Research On Religion » Protestantism

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.

RELATED PODCASTS

Michael Douma on Van Raalte and Dutch Religious History.

Michael Boone’s 40 Day Spiritual Trip.

Bill Clark on an Academic’s Spiritual Journey.

Jeff Rose on Street Preaching.

Oliver Crisp on Calvin and Reformed Theology.

Andrew Hoffecker on Charles Hodge and Princeton Seminary.

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.

RELATED LINKS

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.

RELATED PODCASTS

Matthew Sutton on Aimee Semple McPherson.

Mark Driscoll on the Growth of Mars Hill Church.

Thomas Kidd on the Great Awakening.

Michael Douma on Van Raalte and Dutch Religious History

tonygill — Sun, 28 Jan 2018 09:00:23 +0000

Not very many folks outside of the confines of religious scholars in western Michigan have heard of Rev. Albertus Van Raalte, but this Dutch preacher from the 19th century had a profound impact on the Dutch Reformed movement both in the Netherlands and the United States. Prof. Michael Douma, an assistant professor and director of the Institute for the Study of Market & Ethics at Georgetown University, reviews the life and thought of Van Raalte, explaining how his special blend of history and theology. We begin the conversation with an overview of how Dr. Douma became interested in the topic of Dutch religious history, one of his many interests. He recounts his interest in the Dutch language , his work at the Van Raalte Institute at Hope College, and how this took him to graduate school at Florida State University to study the history of Dutch-American immigration. He then reveals how he discovered a manuscript of Van Raalte’s teaching notes that he calls the Kampen Manuscript (and which Tony incorrectly calls the Krampen manuscript, thinking of Krampus).

We briefly review the history of Dutch immigration into the United States with Michael pointing out that there were two waves, an early migration during the first half of the 17th century and then another wave after about a 180 year respite. This latter migration wave, beginning in earnest in 1846, was partially motivated by religious divisions that were heating up within the Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands during the 1830s. At that time, the Reformed Church was experiencing a pattern of theological liberalization that was increasingly critiqued by a set of rural-based Pietists with a more fundamentalist reading of Christian theology and history. A schism (Afscheiding) resulted in 1834 and a series of other events eventually prompted an exodus of these reformers a decade later. It was during this twelve year period that Albertus Van Raalte begins to make a name for himself in theological circles. Initially starting out as a medical student, he quickly becomes involved in various Pietist circles and Bible reading groups that prompts him to take up theology as a life’s calling. We discuss some of the conflicts he had with various other religious figures at the time and his brief teaching career at the University of Leiden, where the theology that he writes down in the Kampen Manuscript takes shape.

Prof. Douma argues that Van Raalte’s theological developments were influenced heavily by a teleological and “stage-based” historical reading of Christianity, wherein the Netherlands played an important role with the northward shifting of Christian dynamism following the Reformation. We review Van Raalte’s critiques of Catholicism and his preference for decentralized church governance. Despite Van Raalte’s critiques of the contemporary developments within Protestantism, he nonetheless viewed himself as somebody who tried to bring various factions of the Reformed Church together. Alas, greener pastures called across the Atlantic and Van Raalte took his mission to the United States with an initial design on settling in Iowa only to be diverted to western Michigan at the urging of various Detroit political leaders. Michael talks about how Van Raalte related to the ancestors of the first wave immigrants, his efforts to keep the Dutch Reformed Church unified, and how a schism nonetheless developed between the Reformed Church of America and the Christian Reformed Church. Following Van Raalte’s death in 1876, he becomes increasingly famous for his theological innovations with subsequent writers such as Arnold Mulder giving him credit for the rise of farmer-theologians. We finish off with Prof. Douma’s reflections on the importance of Van Raalte’s history for contemporary times and the various things Michael has learned along the course of his scholarship. Recorded: January 26, 2018.

Prof. Michael Douma’s personal website.

Veneklasen Brick: A Family, an Industry, and a Unique 19th Century Dutch Architectural Movement in Michigan, by Michael Douma.

How Dutch Americans Stayed Dutch: An Historical Perspective on Ethnic Change, by Michael Douma.

