Research On Religion » Religion & Psychology

Bradley Wright on the Science of Sinning

tonygill — Sun, 13 Aug 2017 08:00:24 +0000

Proverbs 25:28 states, “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” The lack of self-control is often a pathway into religious sin. To discover what self-control is and what promotes self-control (or the lack thereof), we invited Prof. Bradley Wright (University of Connecticut, Sociology) to discuss his latest research that appeared as a lead article in Christianity Today (April 2017). To be honest, we’re not talking about sinning per se, but rather about self-control. Prof. Wright provides a definition of self-control, we cite a few Bible verses to give the topic some credibility for a podcast on religion, and then dive into the factors that enhance or detract from self-control. Definitionally, self-control represents the ability to align our short-term desires with our long-term goals, whatever those may be. As such, the exercise of self-control is often context specific. Brad points out all the personal and social benefits that the exercise of self-control can bring about, but Tony challenges this assertion by pointing out that Keith Moon of The Who was one of the greatest rock drummers ever. Brad counters by saying that self-control need not be practiced in all areas of life and that rock stars, no matter how out-of-control with booze and drugs still maintain some levels of self-control in other realms such as practicing and showing up for concerts. We then survey some of the earlier research done by Brad’s colleague Roy Baumeister (Florida State) and the interesting experiment he did with undergraduate students, cookies, and radishes. We learn that there are two types of self-control: trait and state. The former represents one’s underlying personality and tends to be fixed in the long-term. State self-control on the other hand varies throughout the days and weeks. We learn that self-control tends to be strongest in the morning and wanes on specific days, most notably Tuesday and Wednesday. Self-control is also determined by habit (automated self-control) and effort (controlled self-control). It is noted that conscious effort to exert self-control often leads to “ego depletion,” or the exhaustion of the ability to be in control. Habit formation, on the other hand, allows an individual to maintain a steady path of control over time with little effort. Prof Wright then reviews what the SoulPulse project is, noting that data collection ended after a 3 1/2 year effort back in April. Using data mined from thousands of users over the course of days and weeks, Brad and his team were able to determine that there were two major factors that influenced state-based self-control. These were the quality of sleep one had the night before, with better sleep yielding more self control, and the proximity of interpersonal conflict. Having experienced an argument or other conflict with someone recently reduced one’s self-control. Both of these factors had very strong effects on one’s willpower, stronger than Brad had anticipated. He also noted that individuals who are highly religious (self-reported) tended to exhibit greater amounts of self-control overall, representing “trait self-control.” Tony asks whether those who prayed frequently were able to enhance their self-control given that personal meditation is thought to reduce the tensions associated with interpersonal conflict. Brad admitted to not examining that variable, but said he would get right on it. (We will follow up to see if he does.) The interview concludes with Prof. Wright discussing how his own personal life has been affected by his studies of self-control and a TedX Talk by BJ Fogg about how little habits can help change your life. He “brags” about his one burpee a morning regiment and how that helped him to routinize exercise and build up to a more vigorous program. He also finishes off with some hints at new research to come. Recorded: August 1, 2017.

Prof. Bradley Wright’s personal website.

“The Science of Sinning Less,” by Bradley Wright with David Carreon in Christianity Today.

SoulPulse website.

Upside: Surprising Good News about the State of the World, by Bradley Wright.

Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites … and Other Lies You’ve Been Told, by Bradley Wright.

“Forget Big Change, Start with a Tiny Habit,” a TedX Talk by BJ Fogg (mentioned in podcast).

Prof. Roy Baumeister’s bio at Florida State University.

Prof. David Carreon’s bio at his personal website.

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Bradley Wright on SoulPulse.

