Research On Religion » Christianity

Curtis Freeman on Undomesticated Religious Dissent

tonygill — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 08:00:54 +0000

Religion and socio-political dissent have often been historically linked. Prof. Curtis Freeman, research professor of theology and Baptist studies at Duke University’s Divinity School, guides us along a journey of religious dissent in the British and American tradition, focusing on three notable authors/artists — John Bunyan, Daniel Defoe, and William Blake. This journey for Dr. Freeman began when the Wesley Chapel in London was closed and someone suggested that he travel to the cemetery across the street, a place known as Bunhill (Bone-hill) Fields and the resting place of these three historical figures. Fascinated by their prominence in this graveyard, filled with many other dissenters who couldn’t receive eternal rest amongst the official Church of England burial grounds, Curtis set out to write about these figures who spanned about two centuries of British history.

Our conversation begins with an explanation of religious dissent in England that dates back to the early 17th century, encompasses the turbulent times of the English Civil War, and then moves forward through the period of the Restoration monarchs and a wee bit further. Curtis explains that the Church of England had a stamp of approval on all things religious and a “polite culture” developed to keep a medieval status quo of economic classes in place despite the growing role of the urban workforce. Religious dissenters who chafed under this regime often married their spiritual protests with apocalyptic visions and covenant-type community that also served as socio-economic commentary.

We then move into the three main authors that Prof. Freeman uses to illustrate his points — John Bunyan (1628-88), Daniel Defoe (1660-1731), and William Blake (1757-1827). It is at this point that Tony notices that he has written “William Dafoe” (1955-present) in his notes and quickly corrects himself. Curtis reviews how Bunyan’s work, primarily A Pilgrim’s Progress, represents a “slumbering dissent” that turns attention inwards to reflect upon the spiritual journey we fight for salvation within during changing times. Themes of “church” (the institutional faith) and “chapel” (the congregation of religious people) figure into this narrative and provide the basis for the type of dissent that landed Bunyan in prison. Daniel Defoe’s work, principally Robinson Crusoe, is presented as “prosperous dissent” and an allegory for British economic culture at the time. While Tony remembers this work largely as secular, Prof. Freeman reminds him how the Bible — particularly Psalms, the story of the prodigal son, and Job — played an important role in the story. It is at this point that Tony realizes he was reading Defoe through the lens of Gilligan’s Island when growing up. Defoe’s work is also reminiscent of the Protestant work ethic notion of the age and Curtis notes the curious mix of Tory politics and support for the working class that permeated the author’s life. Finally, we move on to William Blake who was a poet but also an artist and printer. Again, we see the working class lifestyle of Blake that mirrored the other two figures we discussed. Blake’s work, Curtis argues, resembles an “apocalyptic dissent” with vivid imagery of end times, destruction, and redemption that comes across in his artwork and poetry. His fascination with the Albion Mills fire, an example of the inherent dangers of early industrialization, figures prominently in his poetic works such as Jerusalem. Our discussion then travels across the Atlantic and fast forwards in time to discuss how many of these dissenting and apocalyptic themes work their way into the thinking of colonial Americans, Abraham Lincoln, and even the rhetoric of Martin Luther King, Jr. Curtis notes that America is often viewed as a “Beulah land” of dissent and we ponder the rhythms of history that continually bring new forms of dissent to the fore.

The conversation finishes with Prof. Freeman’s reflection on his own intellectual journey, and he notes how “little steps across a street” (as he took to Bunhill Fields many years ago) can lead one to new adventures and the ability to tell untold stories. Recorded: June 11, 2018.

Undomesticated Dissent: Democracy and the Public Virtue of Religious Nonconformity, by Curtis Freeman.

Contesting Catholicity: Theology for Other Baptists, by Curtis Freeman.

Baptist Roots: A Reader in the Theology of a Christian People, by Curtis Freeman.

A Pilgrim’s Progress, by John Bunyan.

Bunyan Meeting in Bedford, UK.

Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel Defoe.

Songs of Innocence and Experience, by William Blake.

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Brandon O’Brien on Isaac Backus and Religious Liberty

tonygill — Sun, 10 Jun 2018 08:00:11 +0000

One of our favorite topics of discussion on Research on Religion is religious liberty. Dr. Brandon O’Brien, the Director of Content Development at Redeemer City to City, provides a new angle on that topic as he joins us to discuss Isaac Backus and his new book Demanding Liberty: An Untold Story of American Religious Freedom. After Tony notes that Dr. O’Brien appeared on our show previously talking about the Apostle Paul, Brandon explains his interest in colonial American religious history and how this new book emanated from his dissertation about the religious and political developments of the late 18th century.

Brandon then notes that although we Americans take religious liberty for granted and that it is part of our DNA from the earliest days of our nation, in reality there was an ongoing struggle for religious liberty in the colonial period and the First Amendment to the US Constitution was in no way guaranteed. There were forces championing full public support of religious (select) institutions and partisans on the other side that were very secularist in nature. Enter Isaac Backus, who found a way to thread the needle of these two positions. Brandon reviews the life and times of Isaac, noting his conversion to New Light Christianity during the First Great Awakening, moving towards a “separatist” position.

There were two critical issues that formulated Backus’s view of religious freedom – one theological and the other political. Theologically, Backus wanted to figure out a way to manage the divisive issue of infant baptism when he was a pastor in his Titicut parish. For him, the optimal solution was to allow the freedom for different viewpoints to pursue their own conscience on the matter — i.e., religious freedom. Politically, the issue of religious taxes (or mandatory tithing) was a costly issue for he and his congregants at the time. While Baptists were technically exempt from the Standing Order that required the tax subsidized support of Congregationalist churches in New England, the administration of theses taxes was often arbitrary in execution. Backus pointed out that the British tyranny that patriots were fighting against in the 1770s was the same as minority religious congregations facing the Congregationalist hegemony. All of these came out in Backus’s Appeal to the Public for Religious Liberty, which helped shaped the background discussion that eventually gave rise to the Bill of Rights.

We finish with some of Dr. O’Brien’s reflections on what he has learned in his varied studies of everything from small churches in the contemporary US, to the bad behavior of Paul, to his most recent publication on Backus. Recorded: June 8, 2018.

RELATED LINKS

Brandon J. O’Brien’s personal website and Redeemer City to City.

Demanding Liberty: An Untold Story of American Religious Freedom, by Brandon J. O’Brien.

The Strategically Small Church, by Brandon J. O’Brien.

Paul Behaving Badly, by Randolph Richards and Brandon O’Brien.

Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, by Randolph Richards and Brandon O’Brien.

“An Appeal to the Public for Religious Liberty,” by Isaac Backus.

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Brandon O’Brien on Paul Behaving Badly.

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James Hudnut-Beumler on Religion in the Now South

tonygill — Sun, 27 May 2018 08:00:19 +0000

When you think if Christianity in the U.S. South, images of Southern Baptist congregations, conservative politics, and even snake-handling may come to mind. But Prof. James Hudnut-Beumler, the Anne Potter Wilson Distinguished Professor of American Religious History at Vanderbilt University, reveals that the spiritual tapestry is much more nuanced than might appear on initial glance. Prof. Hudnut-Beumler joins us to talk about his new book Strangers and Friends at the Welcome Table and reveals how several historical traditions have persisted in the region while significant transformations are also taking place.