What Is Classical Liberal History?, co-edited by Michael Douma and Phil Magness (forthcoming 2018).

Creative Historical Thinking, by Michael Douma (forthcoming 2018).

The Dominie of Harlem, by Arnold Mulder (mentioned in podcast and available in pdf format).

Van Raalte Institute at Hope College.

Christian Reformed Church (CRC).

Reformed Church in America (RCA).

RELATED PODCASTS

Evan Haefeli on the Dutch Origins of Religious Liberty

Oliver Crisp on Calvin and Reformed Theology

James Felak on the Counter-Reformation

tonygill — Sun, 22 Oct 2017 08:00:29 +0000

As we wind down our seven-episode series on the Protestant Reformation, we give the “other side” a chance to make their historical case. Prof. James Felak, a professor of history at the University of Washington (and frequent RoR guest), sits down with Tony to discuss the Catholic response to Luther’s protest. Known popularly as the “Counter-Reformation,” Dr. Felak notes that it really should be termed the Catholic Reformation as we note how Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and others broke with the Church in a schismatic movement. We start the discussion with a look at the religious and political landscape leading up to Luther’s challenge. Fifteenth century Europe was characterized by three key factors that conditioned the Reformation, Felak argues. First was the increasing strength of secular kingdoms relative to the Roman Catholic Church, which prompts a variety of power and financial struggles between the crown(s) and the popes. Growing corruption within the Church presented the second challenge to Christianity during this century, which leads to the third factor — indulgences. Out of curiosity, Tony asks when the Catholic Church began to be called the “Catholic Church,” rather than just the Church given that Catholicism is now used as a term of contradistinction to Protestantism. James mentions that he wonders the same thing too when teaching courses on Christian history, and we more or less agree that the term Catholic Church is put into greater usage in the 16th century. (Listeners are encouraged to weigh in on this question.)

We then move to the early 1500s and the “immediate” (by late medieval standards) reaction of the Vatican to Luther. Tony poses a counterfactual to his historian guest, asking what would the Christian timeline looked like had the Holy See just ignored Martin Luther. There were two popes involved in pushing back against Luther, and times of leadership transition can be difficult. Prof. Felak responds that the Protestant Reformation was a “slow train moving” and it was likely to happen at some point. We talk about how Johann Eck became involved in debates with Luther and how Luther’s pamphleteering left the Vatican no choice but to respond. The printing press made ignoring the issue very difficult. We review the events of the Diet of Worms and then springboard forward to the Council of Trent that sets the “Counter-Reformation” in motion. James points out that Rome was really responding to at least five “reformations” over the first half of the sixteenth century, only one of which was Luther. This included movements spurred on by Zwingli, Calvin, Arminians, other radical reformers, and the breakaway English Church. The Council of Trent — which occurred over several decades (and James explains why) — initiated a two-prong response which was to, first, reform the institutional Church, and second, to answer a variety of doctrinal challenges to the faith. As for the first, there was greater emphasis placed on educating the clergy via rigorous seminary training, incentivize bishops to preach in their own dioceses, and ensure subsequent popes chosen had a strong moral character. There was also a movement to promoting religious orders, which we talk about later. As for the doctrinal pushback, the Catholic Church reaffirmed the seven sacraments, the doctrine of purgatory, and intellectual reasoning regarding the issue of “faith alone or good works.” James spends time to explain the Catholic view of faith and works.

The conversation veers towards a discussion of the religious orders that were promoted to respond to these new institutional and theological challenges. The Jesuits were the most famous of he orders to arise at this time, but Prof. Felak documents a number of other ones, including the shoeless (discalced) Carmelites. He puts this in context of the older orders that emerged centuries before (e.g., Franciscans) and notes the new orders were much more engaged in the world and proselytizing than the earlier ones, including a renewed dedication to education of the clergy and laity. James brings up folks such as Charles Borromeo and Teresa of Avila. Tony asks about the Inquisition, and James responds by pointing out there were four distinct inquisitions including one prior to the Reformation (the Medieval Reformation), the Roman, Spanish, and Portuguese. The latter two had a more political flavor as the Iberian peninsula was not dramatically touched by Protestant reformers and these campaigns were run by kings, not clergy. We finish with some of James’s personal thoughts on how the Reformation affected Christianity and the Catholic Church, as well as how the Reformation has been viewed over the past five centuries. He shares an interesting tale of being in a Seattle bookstore and his thoughts on Lutherans as compared to other Protestant denominations. Recorded: October 6, 2017.