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Matthew Moore on Buddhism, Meditating Machines, & the Robopocalypse

tonygill — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 08:00:05 +0000

Can robots meditate? What are the benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence (AI), whole brain emulation (WBE), and other forms of “near-future technologies” (NFTs)? Should humans proceed towards “The Singularity”? And what enlightenment can Buddhism shed on these questions? In one of our most interesting and futuristic interviews ever on this podcast, Prof. Matthew Moore, an associate professor of political science at Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, returns our program and answers these provocative questions. It sounds like science fiction, but it is quickly becoming science fact, and Prof. Moore makes a strong case that philosophy and theology needs to be part of the conversation regarding technological advancement.

We begin the conversation with a review of “near-future technologies,” which may be near in the future, but then again they may not. Such technologies include self-replicating nanobots that can cure disease, “strong AI” (defined by having self-awareness as compared to Roombas), and WBE wherein human individuals upload their consciousness into a machine (as represented by Ray Kurzweil’s “singularity”). We review the benefits of such technology, including the ability to cure diseases, expand our knowledge, and perhaps preserve our species in the cosmos. Of course, there are downsides as well, and Tony starts to recall his time watching dystopian science fiction movies in the 1970s. The less-than-attractive elements of NFTs include our loss of control over these machines — what Prof. Moore refers to as the Robopocalypse — as well as issues of unemployment and inequality, as these technologies are likely to have disparate benefits for some humans but not others.

We turn then to what Buddhism can do to shed light on how we understand and manage NFTs, beginning with the probing question of whether robots can meditate (with the example of Robo-Tony used to illustrate). This discussion takes us down the path of what it means to be aware, as well as how we come to understand and deal with suffering. Prof. Moore talks about Nick Bostrom’s work on the topic and reveals an important deontological ethic that makes AI very different from us humans — whereas humans cannot reprogram their moral consciousness, robots can. Matt then asks three important questions from a Buddhist perspective as related to NFTs: 1) Why are we developing them?; 2) Can Buddhism help clarify what is at stake with these technologies?; and 3) What kind of relationship will we have with NFTs? The first question prompts a discussion of how Buddhist deal with suffering. Whereas most philosophies argue that one must either accept suffering or try to change the world in which it occurs, Buddhism provides a third option wherein one changes one’s mind as to the role of suffering. We talk about how NFTs can reduce certain types of suffering — such as diseases that have potential cures — but there other forms of suffering offer more difficult possibilities, such as “can we suffer by not knowing something that is knowable”? This helps inform the answers to the other questions that are posed. Fearing the downsides of a Robopocalypse, can humans be willing to endure the suffering of not realizing the upsides of NFTs left undeveloped? Matt covers a number of policy responses to NFTs that all of this thought provides: 1) We embrace NFTs and hope everything works out; 2) We emphasize the good aspects of NFTs and try to avoid the bad; or 3) We do not develop them even though they are within the realm of our technological possibility. Prof. Moore leaves off with some of his thoughts as to what he thinks we should do. Recorded: May 19, 2017.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Matthew Moore’s bio at the Department of Political Science at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Buddhism and Political Theory, by Prof. Matthew Moore.

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies, by Nick Bostrom (mentioned in podcast).

Isaac Asimov’s Laws of Robotics (mentioned in podcast).

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Frank Selden on the Military, Suicide, and Faith