We commence with a discussion of a definition of “the South,” which can be viewed geographically (starting just below Northern Virginia, running down to the top portion of Florida, and extending westward to Arkansas and encompassing the southern portions of Indiana and Illinois) and spiritually (those areas with a majority Southern Baptist population). Jim explains how this decade-long process took him on a “r0ad trip” around the region to experience the lives and institutions of those living in what he calls the “Now South,” a region with deep roots to its “Old Time Religion” past, but which is also changing in surprising ways. Looking at the historical roots first, we discuss how religion, food, and hospitality are intimately linked via kinship networks and a concern over scarcity being a daily lived experience. Food and visitation are viewed as an expression of love for folks who are ill, imprisoned, or otherwise facing difficult times. Jim also notes that food and hospitality also becomes a basis for various types of social activism as such community involvement is often viewed as a measure of piety. Sometimes such activism can take on hard-nosed policies towards drug addicts who are allowed assistance only if they quickly accept Jesus, or in more open terms that seek to get mentally ill individuals the help they need. We also chat about how Pentecostalism, technically a very small fraction of Southern Christians, has influenced the Christianity of the region, often leading to “Bapticostal” congregations that call their ministers bishops and have multiple offerings. Religion also manifests itself along racial lines in the South, as one might expect, and Jim talks about religiously-infused racial histories can wound but also offer up possibilities for forgiveness. He raises the horrific shooting at the Charleston Emmanuel AME Church in 2015 as an example of these racial divides and how the power of forgiveness is used not necessarily to “forgive and forget,” but to heal tragedies so it doesn’t wound the victims continuously.

The conversation then moves in the direction of the “Now South” and the new trends that have been reshaping the spiritual landscape over the past several decades. We look at how megachurches are setting new standards of worship not only for congregants in the suburbs, but in smaller rural and urban churches as well. Jim points out how the growth of homeschooling has responded to the integration of private religious schools (often called “segregation academies”). The growth of Catholicism with the influx of immigrants from Mexico and Central America has also diversified the religious tapestry of the region. And finally, we discuss the surprising increase in the number of congregations that have taken a welcoming position to the LGBT communities and how it has roiled the waters. Jim explains that while it is easy to preach hate, the culture is changing via kinship ties and the “power of one” wherein one individual can help to change the views of those around them. While still a very small minority of churches, the presence of LGBT-friendly congregations indicate progressive steps forward.

We finish off by asking Prof. Hudnut-Beumler what he would tell a younger version of Jim if he had the chance to travel back in time. The elder Jim provides some interesting words of advice for his younger self recognizing that things you never thought would have made an impression early on often come back to you as new opportunities for exploration and learning. Recorded: May 25, 2018.

Strangers and Friends at the Welcome Table, by James Hudnut-Beumler.

In Pursuit of the Almighty’s Dollar, by James Hudnut-Beumler.

The Future of Mainline Protestantism in America, edited by James Hudnut-Beumler and Mark Silk.

Looking for God in the Suburbs, by James Hudnut-Beumler.

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Doug Douma on Gordon Clark and a Christian Hiking Hostel

tonygill — Sun, 20 May 2018 08:00:33 +0000

We are back momentarily from our sporadic sabbatical and pleased to be joined by Rev. Douglas “Banzai” Douma, a licensed minister in the Reformed Presbyterian Church (Hanover Presbytery) and author of The Presbyterian Philosopher: The Authorized Biography of Gordon H. Clark. Our discussion this week focuses both on Doug’s work on Prof. Clark, but also his new endeavor to create a Christian hostel for hikers along the Appalachian Trail, thus we get an insight into both the scholarly and practitioner side of religion.

Our conversation begins with Doug’s background and how he went from being a Lutheran to a Reformed Presbyterian. His education took him in search of many different Christian philosophers and apologetic writers, which is where he stumbled across Gordon H. Clark, a member the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and a professor at Butler University. Doug illuminates us as to what made Gordon Clark such a fascinating person in 20th century American Christianity, focusing on his conflict with the Westminster Seminary and debates with Cornelius Van Til. Some of those controversies surrounded theological issues such as one’s understanding about the incomprehensibility of God, whereas other ones involved institutional concerns regarding whether the denomination should be dry (i.e., no alcohol) or not. Clark’s opposition to the use of alcohol stemmed from his desire to set high standards for the denomination so as to be leaders within Christianity. Doug also enlightens us as to why he finds Clark an interesting thinker, particularly with relation to his presuppositional apologetics.

