Archive for July, 2011


Jim Papandrea on the Church Fathers & Patristic Exegesis

Who were the early Church Fathers? How did they interpret the Scripture? And how did their interpretations change over time and shape Christianity? Prof. Jim Papandrea of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary takes up these questions in a fascinating review of history of the early Church. Dr. Papandrea discusses four different phases of “patristic exegesis” and reflects upon how the history of Scriptural interpretation matters for our religious lives today. He also answers the age old question of whether or not you should tell someone their clothing tag is hanging out during religious services. Jim’s answer to that quandry is actually quite profound!

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Daniel Philpott on Religious Resurgence & Democratization

Is the global resurgence in public religiosity over the past 40 years linked in any way to the increase in democratic governance over the same period of time? Prof. Dan Philpott (Notre Dame) covers the historical trends of church-state relations and discusses how changes in political theologies and the increasing independence of religious organizations have provided a fertile ground for political democratization in some corners of the world. We examine how and why some religious traditions have been involved in promoting democracy under authoritarian conditions. Our discussion turns toward some speculation about the future of the “Arab Spring” at the end of our interview. This is the first part of a discussion of the book “God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics.”

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Bradley Wright on the Upside of Life

Feeling down about the economy, crime rates or anything else? Cheer up because Bradley Wright joins us to summarize his new book “Upside: Surprising GOOD NEWS about the State of Our World.” Prof. Wright notes that over the past half century, nearly all measures of human well-being have improved (sometimes dramatically) even though we often feel things are getting worse. We discuss why we think this way in addition to highlighting the statistical trends that should give us hope. While stepping slightly outside of our specific focus on religion, this episode nonetheless brings the discussion back around to a number of Christian organizations that are making the world a better place.

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Mark David Hall on Roger Sherman, Puritan Patriot

Just in time for July 4th, Mark David Hall discusses one of the least known of the most influential Founding Fathers in American history, Roger Sherman. Building on last week’s theme, Prof. Hall uses Roger Sherman to illustrate how Reformed (Calvinist) theology had a profound influence on American ideals and institutions. Roger Sherman, a staunch Calvinist from Connecticut, figured prominently in the formulation of several critical documents in US history, including the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution (including the Bill of Rights). Prof. Hall also reflects upon the question of whether or not America was founded as a Christian nation.

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