makers, which holds that a conflict ought to meet philosophical, religious or political criteria.-Origins:The concept of justification for...
" argument in support of the subsequent military invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
Ecumenical activities
In November 2009, Land signed an ecumenical statement known as the Manhattan DeclarationManhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience
The Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience is a manifesto issued by Orthodox, Catholic, and Evangelical Christian leaders to affirm support of "the sanctity of life, traditional marriage, and religious liberty". It was drafted on October 20, 2009 and released November 20, 2009,...
, a statement opposing abortion and same-sex marriage. It was originally signed by about 150 prominent Christian clergy, ministry leaders and scholars and was released at a press conference in Washington, DC.
Books authored
Land's most recent book is The Divided States of America? What Liberals and Conservatives Get Wrong About Faith and Politics published by Thomas Nelson. Prior to that, he authored Imagine! A God-Blessed America (Broadman & Holman, 2005) and Real Homeland Security (Broadman & Holman, 2004). His other books include: For Faith & Family, The Earth Is The Lord's, Life At Risk, Citizen Christians, and Christians In The Public Square.Land serves as Executive Editor of FFV, a national magazine dedicated to addressing issues of traditional religious values, the challenge of Christian ethics, and other cultural trends.
Education
- A.B.Bachelor of ArtsA Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
, Princeton UniversityPrinceton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution.... - Th.M.Master of TheologyA Master of Theology is an advanced theological research degree offered by universities, divinity schools, and seminaries.-North America:In North America, the Master of Theology is considered by the Association of Theological Schools to be the minimum educational credential for teaching...
, New Orleans Baptist Theological SeminaryNew Orleans Baptist Theological SeminaryThe New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary is a private, non-profit institution of higher learning affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, located in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the first institution created as a direct act of the Southern Baptist Convention. Missions... - D.Phil.Doctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
, University of OxfordUniversity of OxfordThe University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
See Also
- Southern Baptist ConventionSouthern Baptist ConventionThe Southern Baptist Convention is a United States-based Christian denomination. It is the world's largest Baptist denomination and the largest Protestant body in the United States, with over 16 million members...
- List of Southern Baptist Convention affiliated people
- The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
- Manhattan DeclarationManhattan DeclarationManhattan Declaration can refer to:* Manhattan Declaration: A Call of Christian Conscience, an American Christian cross-denominational declaration addressing a number of political issues...
External links
- Richard Land at The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission
- Richard Land Live! Radio Program
- PBS Frontline: The Jesus Factor
- PBS Frontline: Interview with Richard Land
- Meet the Press transcript
- Video interview/discussion with Brian McLarenBrian McLarenBrian D. McLaren is a prominent, controversial evangelical pastor. He was recognized as one of Time magazine's "25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America" in 2005, and is the founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in Spencerville, Maryland.-Biography:Born in 1956, Brian McLaren...
on Bloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tvBloggingheads.tv is a political, world events, philosophy, and science video blog discussion site in which the participants take part in an active back and forth conversation via webcam which is then broadcast online to viewers...
(2nd Conversation)