At the Price of the Republic: Hlinka’s Slovak People’s Party, 1929-38, by James Felak.

After Hitler, Before Stalin: Catholics, Communists, and Democrats in Slovakia, 1945-48, by James Felak.

“The Blessed Evangelical Mary: Why We Shouldn’t Ignore Her Anymore,” by Timothy George (Christianity Today).

“The Reformation at Five Hundred: An Outline of the Changing Ways We Remember the Reformation,” by Thomas Howard and Mark Knoll (First Things).

RELATED PODCASTS

The Protestant Reformation Series (including podcasts from Goldman, Pfaff, Stark, Gray, Sorenson, and Nelson).

James Felak on Picking Pontiffs and Pope Francis I.

James Felak on Vatican Council II.

James Felak on Pope Pius XII, the Wartime Pontiff.

James Felak on John Paul II and Communism.

Ken Kollman on Church Centralization.

Jon Sweeney on the Pope Who Quit.

Rodney Stark on Myths of the Reformation

tonygill — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 08:00:00 +0000

Everybody knows that the Protestant Reformation ushered in what eventually became an era of scientific enlightenment, economic development, and secularization to Europe. Or did it? Prof. Rodney Stark, co-founder of Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion, says “Nonsense!” to many of these so-called historical truths as we walk through some common myths and misconceptions of the famous religious movement that Martin Luther set rolling. We begin first by noting that there really wasn’t just a single Reformation, but at least three including Luther’s protest, Calvin’s subsequent religious movement, and King Henry VIII’s English Reformation, which wasn’t so much a change in theology as it was a transfer of authority. Prof. Stark also points out that once Catholicism’s exit door was opened and excommunication was off the table as a form of punishment, Protestantism became a fissiparous movement that underwent continual reformations leading to thousands of recognizably distinct Christian denominations today. We further learn that “Protestantism” was a term first used by the Catholic Church, and not by the individuals protesting Rome’s monopoly dominance of Christian theology. The next myth that we wander into is that the Reformation (writ large for all the various reformations) was a religious rebellion of the masses. Here Rod points out that Europe was not deeply religious in the sense of being steeped in official Catholic doctrine, but rather was a mish-mash of popular Christianity, pagan rituals, and other non-Christian superstitions and rituals. The lower classes seldom attended religious services during the supposed “golden age” of Christianity, and when they did it was often raucous affairs, not the solemn worship services often depicted in paintings and literature. Social movements, he points out, are rarely ever spurred on by the poor, but rather by economic and cultural elites that have the time and motivations to organize collective action. We address the German Peasant’s War (sometimes Revolt) of 1524-25 as possible evidence of a popular religious uprising, but this was merely the one in a long string of sporadic peasant revolts against unfavorable economic conditions. Rod notes that the reason why some regions of Europe tended to “go Protestant” while others stayed Catholic had little to do with popular sentiment and more to do with elite politics and the economic position of princes to the Vatican in terms of debt owed. Poland is brought up as a curious case of a region that initially sided with Protestantism, but then returned to the Catholic fold. Rod further points out that Protestantism did not lead to an uptick in formalized religious worship, citing the work of a historian who actually took a census of church attendance and rolls during the 16th century.