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

In a very personal and fascinating interview, we are joined by Frank Selden, an estate & retirement attorney and former member of the Washington State Army National Guard, who talks about his career in the military, his two tours of duty in Iraq, his struggles with suicide, and how his religious faith worked through all of this. We begin with Mr. Selden’s personal history beginning with his time growing up on a dairy farm. He then leads us on a tour of his time studying to be a pastor with the Seventh Day Adventists, his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Washington, and what motivated him to join the National Guard. It is then we take up the more extensive topic of his two tours of duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom and how his perspective on that conflict changed over time. Frank also explains what motivated him to write his first book, Finding Faith in the Fury, a collection of emails and thoughts he had written down during his first tour of Iraq. We discuss how his religion was lived out during that conflict, including organizing a prayer service for soldiers after the base’s chaplain was killed by an IED while out on a mission. In contrast to the aphorism that “there are no atheists in foxholes,” he found that many of his fellow soldiers did begin to have significant doubts about their faith based upon what they experienced during this war. The conversation then turns to how his second tour overseas left him very disillusioned about the US purpose there, as well as how he began to see changes within his own faith with organized religion becoming less important. This discussion of changes he experienced during and after the second tour of duty then leads us to the topic of suicide and the motivations for Frank’s second book, The Suicide Solution. Frank talks openly about the struggles he had with injuries and depression, as well as how this cost him a marriage and many friendships. He walks us through several of his suicide attempts and what happened on the last attempt, in a cemetery, that led him away from this path and towards a renewed life. The stories here are deeply personal, fascinating, and honest. Beyond the personal stories, Mr. Selden’s recent book on suicide led him down a research path to look at how religious organizations and movements dealt with suicide and the mentally ill throughout history. He talks about a number of reform movements such as the Quakers, Dorothy Dix, and John Harvey Kellogg, as well as what occurred with changes to federal policy in the 1980s. We finish with Frank’s thoughts on the role of spirituality in all of this. Recorded: May 4, 2017.

RELATED LINKS

Frank Selden Law, PS and a brief bio.

Finding Faith in the Fury: One Soldier’s Faith Challenging Journey Through Operation Iraqi Freedom, by Frank Selden.

The Suicide Solution: Understanding and Dealing with Suicide from Inside the Mind of Someone Who’s Been There, by Frank Selden.

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Ron Hassner on Religion on the Battlefield.

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Chris Bader on the Paranormal

tonygill — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 08:00:20 +0000

To download this episode, right click on the “download” button and select “save as …”. Also, please join us over at Twitter and Facebook for regular updates on guests.

Who believes in the ghosts, UFOs, and Bigfoot? And why? This has been the topic of investigation of Prof. Christopher Bader, a professor of sociology at Chapman University, for over two decades. As Chris was one of our very first guests on this podcast, we invite him back to discuss the second edition of his book Paranormal America, co-written with Joseph Baker and Carson Mencken. Few scholarly books receive such an honor as to be published in a second edition, but the popularity of this work combined with a great deal of new data and fieldwork made the decision easy for NYU Press. Prof. Bader notes that nearly 75% of the content of this work is new and updated material. Our discussion begins with one of Chris’s new tales — an account of a haunted classroom in Smith Hall on the campus of Chapman University. Chris found it exciting to be at the “ground floor” of this “making of a ghostly legend,” and he details how the professor involved and his students investigated the strange footsteps that several people heard. After another tale of a night spent at a haunted coffee house, Chris explains what falls under the scope of “paranormal” and provides some of the basic demographics for who is most likely to be attracted to beliefs in different phenomenon. He emphasizes the point that his work is about how such beliefs affect the behavior of individuals holding these ideas, and that he is not out to prove whether such things as ghosts or UFOs exist. We also discuss how beliefs in the paranormal relate to both religion and science, with Chris noting that paranormal beliefs fall between those two realms and are “doubly damned.” Getting into the sociology of religion, Chris explains how religious organizations that are fairly strict will often see the paranormal as a main competitor to their faith tradition and spend a great deal of time denouncing such beliefs, whereas individuals who do not have strong attachments to strict religious traditions will often dabble in a portfolio of beliefs. We further explore the reasons why many individuals are drawn to the paranormal, with Chris laying out two major reasons — a search for meaning in one’s life and/or a thrill of being in on a discovery of something new. He peppers the discussion with examples of each, including his visit to various psychic fairs and a conversation with a women who claims to be abducted by extraterrestrials. Over conversation also covers the extent to which such paranormal beliefs can find an organizational representation and what the future holds for such beliefs, particularly in an era when the religiously non-affiliated (or “nones”) appears to be increasing. We finish off with a brief discussion on Chris’s new research on fear in society and what he has learned over the course of his two decades investigating these topics. Recorded: October 3, 2016.