Beyond his work on Gordon Clark, Doug and his wife Priscilla are in the early stages of setting up a ministry for hikers along the Appalachian Trail, a 2,186 mile trek up the mountainous spine of the eastern United States. Doug gives us some background on his love of the outdoors and how he came to settle in western North Carolina. We discuss the religious landscape of the region, once heavily settled by Scotts and Irish, but now predominately Baptist in its composition. Doug reveals what it is like to be preaching in a small, rural town of about 5,000 people and the challenges facing the Appalachian community. He then takes us through his plan to establish a Christian hiking hostel along the Appalachian Trail. While still in the early stages of raising money to purchase land and a building, Doug and Priscilla have nonetheless ministered to hikers along the trail. We discuss what that process is like and how receptive backcountry backpackers are to a Christian message. We cover the demographics and mindset of folks who can be found on the trail, and where he came up with his own trailname of “Banzai.” We finish our conversation by asking Doug what he has learned over the years and what messages he would take back to “18 year old Doug” if he could travel back in time. Recorded: May 18, 2018.

Doug’s personal blog.

The Presbyterian Philosopher: The Authorized Biography of Gordon H. Clark, by Douglas Douma.

The Selected Letters of Gordon H. Clark.

The Appalachian Trail.

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David Smith on Episodic Religious Persecutions (Encore Presentation)

tonygill — Sun, 13 May 2018 08:00:57 +0000

Although the United States is often viewed as a beacon for religious freedom around the world, thanks in large part to the institutionalization of the First Amendment, the practice of religious toleration has often fallen well short of the ideals set for itself. Prof. David Smith, lecturer in the Department of Government & International Relations and a faculty member at the United States Studies Center at the University of Sydney (Australia), discusses his explanation for episodic religious persecution in the United States. Using the Latter Day Saints in the 19th century and Jehovah’s Witnesses in the early 20th century as comparative case studies, he argues that religious minorities that are seen as threats to the established political order will quickly find themselves victims of state-sanctioned persecution.

We begin the discussion with Prof. Smith’s personal journey to this topic. For an Australian studying American politics, a field dominated by quantitative studies of contemporary political behavior, the choice of such a historical topic seems a bit unique. Nonetheless, David points out how the eyes of a foreigner can often uncover interesting behavioral patterns that often go unnoticed by natives. This leads us to a discussion of how “mythic ideals” within a nation often do not match with historical practice, particularly given that human beings are quite fallible when it comes to reaching noble goals.

David then jumps into a detailed elaboration of the persecuted path of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (i.e., Mormons) in the 19th century, from their early days in New York and Ohio, through an “extermination order” in Missouri, to the mob execution of their leader Joseph Smith, and finally through their travails into Utah territory and the struggles to become a state. Along the way, David drops hints at his explanation to come, including how the presence of the Mormons in different areas affected the political calculus among existing elites. David places the debates over polygamy and political partisanship into a context of broader struggles for political power that were affecting the nation in the pre- and post-Civil War era. We learn some interesting things about how Harriet Beecher Stowe, famed feminist crusader, changed her position on whether or not Mormon women should be given the right to vote, and how Reed Smoot (half of the infamous Smoot-Hawley tariff act) was prevented from taking his seat in the US Senate because of ongoing concerns over polygamy.

We then jump into the early 20th century to discuss the rise of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, a seemingly innocuous group of Christians who refused to salute the flag or have their children recite the Pledge of Allegiance in school. Such actions, combined with their visible proselytizing presence, provoked a number of local organizations such as the American Legion to consider them a serious threat to American nationalism. Combined with concern over the balance of political power at the local level and their stand against military service at a time war was on the horizon, a rash of physical harassment of Witnesses arose in the late 1930s and early 1940s, dissipating around 1941/42 when roughly half of the Witnesses young male missionaries were jailed. We further discuss the reasons why the Witnesses were targetted, but not groups such as the Mennonites and Amish, another religious group that resisted military service and spoke German!