The next issues that we tackle are not so much myths as they are misfortunes. Prof. Stark explains why he sees Protestantism as providing for the cultural and political conditions that gave rise to European nationalism, that had some beneficial aspects in coagulating states, but also led to a number of extremely vicious wars between rival geographies. Rod further notes that what the Protestant Reformation(s) did was really end Christendom, the spiritual language that kept Europe pieced together during some rather fragmented centuries, at least amongst the political elite. We then go on to discuss whether or not Christianity was the impetus behind the Scientific Revolution and, eventually, the Enlightenment. Rod corrects the record about the so-called Dark Ages in that there was still a great deal of scientific and technological progress that was occurring in the centuries prior to Luther, and that the seeds of capitalism were also sown and growing long before there could have been a Protestant Ethic. Rod explains that many of these notions were promoted by scholars who held an anti-Catholic agenda (e.g., Voltaire) and were uncritically accepted by scholars up to present day (although he also points out that many contemporary historians are setting the record straight). All this then leads us to consider the purported rise of individualism and secularization in the modern (post-18th century) era. Again, Rod emphasizes that Europe never really secularized because it always was relatively secular in terms of large numbers of people avoiding religious institutions, and what constitutes the notion of “individualism” today has always been around in some form.

We finish off with a brief discussion of one of Prof. Stark’s other recent books, Why God? Explaining Religious Phenomenon. His main critique here is that social scientists have typically approached religion as something that has nothing to do with God, citing the likes of Emile Durkheim who considered religion to be something other than an institutional connection to the transcendent or supernatural. Rod corrects the record by noting that scholars need to take the actual beliefs of the people they study seriously, and if they say they are creating organizations for the purpose of worshiping God, then that must might be what they are doing. He leaves us with some critical words of wisdom, which is always to be suspicious of the received wisdom. Recorded: August 21, 2017.

(Note: Prof. Stark has always been one of my informal academic mentors, and was a close neighbor of mine when he lived in Washington State. Following our formal interview, we had a nice chat about bears, bobcats, and coyotes in the area that I live. We shared a number of other “everyday stories.” It was a simple conversation, but a truly delightful one that should remind us about the importance of living one’s daily life.)

Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion.

Reformation Myths: Five Centuries of Misconceptions and (Some) Misfortunes, by Rodney Stark.

Why God? Explaining Religious Phenomenon, by Rodney Stark.

For the Glory of God: How Monotheism Led to Reformations, Science, Witch Hunts, and the End of Slavery, by Rodney Stark.

Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History, by Rodney Stark.

The Triumph of Faith: Why the World Is More Religious than Ever, by Rodney Stark.

See Prof. Stark’s personal website (link above) or his Amazon author page for a full listing of titles.

RELATED PODCASTS

Protestant Reformation Series.

Emily Fisher Gray on Luther’s 95 Theses.

Rob Sorenson on Martin Luther’s Life.

Steven Pfaff on the World of 1517.

Marion Goldman on Martin Luther and Spiritual Virtuosity.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Faith.

Rodney Stark on How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part I.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part II.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part III.

Rodney Stark on the Crusades.

Steven Pfaff on the Protestant Reformation.

Russell Kleckley on Religion, Science, and Johannes Kepler.