Paranormal America (2nd Edition), by Christopher Bader, Joseph O. Baker and F. Carson Menken.

America’s Four Gods, by Paul Froese and Christopher Bader.

The Association of Religion Data Archives (The ARDA).

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Paul Froese on the Meaning of Life

tonygill — Sun, 25 Sep 2016 08:00:07 +0000

Have you ever stopped to think about what your purpose in life is? Or do you wonder if life has any meaning? Prof. Paul Froese, professor of sociology at Baylor University and resident scholar at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, has thought about these questions, but more importantly he has thought about how other people think about this question. Prof. Froese takes us on a journey beginning with how he started to think about thinking about the purpose in life, which also engages us in a conversation about the book design and how to write in an accessible voice. Paul notes that while this is not a “self-help” book per se, it is designed to get people to be more reflective on how the think about their purpose. We talk a bit about some basic definitions including “meaning” and “purpose,” which also is placed against their antitheses of “meaninglessness” and “nihilism,” and some of the demographics of “meaningfulness” are revealed. References to Russian literature and punk rock bands are scattered throughout this discussion. The bulk of the interview walks us through several key questions that Prof. Froese set out to answer including: Does having purpose make you happy?; Who lacks purpose?; Is purpose within you or is it socially given?; What is the relation to purpose and T(t)ruth (both capital and lowercase “t”)?; And how does time, both our own personal aging and the cultural tempos of larger society, affect how our thoughts on purpose can change? Tony reflects upon some of his life events and growing up in different cultural eras, which Paul notes seem to be changing ever more rapidly nowadays. We finish with Paul’s reflections on what he learned over the process of his academic career dating back to his undergraduate days studying Russian literature and history, and how all of his experiences along the way have filtered into this book. Recorded: September 16, 2016.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Paul Froese’s bio at Baylor’s ISR and Baylor’s Department of Sociology.

On Purpose: How We Create the Meaning of Life, by Paul Froese.

America’s Four Gods: What We Say about God and What that Says about Us, by Paul Froese and Christopher Bader.

The Plot to Kill God: Findings from the Soviet Experiment in Secularization, by Paul Froese.

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Michael Boone’s Spiritual 40 Day Road Trip

tonygill — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 08:00:16 +0000

Imagine you go into atrial fibrillation and the doctors tell you that they will be back in a few minutes to “put the paddles on you” after the anesthesia takes effect. It will likely be okay, but something might go wrong. What goes through your mind during those two or three minutes? For Michael Boone, founder of MWBoone & Associates (now Boone Wealth Advisors, LLC), he started thinking “motorcycle road trip through the Western United States,” of course! Fortunately for our podcast, Michael came through the paddles just fine and after a few years of getting around to it, he took off into the “wilderness” for 40 days on a spiritual journey. He recounts the motivations for, experiences of, and lessons from this journey. We start with some discussion about his spiritual and professional background, and what it is like to be a devout Christian in the rough-and-tumble world of financial consulting. Adam Smith makes an appearance in our chat, as does Matthew (the guy from the New Testament). Michael then talks about his “moment of insight” lying on the hospital gurney and how this helped him to reshuffle his priorities. Mike explains why forty days was chosen for the trip, noting its religious significance in both the Old and New Testaments. And then it is off down the driveway on his motorcycle. He notes that he gave himself permission to fail — notably come back home at any time — but he never did turn around for the duration of the trip. He started with no reservations (literally … no hotel reservations) and just went where the spirit (Spirit) took him, taking life as it came to him. We meet a couple of characters, including Maria who he ended up helping out of the wilderness, and one of his friends to was undergoing a heart transplant as Mike’s trip came to a close. This odyssey was literally and figuratively a journey of the heart. Our discussion also entails an epiphany Tony has about how barstools are arranged. Certain themes of the trip are discussed, including the importance of “letting go,” discomfort, freedom, and (perhaps most importantly) Sabbath. Mike notes that Sabbath is not just about relaxing, but is really about “stopping,” which can be uncomfortable. We discuss some of the lessons other folks might pull from Mike’s experiences and he gives us some indication of what the future holds after learning new lessons. Recorded: August 16, 2016.