Prof. Smith shows how both of these instances of religious persecution were theoretically linked by how each group — Mormons and Witnesses — were perceived as a political threat to the existing state power structure. We then discuss how his explanation played out in other historic instances of religious persecution (or lack thereof) including Catholics, Jews, and the Nation of Islam (a homegrown Muslim group). Interestingly, while the Nation of Islam was facing persecution (around the time of the Witnesses), political authorities were encouraging Muslim immigration from overseas. We also explore why Muslims over the past decade and a half (since September 11, 2001) have not seen the levels of persecution or harassment experienced by the Mormons and Witnesses. David closes with some thoughts on how future persecutions might be contained. Recorded: January 7, 2014.

Religious Persecution and Political Order in the United States, by David Smith.

United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

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Barry Hankins on Jesus, Gin, and the Culture Wars (Encore Presentation)

tonygill — Sun, 22 Apr 2018 15:35:58 +0000

While we are on a sabbatical, trying to get our format updated and finding more outlets on which you can enjoy this podcast, please enjoy this encore presentation from five years ago.

Most astute social observers today agree that the United States is in the throes of a “culture war,” with issues such as abortion, same-sex marriage, and drug legalization taking center stage in many political debates. But what if I told you that such “culture wars” are not uncommon in US history? Indeed, Prof. Barry Hankins of Baylor University makes the argument that “cultural wars” are the default position in American history, and it was only during the 1930s – 1970s that we seemed to have been immune from such conflict. He illustrates this point with a detailed discussion of The Roaring Twenties (and the decades leading up to that time), when issues such as Prohibition, evolution, obscenity, and a weakening of Christianity were the hot topics of the time. We begin our discussion by noting the dramatic changes that the U.S. experienced around the turn of the 20th century, roughly from 1880 to 1920. Rapid industrialization and urbanization, combined with new forms of immigration, set the stage for wide array of new cultural challenges facing the nation, in general, and Christianity in particular. As the Roaring ’20s were known as the era of Prohibition (and the time of the “speak easy”), we start with that topic. Prof. Hankins reviews the history of the temperance movement and reveals some surprising findings, such that alcohol consumption in the US during the 1820s was among the highest in the world and that temperance movements did help to sober the country up. He notes this was true of Prohibition, as well, countering an often-used argument today regarding the legalization of drugs that such legal restrictions don’t really affect usage much. Our conversation turns to some of the more charismatic characters of the era with a focus on Billy Sunday, a forerunner of today’s “megachurch” pastors. Barry recounts Rev. Sunday’s life and how he harnessed his athletic fame in the name of evangelization. Billy Sunday’s story is a nice reminder that “media star preachers” are not just a phenomenon of the late 20th century but emerged in an era when people were becoming increasingly concentrated in cities and mass media such as radio and theater was becoming more common. We also cover some of the more scandal-plagued preachers of the time including Aimee Semple-McPherson, J. Frank Norris, Daddy Grace, and Father Divine, reminding us that there probably is nothing new under the sun. We then take up the topic of the factionalization occurring within Christianity that is going on during this time — fundamentalists vs modernists. We discover that the liberal modernists tended to win these battles, often forcing more fundamentalist groups to break away and form new denominations. Again, this is reminiscent of our current time. The conversation then moves to an interesting puzzle that Barry is still thinking about, which is why the culture wars subsided between the 1930s and (roughly) 1980. We both offer us some speculation on this topic and finish off with additional thoughts about what the culture wars of the 1920s has to tell us about our culture wars today. Recorded: May 2, 2013.

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Barry Hankins bio at Baylor University’s Department of History.

Jesus and Gin: Evangelicalism, the Roaring Twenties, and Today’s Culture Wars, by Barry Hankins.

American Evangelicals: A History of a Mainstream Religious Movement, by Barry Hankins.

The Second Great Awakening and the Transcendentalists, by Barry Hankins.