Emily Fisher Gray on Luther’s 95 Theses

tonygill — Sun, 20 Aug 2017 08:00:54 +0000

On October 31, 2017, we will celebrate the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s famous “95 Theses,” a list of various complaints and debating points about indulgences and the authority of the Vatican. No series on the Protestant Reformation would be complete without an examination of this momentous document. To dig into the themes of liberty and authority contained therein, and set the document in its historical context, we invite Prof. Emily Fisher Gray, an associate professo9r of history at Norwich University (Vermont). We start off chatting about plans to celebrate the quincentennial of the Reformation in a few months, and Prof. Gray informs us that some Europeans are gearing up for the event with a bus tour around Germany, collecting additional “theses” and calls for reform that they intend to present in Wittenberg at the end of October. We then move on to discuss Emily’s interest in the Reformation before setting up the “95 Theses” in their historical context. Dr. Gray notes that Martin Luther was not the first person to raise concerns about how the authority of the Church was being exercised. We discuss some earlier “proto-Protestants” such as John Wycliffe, Jan Hus, John of Paris, the Drummer of Niklashausen, and Savanarola. None of these authors caught fire the way Luther’s writings did (although Hus and Savanarola did catch fire another way). Emily explains this might be due to a number of factors such as the backwater location of Wittenberg combined with the availability of the printing press. Luther never likely intended or thought his challenges to the Church would be spread as far and wide as they were, but “go viral” they did (possibly making Luther the first “social media superstar”). Prof. Gray leads us through a number of the themes of the “95 Theses,” obviously paying some attention to Luther’s critique of indulgences and the doctrine of purgatory, but also several of the theses that dealt with the proper role of clerical authority. She even reads a couple of these theses to us, emphasizing how “punchy” Luther’s writing could be. Emily further points out that Luther was no fan of capitalism, or at least the financial classes, as he had harsh words not only for the “pardon merchants” (as he called the sellers of indulgences), but the banking infrastructure of Europe at the time as well. We follow through on some of Luther’s subsequent writings where he developed themes of liberty and authority, and trace this to the immediate consequences of “95 Theses” in the form of the Peasants’ Revolt of 1524. Luther himself was concerned by the serfs taking his words as a means to rebel against feudal authority and wrote harshly in response in his delightfully titled “Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes.” This allows us to delve into whether Luther’s thoughts inspired a change in the vision of secular authority within European society, and to what extent his writings inspired the continent’s secularization and the Enlightenment to come much later. Throughout the interview, Emily reminds us that Luther’s personality and rhetorical style was one of a brash populist, and he wasn’t afraid of telling fart jokes amongst his intellectual peers. We finish with Prof. Gray’s thoughts on whether or not the Reformation needed Luther. She argues that the need for reform was bubbling under the surface in Europe at the time, and had it not been Luther it would have likely been somebody else who took up the mantle of reform. Emily also reflects upon what she has learned throughout the course of her studies. Her most prominent realization was that when people are left to their own devices, they are amazingly good at mitigating conflict and learning to live with one another. Recorded: August 2, 2017.

“The 95 Theses,” by Martin Luther.

Dictatus Papae, by Pope Gregory VII.

Unam Sanctam, by Pope Boniface VIII.

“To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation,” by Martin Luther.

“The Freedom of a Christian,” by Martin Luther.

“Against the Murderous, Thieving Hordes,” by Martin Luther.

Martin Luther Insult Generator (mentioned on podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

The Protestant Reformation Series (set of podcasts).

Rob Sorenson on Martin Luther’s Life.

Steven Pfaff on the World of 1517.

Marion Goldman on Martin Luther and Spiritual Virtuosity.

Steven Pfaff on the Protestant Reformation

Oliver Crisp on Calvin and Reformed Theology

Rod Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part II

Donald Kraybill on The Amish (Encore Presentation)

tonygill — Sun, 16 Jul 2017 08:00:08 +0000

Most people might be able to identify an Amish person as someone who drives a horse and buggy, but how much do we really know about this ethno-religious group? Prof. Donald Kraybill, the Distinguished College Professor and Senior Fellow at the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown College, helps to fill out our understanding of this fascinating community. The conversation also includes various references to Mennonites, both the modern, mainstream version and the “horse and buggy” (or Old Order) Mennonite community. (Note: While the term “horse and buggy” Mennonite may sound like a stereotypical reference term, Dr. Kraybill explains his use of this term.)

After sharing his (not-so-positive) thoughts on the TV series The Amish Mafia, Prof. Kraybill covers the historical background of the Amish and Old Order Mennonites, discussing their European (Swiss and German) roots in the Anabaptist movement and how they became differentiated in 1693. We follow their progress of migration out of Europe and explore why there are few (if any) Amish and Old Order Mennonite settlements in Europe today. Religious persecution pushed many of these religious adherents to the Americas in the early 18th century, with Pennsylvania’s attractive environment of religious freedom being a large attractor. Even though we often associate central Pennsylvania with the Amish today, Don notes that there are Amish and “horse and buggy” Mennonite communities existing in 31 US states today. Tony discovers that these groups are more widespread and numerous than he thought, with about 40 different Amish “tribes” in existence across the country.