RELATED LINKS

Michael Boone’s bio at MWBoone & Associates, LLC (Boone Wealth Advisors, LLC).

On the Road, by Jack Kerouac (mentioned in podcast).

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Jamie Aten on Religion and Disasters

tonygill — Sun, 14 Aug 2016 08:00:03 +0000

When disaster strikes your community, who ya gonna call? Churches and other religious organizations, that’s who! As an integral part of civil society, religious congregations are often the best positioned to be first responders in an emergency, and to be the organizations that can offer long-term recovery assistance long after other emergency responders have moved on. Prof. Jamie Aten, the Rech Associate Professor of Psychology at Wheaton College, discusses his experience with natural and man-made disasters and what churches can do to assist in such emergencies. We begin with Jamie’s own incredible story of how he came upon this topic, moving to southern Mississippi in the late summer of 2005, mere days before Hurricane Katrina made landfall. His experience with that storm, and his ability to cull together his research team to study how congregations responded to that event, led him to focus on how religious groups play a role in disaster planning and recovery. Prof. Aten emphasizes that disaster assistance isn’t merely about tangible resources such as water bottles and blankets, but involves a network of relationships. He draws upon a variety of examples from his research and personal experience to show how churches need to understand their own ministerial strengths, and play to those in developing an emergency response plan. For example, congregations that devote a great deal of attention to elderly care would best be situated to help with senior citizens during a crisis. He also talks about the importance of developing a disaster response plan and involving members of the congregation who have relevant skills; laying all the planning and coordination on the shoulders of a pastor is not necessarily a good way to go about this task. Jamie raises the example of a “chainsaw ministry” that helped with tree clearing and construction-related issues following one storm. He further talks about experiences in other parts of the world including Japan, where there is not a strong Christian culture, and the Philippines, where asking poor communities to plan for disasters is not a realistic option (as storing food amongst a starving population is not the best use of resources). Throughout our discussion, Prof. Aten mentions the role of resilience and fortitude, and connects this to how churches — as members of a community — are often best situated to provide these needed emotional and spiritual resources. Moreover, unlike government agencies or non-governmental organizations that often must leave an affected area by a certain date, local religious groups can continue to provide community support over the long-term, including the celebration of anniversaries that are important for people to cope with traumatic events. We finish with Jamie’s personal reflection on his cancer diagnosis and what he has learned over the course of his academic career. Recorded: August 1, 2016.

The Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton.

Disaster Ministry Handbook, by Jamie Aten and David Boan.

Spirituality and the Therapeutic Process, by Jamie Aten and Mark Leach.

Spiritually Oriented Interventions for Counseling and Psychotherapy, by Jamie Aten and Mark McMinn.

Culture and the Therapeutic Process, by Mark Leach and Jamie Aten.

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Eleanor Power on Rituals, Community, and Signaling

