Richard and Joan Ostling
Encyclopedia
Richard Ostling is an American author
and journalist
living in Ridgewood, New Jersey
. He and his wife, the late Joan K. Ostling, are the co-authors of Mormon America: The Power and the Promise. They have two children, Margaret and Elizabeth. Elizabeth plays flute in the Boston Symphony Orchestra
.
who reports on religious
topics. He is a senior correspondent for Time magazine and the president of the Religion Newswriters Association
. Once a senior editor of The Michigan Daily
, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan
and holds master's degrees in journalism and religion. He has conducted religious interviews on at least four continents.
Richard Ostling previously reported for the Morning News and Evening Journal and Christianity Today
as well as once being the chief religion writer for the Associated Press
, where he spent eight years.
He has written many cover stories in over 27 years at Time and has a broadcast on CBS Radio
as well reporting regularly for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
. Over the course of his career, he has interviewed several notable religious figures such as Billy Graham
, the Dalai Lama
, the late Mother Teresa
, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI
). He also authored many of the TIME magazine stories on the rise of fundamentalist Christianity, including cover stories on Jerry Falwell
and Pat Robertson
, as well as the scandal-plagued televangelists Jim Bakker
and Jimmy Swaggart
. Ostling was the co-author, with Dr. Bernard Nathanson, of Aborting America, a history of the abortion rights movement in the United States.
Richard Ostling was born in Endicott, NY.
The Center for Religious Inquiry has called Richard Ostling "one of the most distinguished and honored writers on religion in America." The New York Times Book Review calls Mormon America: The Power and the Promise "eminently fair, well researched, and exhaustive."
, as well as having taught at several other evangelical colleges. She also co-authored a comprehensive bibliography of books by and about C. S. Lewis
. Joan Ostling earned master's degrees in English and political science, and was a writer and editor for the U.S. Information Agency in Washington, D.C.
Joan Ostling died of breast cancer
on January 11, 2009 at her home in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
living in Ridgewood, New Jersey
Ridgewood, New Jersey
Ridgewood is a village in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the village population was 24,958. Ridgewood is an affluent suburban bedroom community of New York City, located approximately northwest of Midtown Manhattan.The Village of Ridgewood was...
. He and his wife, the late Joan K. Ostling, are the co-authors of Mormon America: The Power and the Promise. They have two children, Margaret and Elizabeth. Elizabeth plays flute in the Boston Symphony Orchestra
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra based in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the five American orchestras commonly referred to as the "Big Five". Founded in 1881, the BSO plays most of its concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall and in the summer performs at the Tanglewood Music Center...
.
Richard Ostling
Richard N. Ostling (born July 14, 1940) is a journalistJournalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
who reports on religious
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
topics. He is a senior correspondent for Time magazine and the president of the Religion Newswriters Association
Religion Newswriters Association
The Religion Newswriters Association is a non-profit professional association in the United States which seeks to promote better reporting on religion in the news media and to provide help and support to journalists who cover religion. It was founded in 1949 and in 2007 had 570 members and...
. Once a senior editor of The Michigan Daily
Michigan Daily
The Michigan Daily is the daily student newspaper of the University of Michigan. Its first edition was published on September 29, 1890. The newspaper is financially and editorially independent of the University's administration and other student groups, but shares a university building with other...
, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
and holds master's degrees in journalism and religion. He has conducted religious interviews on at least four continents.
Richard Ostling previously reported for the Morning News and Evening Journal and Christianity Today
Christianity Today
Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. It is the flagship publication of its parent company Christianity Today International, claiming circulation figures of 140,000 and readership of 290,000...
as well as once being the chief religion writer for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, where he spent eight years.
He has written many cover stories in over 27 years at Time and has a broadcast on CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
as well reporting regularly for The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
Jim Lehrer
James Charles "Jim" Lehrer is an American journalist and the executive editor and former news anchor for PBS NewsHour on PBS, known for his role as a frequent debate moderator during elections...
. Over the course of his career, he has interviewed several notable religious figures such as Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
, the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, the late Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
). He also authored many of the TIME magazine stories on the rise of fundamentalist Christianity, including cover stories on Jerry Falwell
Jerry Falwell
Jerry Lamon Falwell, Sr. was an evangelical fundamentalist Southern Baptist pastor, televangelist, and a conservative commentator from the United States. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, a megachurch in Lynchburg, Virginia...
and Pat Robertson
Pat Robertson
Marion Gordon "Pat" Robertson is a media mogul, television evangelist, ex-Baptist minister and businessman who is politically aligned with the Christian Right in the United States....
, as well as the scandal-plagued televangelists Jim Bakker
Jim Bakker
James Orsen "Jim" Bakker is an American televangelist, a former Assemblies of God minister, and a former host of The PTL Club, a popular evangelical Christian television program.A sex scandal led to his resignation from the ministry...
and Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Swaggart
Jimmy Lee Swaggart is a Pentecostal American pastor, teacher, musician, television host, and televangelist. He has preached to crowds around the world through his weekly telecast...
. Ostling was the co-author, with Dr. Bernard Nathanson, of Aborting America, a history of the abortion rights movement in the United States.
Richard Ostling was born in Endicott, NY.
The Center for Religious Inquiry has called Richard Ostling "one of the most distinguished and honored writers on religion in America." The New York Times Book Review calls Mormon America: The Power and the Promise "eminently fair, well researched, and exhaustive."
Joan Ostling
Joan K. Ostling (June 29, 1939 – January 11, 2009) was an assistant professor of English and journalism at Nyack CollegeNyack College
Nyack College is a private, evangelical, liberal arts college affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance and home to the Alliance Theological Seminary, one of the denomination's seminaries. The main campus is located in Nyack, New York...
, as well as having taught at several other evangelical colleges. She also co-authored a comprehensive bibliography of books by and about C. S. Lewis
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis , commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis and known to his friends and family as "Jack", was a novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist from Belfast, Ireland...
. Joan Ostling earned master's degrees in English and political science, and was a writer and editor for the U.S. Information Agency in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Joan Ostling died of breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
on January 11, 2009 at her home in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
External links
- Faith without Caricature, a critique by a Mormon reviewer, Raymond Takashi Swenson, that criticizes the Ostlings' book for a number of reasons based on the dishonesty of their reportage - in particular the authors' failure to disclose their evangelical background to the potential reader.