Our focus then turns to the cultural and theological practices of the Amish specifically. We review the reasons for men’s bears, the long hair and covering of women, distinctive clothing, the aversion to electricity and automobiles, and language. Don explains how the stereotypical image of “no electricity usage” is misplaced. While the Amish refuse to be connected to “the power grid” as they view it as a means of pulling the community apart (likewise with autos), they are known to use diesel engines, batteries, and even solar panels to power machine tools, coffee makers, and even photocopiers! Prof. Kraybill also explains those popular images of horse teams pulling John Deere farming equipment, a question referred to us by Doug Johnston. Our discussion here also covers Gene Sjoberg’s question on closed-community marriage and the myth of “rumspringa.”

Prof. Kraybill also answers a number of questions submitted by listeners such as Dave Dixon and Bud Kellstedt pertaining to Amish and Mennonite theology. He explains why most Amish and Mennonites should not be labeled as “evangelical” (as is sometimes done in social science research) and the theological authority structure of these communities. The Amish and Old Order Mennonites do not have a structured system of theological education, although more modern Mennonites do maintain a seminary and professional clergy. We also dip a bit into views of soteriology and other theological beliefs.

We finish the interview with a discussion of how the Amish relate to the non-Amish communities around them. We answer Adam Gurri’s question on how the Amish have diversified their economies over the past several decades, with a lower percentage of Amish engaged in farming relative to other enterprises. Nonetheless, Don points out that the recent trend of consumers favoring “locally grown” produce has also provided a boon to these Old Order Anabaptists. We also review the 2006 Nickel Mines School shooting and how the Amish reacted with forgiveness, rather than vengeance. This allows Tony to ask Don a closing question about what he has learned from his study of the Amish throughout his career. Rocky Barkington, the official Golden Retriever mascot of Research on Religion, makes several guest appearances on this episode. Recorded: May 2, 2014.

Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies.

The Amish, by Donald Kraybill, Karen Johnson-Weiner, and Steven Nolt.

Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy, by Donald Kraybill, Steven Nolt, and David Weaver-Zercher.

The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World, by Donald Kraybill, Steven Nolt, and David Weaver-Zercher.

Horse-and-Buggy Mennonites: Hoofbeats of Humility in a Postmodern World, by Donald Kraybill and James Hurd.

Concise Encyclopedia of Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Brethren, by Donald Kraybill.

See a full list of Prof. Kraybill’s books and other writings at his biographical link above.

RELATED PODCASTS

David Smith on Episodic Religious Persecutions.

Mike McBride on the Economics of Religious Leadership.

Mike McBride on Religious Free-Riding and the Mormons.

Ron Mock on Pacifism, War, and Terrorism.

Rob Sorensen on Martin Luther’s Life

tonygill — Sun, 09 Jul 2017 08:00:21 +0000

As this year marks the quincentennial of the Protestant Reformation, we take a closer look at the life of Martin Luther, the Augustinian monk who got the ball rolling. Rob Sorensen, a high school instructor at The Bear Creek School and PhD candidate at Faulkner University, joins us to talk about Luther, the man, based off his own book Martin Luther and the German Reformation, a superb summary of the “accidental reformer’s” life from Anthem Press. Our conversation begins, as usual, with a little background of the guest himself discovering how he became interested in Martin Luther and ended up writing a book on this historical figure. We then plunge into Luther’s life going back to his parents’ background. While Luther himself claimed he grew up within a peasant family, his father was a manager of mines and his mother came from a family that had a number of professionals within it, making Martin more middle class (for the time) than the typical image of a feudal agrarian serf. We chat about why Luther wanted to emphasize this point in his background, and Rob notes that this most likely due to Martin’s desire to show that he was not granted anything by birth, but earned his place. The discussion turns to Luther’s strict father and educational upbringing, and how he was put on a professional track to become a lawyer but was diverted to the life of a religious monk in his early 20s. Rob tells the story of how Martin promised God that he would go into a religious profession if He saved him from a lightning storm, the event that turn him to the Augustinians. We examine Luther’s intellectual and spiritual life, covering his training in nominalism as well as his obsession with trying to prove himself worthy within God’s eyes. Again, Rob regales us with a vivid story of a Luther who would be consistently confessing his sins, no matter how minor, to the point where one of his mentors — Johan von Staupitz — finally told him to go out and commit a real sin before taking confession again. We follow Martin’s intellectual journey through the Augustinians, to Wittenberg University, his “table talk” with students, and then into the throes of the indulgence controversy which he provokes. Rob explains the nature of the controversy and why the Castle Church of Wittenberg was chosen as compared to the local parish church. We briefly chat about Luther’s last two decades including a rather interesting story of how he came to be married, a story that reveals Luther was a rescuer of reluctant nuns and a matchmaker. The interview finishes with Rob’s thoughts on what he learned through the process of studying Luther and foreshadows what is to come with his dissertation on Christopher Dawson’s reflections on the Protestant Reformation. Recorded: June 30, 2017.