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Jeff Henig on Prison Ministry (Encore Presentation)

tonygill — Sun, 01 Apr 2018 17:03:41 +0000

Why would anybody ever want to become a prison chaplain? And what do those folks involved in prison ministry do? Jeff Henig, who recently was hired as a prison chaplain in Arkansas, discusses his background, the journey he took to become a prison minister, and the various challenges he faces in this line of work. This is part of our ongoing series to talk with practitioners, people who work in the spiritual trenches day-t0-day and often have insights into human behavior that scholars often overlook.

We begin with Jeff’s background. Interestingly, he uses the third person to talk about his life growing up the son of ’60s hippies and ending up in group homes and foster care. He also talks openly about his time in the US Marine Corps and how he was a rebel against authority, which is probably not the best thing for somebody in the military. Nonetheless, this background helped shaped who he is and helps him relate to many of the individuals he ministers to in prison. The story also moves through his conversion to Christianity in 1989 and how that changed his life. We follow him then through a series of jobs and, more importantly, into the world of a cappella singing. While seemingly unrelated to prison ministry, it was singing with a Christian a cappella group that brought him into his current career.

A good portion of the middle part of the interview is spent talking about what went on with his a cappella prison ministry. We talk about what a typical show would be like and the various constraints faced by the band. Jeff notes how enthusiastic inmates were to see folks “from the outside,” but that prison regulations limited the time that they could have with prisoners. He discusses how they would get their message across in between songs and with some short conversations after the performance. We also learn the difference between jail and prison at this point, and Jeff points out that the transitory nature of jail makes it more difficult to reach out to the folks as compared to prison where the inmates know they are there for a longer period and approach life behind bars with greater seriousness.

We then move along to discussing how he obtained his current position as a prison chaplain. We talk about the educational background he had, as well as “learning on the job” as a certified religious assistant (CRA). We talk about some of the different challenges prison ministers face, including attempts to “game the system” by inmates, as well as some of the heavy psychological toll that this can take on the pastor. Jeff shares a wonderful story about when he was significantly down and a number of the prisoners rallied around him, providing him with insight to how much of an impact he was having on these individuals. He also discusses some of the legal issues that need to be managed, including a new Supreme Court religious liberty ruling on facial hair. We finish with the three things Jeff has learned throughout his several decades of prison ministry. First, you need to relate to people as they are and not as you want them to be. Second, God doesn’t make trash. And finally, you have more impact on people than you might think. Good lessons for prison ministers and all of us as well. Recorded: April 3, 2015.

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First Day Music, Jeff’s a cappella group’s website.

Holt v Hobbs, Supreme Court case regarding religious facial hair.

Harding School of Theology.

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A list of episodes from practitioners.

David Deavel on De Sales, Newman, Chesterton, and Hitchcock

tonygill — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 08:00:21 +0000

Location, location, location. That is the eternal cry of every real estate agent, and it proved prophetic for this week’s guest, Prof. David Deavel, an assistant professor of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas — as he grew up an evangelical Christian in the shadow of Notre Dame, which gave him the foundation for later converting to Catholicism. And along the way, he became an expert on a number of Catholic saints, theologians, and writers, which is where our discussion winds today. And a winding road it is, starting with St. Francis De Sales, moving into John Henry Newman, off to G.K. Chesterton, and finally stopping with Alfred Hitchcock. This is a fun-filled and light-hearted look at a number of Catholic thinkers and their relationship to our modern world.

