COVER

The Case for Teaching The Bible (Cover Story)

Should the Holy Book be taught in public schools? Yes. It's the bedrock of Western culture. And when taught right, it's even constitutional

NATION

Why Is Rudy Smiling? (The Well / Nation)

Sure he's a misfit in the G.O.P. But he has been preaching his own special gospel of success, and so far, it's working

WORLD

The Truth About Talibanistan

Islamic militants have turned the borderlands between Pakistan and Afghanistan into a new base for al-Qaeda. An inside look at the next battleground of the war on terrorism

Saying Sayonara to a Superstar (Postcard)

The defection of a Boston- bound pitcher is just the latest challenge facing the moribund Japanese pro baseball league.

ESSAY

Why the Dems Should Go for It (Commentary)

The right says the party will pay for trying to end the war in Iraq. But the real risk would be not trying hard enough

Abracadabra for Sale (Commentary)

With Blackstone's expected IPO, the magic of private equity will be available to all. But why do we need magic to make money on stocks?

A Time for Miracles

The rock-music activist says the West's greatness depends on how it deals with Africa

BRIEFING

The War Turns 4 (The Moment)

How do you do the right thing in a conflict that almost no one wants

LETTERS

SOCIETY

New Zip for the Old Strip (Life / Technoculture)

The comic is dying in newspapers--but finding a wildly inventive life online

Subprime's Silver Lining (Life / The Curious Capitalist)

Yeah, people got bad mortgages. But others were able to finally buy a home Subprime's Silver Lining

The College Rankings Revolt (Life / Education)

Fed up with arbitrary ratings lists, university presidents are teaming up to develop a better alternative.

The Benefits of Doubt. (Life / The Law)

Proving press baron Conrad Black guilty may not be as tough as he thinks — or as it should be

Saving New Orleans with Faith? (Life / The Power Of One)

Faith-based groups are doing their best — and in many cases doing better than the government — to keep the Big Easy alive

A Loan at Home (Life / Life After Work)

Investing in a child's business or being a mortgagee can be fraught. Some rules are in order

Defending Jerks at Work (Life / Work In Progress)

Employers are purging the office of bullies, louts and misanthropes. Too bad, we need some

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Cheat Sheet (Downtime)

What you won't be able to avoid, what you should see--and what you should skip

What Women Have Done to Art (Art)

Four decades after feminist art erupted onto the scene, two exhibitions help us assess which works offer more than polemics

Here's the News: Old Is In (Culture Complex)

The hottest anchor is the most traditional. But for TV news to survive, change would do it good

SPECIAL SECTION

Religious About Marketing (Global Business / Small Business)

With liqueur sales rising, an order of monks figures out how to quietly get its share

New Rules for Natgas (Global Business / CEO SPEAKS)

How Sempra navigates rising energy nationalism

Airbus' Tangled Wires (Aerospace)

The giant A380 can fly. But trying to put it together has nearly taken the consortium apart