RELATED LINKS

Rob Sorensen’s bio (and haircut story) at The Bear Creek School.

Martin Luther and the German Reformation, by Rob Sorensen.

The Table Talk of Martin Luther, edited by Thomas Kepler (mentioned in podcast).

Faulkner University (where Mr. Sorensen is completing his PhD dissertation).

RELATED PODCASTS

Steven Pfaff on the World of 1517 (Protestant Reformation Series)

Marion Goldman on Martin Luther & Spiritual Virtuosity (Protestant Reformation Series)

Steven Pfaff on the Protestant Reformation

Oliver Crisp on Calvin and Reformed Theology

Rod Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part II

Jason Jewell on Why Christians Should Read the “Great Books”

Jason Jewell on John Locke and Religious Toleration

Steven Pfaff on the World of 1517

tonygill — Sun, 04 Jun 2017 08:00:26 +0000

Martin Luther’s theological challenge to the Catholic Church that began with an inauspicious posting of 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral set off a major schismatic movement within Christianity that still reverberates to this day. And yet, there were many “reformers” who had come before Luther that didn’t have the same impact as he did in the early decades of the 16th century. Dr. Steven Pfaff, professor of sociology at the University of Washington, joins us for the second installment in our Protestant Reformation Series to review what European society looked like in the century leading up to the events of 1517. Prof. Pfaff discusses the state-of-the-art social science research on the economic, political, and social changes that were washing over the continent in the late medieval period. We begin first with the political and economic trends of the 15th century. Europe remained largely an agrarian society, but new advances in mining and incipient manufacturing were giving rise to new independent cities and the rise of a new middle class based upon the success of craft guilds and expanding trade routes. Princes were becoming more powerful in certain areas, more universities were being created, and literacy was beginning to spread. While all of these changes look small by today’s standards, they were reshaping the landscape upon which religious change would play out. Prof. Pfaff details a number of developments within the institutional Catholic Church that, to many, looked venal. We cover the expanding trade and monetization of indulgences, the commercialization of pilgrimages, the expanding veneration of saints, and the practice of simony (i.e., the sale of religious offices). Both Steve and Tony note that many of these institutional innovations were part and parcel of the need for a large hierarchical organization to fund and hold itself together in a Europe that was increasingly fragmented during the early and middle medieval period. Social Scientists must be careful in looking back at history with 21st century norms and values, and instead place oneself within the often difficult situations faced by clergy and bishops in centuries gone by. Prof. Pfaff then examines how this variety of social change allowed a particular moment to become a movement. He reminds us that structural conditions alone do not a revolution make, and that many statistical analyses of such factors overlook the relational nature (e.g., interpersonal networks) of social movements. Luther had at his disposal not only the printing press, but a cadre of dedicated students who were motivated to press for reform and schism. Steve also shares his interesting and updated findings about how the Hanseatic League — a dense network of trading partners in central and western Europe — helped to provide a conduit for Reform ideas. Finally, Prof. Pfaff shares what he thinks is the biggest lesson from this historical era, one that still resonates strongly today. Recorded: May 10, 2017.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Steven Pfaff’s bio at the Dept. of Sociology, University of Washington.

The Spiritual Virtuoso: Personal Faith and Social Transformation, by Marion Goldman and Steven Pfaff (pre-orders available).

Exit-Voice Dynamics and the Collapse of East Germany: The Crisis of Leninism and the Revolution of 1989, by Steven Pfaff.

The Institute for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Society (Chapman University) – graduate student workshop opportunities.