The conversation begins with a bit of the background on our guest, and an interesting fun fact that the city of St. Paul was once called “Pig’s Eye.” We learn much about how Prof. Deavel ended up thinking about everything from Catholic social thought to vampires and Harry Potter. After that, we get on to the primary topic at hand, which is Saint Francis De Sales, a priest who originally started out as a lawyer and who was also an avid rower back in the 16th century (and eventually passing in 1622). Prof. Deavel terms De Sales a “patron saint for our time” by observing that Francis threw himself into a very contentious environment in Switzerland several decades after the Protestant Reformation. Catholics were not all that popular in Geneva back then, thus De Sales had to figure out how to keep a low profile (once hiding in a tree for a full day), yet keep true to his love of spreading the Gospel. De Sales strategy was to show and live a life of love, and would often minister in local houses. His understanding that all Christians were holy was a thought that preceded the thinking of the Second Vatican Council’s emphasis on ecumenism by more than three centuries. David points out that in today’s world where politics has become a “blood sport” and all sorts of groups are locked in seemingly endless battle, De Sales message of tolerance is one that should be heralded. Francis De Sales eventually was promoted to bishop of Geneva and founded the Salesians religious order (or Visitation sisters).

We then move on to discuss John Henry Newman who lived for most of the 19th century and became an important figure in Catholic education. Experiencing a Christian conversion at age 16 and becoming an Anglican clergy member in the 1820s, Newman was a principal leader of the Oxford Movement that sought to return the Church of England to its Catholic roots. Though unsuccessful in returning the Anglican Church to Catholicism, Newman found himself converting to Catholicism in the mid-19th century, eventually becoming a Cardinal in the Church. We discuss his emphasis on education, culminating both in his work in Dublin, as well as his series of lectures that culminated in the work The Idea of a University which has heavily influenced Catholic higher education to this day. Although never having hidden in a tree like Francis De Sales, Cardinal Newman has been on the road to sainthood and is currently categorized as Blessed Newman, one step away from becoming an official saint. Our conversation turns then to G.K. Chesterton, another Catholic thinker that has occupied the mind of Dr. Deavel. He contrasts the irreligious early life of Chesterton with the two previous figures we discussed, but notes the similarities in how his faith was shaped early in adulthood, eventually culminating in his admission that he was Christian by age 26 and eventual conversion to Catholicism in 1922. We then veer into the world of Alfred Hitchcock who was influenced by Chesterton but took a much different religious trajectory. Prof. Deavel notes the religious influences in Hitchcock’s life and how he came back to Catholicism at the end of his life. Our conversation ends with some reflections by David on what this eclectic path of study he has taken has revealed to him over time. Recorded: February 23, 2018.

Prof. David Deavel’s Academia.edu page (where you can find his various articles).

LOGOS: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture.

The Catholic Controversy, by St. Francis De Sales.

Introduction to the Devout Life, by St. Francis De Sales.

The Idea of a University, by John Henry Newman.

Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton.

“The Ballad of the White Horse,” by G.K. Chesterton.

Martin Luther Insult Generator (mentioned in podcast).

Pope Francis Insult Generator (also mentioned in podcast in an ecumenical spirit).

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Anselm Rink on Missionaries and Political Authority

tonygill — Sun, 04 Mar 2018 09:00:22 +0000

Missionaries can often convert people to another faith, but do their efforts have other effects? Prof. Anselm Rink, a junior professor of political economy at the University of Konstanz (Germany), joins us to discuss an interesting survey and field experiment conducted in Peru to understand the effects missionizing may have on citizen attitudes towards political authority. We begin the conversation with a bit of Prof. Rink’s background and how he ended up studying Protestants in the Peruvian highlands, and he notes that it was part-and-parcel of his Peace Corps experience in Ecuador. We then dive into his study by defining what “political authority” is. Anselm notes that definitions vary quite a bit, but he focuses his attention on two dimensions borrowed from Max Weber — obedience and persuasion. He covers some of the different perspectives on how social scientists have understood these concepts, including a brief mention of the famous Milgram study.