Sacred Trust: The Medieval Church as an Economic Firm, by Robert Ekelund, et al. (mentioned in podcast).

Brand Luther, by Andrew Pettegree (mentioned in podcast).

The 95 Theses, by Martin Luther (mentioned in podcast).

Sermon on Indulgences and Grace, by Martin Luther (mentioned in podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Marion Goldman on Martin Luther & Spiritual Virtuosity (Protestant Reformation Series)

Steven Pfaff on the Protestant Reformation (one of our very first recorded episodes!)

Steven Pfaff on Denominationalism, Sin, and Other Stuff.

Oliver Crisp on Calvin and Reformed Theology.

Rod Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part II.

Russell Kleckley on Religion, Science, and Kepler.

Gary Richardson on Religion & Craft Guilds in the Middle Ages.

Marion Goldman on Martin Luther and Spiritual Virtuosity

tonygill — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 08:00:06 +0000

What made Martin Luther such a critical figure in Christian (and world) history? Prof. Marion Goldman, a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Oregon and scholar-in-residence at Portland State University, explains that Luther was a unique “spiritual virtuoso.” Reviewing her book The Spiritual Virtuoso (co-authored with Steven Pfaff), she defines a “spiritual virtuoso” as an individual who is intensely focused on sanctification, a reluctant leaders, and yet someone who still inspires others within a social movement. Building upon the thought of Max Weber, but differentiating this concept from that famous sociologist, Mimi argues that the concept of “virtuoso” and “virtuoso activism” is different than charisma. The virtuosi tend to be more humble in their personality and instead of building a movement centered around them are more concerned about sharing the process of transformation with others. We turn to a synopsis of Martin Luther’s life using this conceptual framework as a guide. Luther came from a relatively privileged family but became obsessed with the concept of sin and purification early in his life, joining an Augustinian monastery and involving himself in tortuous rituals of repentance. Coming under the mentorship of Johann von Staupitz, Luther’s life takes a more academic turn and he begins a career as a theology professor at Wittenberg University, a lesser known school out in the “Siberia” of The Academy. Protected and sponsored by Prince Frederick III (Elector of Saxony), Luther’s teaching and scholarship flourished. Mimi and I discuss how virtuosos often inhabit a “fringe” space just outside the mainstream of intellectual or artistic life, different from the prevailing zeitgeist but still accepted within the normal flow of society. We follow Luther’s career through his conflict with the Catholic Church and to the Diet of Worms and beyond, examining how Luther struggled to inspire and lead a movement he unexpectedly created. Some of this struggle came through trying to balance the creative destruction of spiritual virtuosity and the need for orderly societal institutions. Prof. Goldman also lists a number of historical conditions that allowed this “virtuoso activism” to succeed, including economic growth, increasing social and geographic mobility, and the printing press. We then discuss how two other movements — the Abolitionist Movement and computer revolution — were inspired by similar virtuosi including Sarah Grimke, Theodore Weld, and Steve Jobs. A great deal is revealed about Jobs’ own connection to the Human Potential Movement, a spiritual revival making its way around California and Oregon in the 1960s and ’70s. Mimi ends the interview with some of her personal reflections on what she has learned through the process of studying Luther and other virtuosi. Recorded: April 25, 2017.

Please note that during the podcast Tony refers to the forthcoming book as Spiritual Virtuosity. The actual title appearing for pre-order is The Spiritual Virtuoso.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Marion Goldman’s bio at the Department of Sociology, University of Oregon.

The Spiritual Virtuoso: Seeking Sanctification, Remaking the World, by Marion Goldman and Steven Pfaff (pre-order copies available).

The American Soul Rush: Esalen and the Rise of Spiritual Privilege, by Marion Goldman.

Passionate Journeys: Why Successful Women Joined a Cult, by Marion Goldman.

Gold Diggers and Silver Miners: Prostitution and Social Life on the Comstock Lode, by Marion Goldman.

RELATED PODCASTS

Steve Pfaff on the Protestant Reformation.

Oliver Crisp on Calvin and Reformed Theology.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part II.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part III.

Russell Kleckley on Religion, Science, and Johannes Kepler.