Prof. Rink then lays out his theoretical expectations on why missionaries should have any impact on the dimensions of political authority. As far as obedience goes, it is possible that there are theological reasons a missionary (or other religious leader) would enhance acceptance of authority in that followers are asked to adopt an authority figure. There is also the possibility that there is a habitual mechanism that enforces obedience through generalized rituals. With respect to persuasion, Anselm notes that exposure to new religious ideas could create an intellectual substitution effect wherein people see things differently, or be affected by cognitive dissonance wherein messages from a religious authority may undermine a political message. Prof. Rink then lays out the religious landscape of Peru, pointing out the growth of Protestantism of the Pentecostal and indigenous varieties. When Tony asks whether messages from Catholic priests would have an effect on the dimensions of political authority, Anselm responds that this is possible but he focused his research efforts on Protestant missionaries because they tend to have a more “otherworldly” dimension to their spiritual message and that his theoretical expectations would be that the effects of new religious messages would be more pronounced with stricter denominations.

The conversation then gets scientific as we go over Prof. Rink’s research design, talking about the 16 villages that he chose and how this helped to enhance his field experiment design. Within these villages, there were Adventists, Maranatha Christians, Peruana (indigenous), and churches that had mixed elements of some or all of these. We go through the qualitative interviews he conducted with missionaries and the surveys he administered to local citizens that included an experiment about giving up coins based upon the roll of dice. His findings from this work were rather interesting. It turns out that while Protestant missionaries tended to make their followers more obedient, they actually were less susceptible to persuasion. As such, the effects of missionaries run in somewhat contradictory directions.

We finish off the interview with a discussion of his work on religious radicalization in Kenya with his co-author Kunaal Sharma. Instead of focusing on macro-political and economic explanations (such as economic crisis) for conversion to radical religious movements (both Christian and Muslim), they have been investigating the micro-level foundations for why individuals in a community setting would sign up with radicalized groups. Anselm’s work in both Latin America, Africa, and Europe allows Tony to prompt him about his reflections on his own research. Anselm noted that the similarities among humans in different contexts should be seen as important and has some further views on altruistic behavior. Recorded: February 19, 2018.

Please note: Due to an international Skype connection, the audio of Prof. Rink is a bit compressed and muted. Nonetheless, the intellectual content is superb.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Anselm Rink’s personal webpage and the Department of Politics at University of Konstanz.

“Do Protestant Missionaries Undermine Political Authority? Evidence from Peru,” by Anselm Rink in Comparative Political Studies. (subscription required)

“The Determinants of Religious Radicalization,” by Anselm Rink and Kunaal Sharma in Journal of Conflict Resolution. (subscription required)

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Jeff Rose on Street Preaching (Encore Presentation)

tonygill — Sun, 04 Feb 2018 09:00:12 +0000

What would you do if you were a street preacher and someone poured beer on your head, blew smoke in your face, and threatened you with a knife? Jeff Rose, founder of JeremiahCry Ministries with his wife Pearl, has had that experience and he reveals his response in this fascinating interview that covers Jeff’s path to the street preaching profession and what it takes to be a street preacher. Tony starts out by asking if Jeff if he is crazy. It is not an uncommon question that folks who pass street preachers cannot help but ask. Jeff provides a remarkably insightful answer to this question revealing that he has asked himself this question on more than one occasion, but then explains what keeps him going. We then review Jeff’s life growing up, his career as a personal fitness trainer and gym owner, and what led him to pick up the cause of the Gospel. The journey is one that takes him from a small Pentecostal church to a large megachurch and then back to a smaller community where he connects with several other individuals that propel him down the road to street preaching. As an aside we chat about what Jeff didn’t like about megachurches, a theme that connects with some of our earlier podcasts. Jeff then describes how he found himself engaged in a life of street preaching after attending seminary and moving to Scotland. The last portion of our interview tackles some of what occurs in the life of a street preacher, including thinking about what venues will be most attractive, how to deal with crowds, the funniest moment he encountered, as well as the most dangerous. Jeff finishes by revealing his optimistic attitude towards the spiritual life of American and the United Kingdom. Recorded December 1, 2011.

RELATED LINKS

JeremiahCry Ministries (includes videos and audio of street preaching).

Jeff Rose preaching at Staten Island Ferry Station (YouTube video).

Paul Washer, Jeff Rose, and Jeff Gordon Discuss Public Preaching (YouTube video).

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