tonygill — Sun, 24 Jul 2016 08:00:08 +0000

Walking across hot coals. Piercing your cheeks with sharp skewers. Pulling your skin with sharp hooks. What would possess individuals to do such things? And are they crazy?! Dr. Eleanor (Elly) Power, a postdoctoral fellow at the Santa Fe Institute, explains what would motivate people to engage in such “odd rituals” and the fascinating and extensive ethnographic study she conducted for several years in two small villages in India. Our conversation begins with explaining the concept of “ritual,” which Dr. Power defines as a symbolic, repeated, and public activity. While acknowledging the presence of private rituals, Elly focusses attention on the public aspect of rituals as the public displays make “odd behaviors” (e.g., firewalking) as it seems to be counter to what many people would consider “rational” behavior. We review some previous explanations for such “extreme” ritualistic actions such as people are simply irrational or are deluded by ancient beliefs. Elly notes that many of these explanations that rely upon “timeless” traditions are not quite true given that some of these practices are relatively new. Dr. Power then turns to an explanation that relies upon the idea of signaling behavior amidst uncertainty, noting that many different academic fields began studying the importance of signaling around the same time. Relying on insights from anthropology, economics, and sociology, Elly argues that many of these public rituals that involve costly behavior help members of a society identify which individuals are the most trustworthy and likely to be cooperative. Such signals are important in coordinating behavior and building community relations. Dr. Power describes the nature of her two years of fieldwork, including intensive surveys and mapping out the various network connections between individuals. She finds that those who are involved in these public rituals are often at the center of important social networks. Interestingly, individuals who are “spiritually possessed” tend not to be as connected. We discuss what “possession” means and how it can range from a few short minutes of shaking at a church service or more intense behaviors in private. The conversation concludes with some of Elly’s reflections on what she has learned, and what has surprised her, over the course of her studies. She notes that people around the world are often the same despite different cultures and we all tend to worry about our reputations. Recorded: June 16, 2016.

Institute for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Society at Chapman University (info on graduate student colloquia).

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Michael Rota on Pascal’s Wager

tonygill — Sun, 12 Jun 2016 08:00:14 +0000

Is it a “good bet” to believe in God and Christianity? In the 17th century, this was a question examined by mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal. To give us modern insights into Pascal’s Wager, we invite Prof. Michael Rota, a philosopher at St. Thomas University, to examine Pascal’s life, the nature of his famous “gambling” proposition, and his own personal insights into how answers to these questions have changed over time. Dr. Rota’s previous studies in mathematics and game theory provides him with a unique perspective on this fascinating theological question. We start by reviewing Blaise Pascal’s life and why he generated this wager. Tony learns that there was actually several variants of the wager that were never published and that one of them was sewn into Pascal’s coat! Mike then lays out the basics of the wager and its different variations and explains why he prefers to look at the gamble that sets the odds of Christianity of being true at 50%. We further discuss some of the issues of probability, costs, and benefits associated with the wager, eventually leading Mike into a discussion of how — even if there is not an afterlife to confer immense benefits on an individual — that living as if there were can be beneficial nonetheless. Various objections to the wager are brought up, including ones from theologians who consider such calculations to be distasteful and by Calvinists who adhere to unconditional election. Prof. Rota provides his rebuttals to each of these objections. We finish off with Mike explaining why he thinks the odds of Christianity being true are better than 50/50 and also covering some of the examples of lives well-lived by Christians under extremely difficult circumstances (e.g., Jean Vanier, Imaculeé Ilibagiza). Recorded: May 25, 2016.

Visit us on Facebook and Twitter for periodic updates of guests.

Taking Pascal’s Wager: Faith, Evidence, and the Abundant Life, by Michael Rota.

The Devlin-Hart Debate, a quick primer.

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Matthew Moore on Buddhism and Political Theory

tonygill — Sun, 29 May 2016 08:00:52 +0000

Does Buddhism have a political theory embedded in it? And if so, how does it compare with Western notion of politics and citizenship. Prof. Matthew Moore, an associate professor of political science at Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo, discusses his recent book Buddhism and Political Theory (Oxford University Press). Dr. Moore recounts how he fortuitously became interested in studying Buddhism via meditation, and how this prompted him to engage in one of the few works that explores the political philosophy contained in this Eastern religion. Matt notes that there are three key essential points that serve as the foundation for a Buddhist theory of politics: 1) there is no notion of “the self”; 2) normative beliefs provide practical guidance and not obligatory commands; and 3) politics is of limited importance in human life. We examine the first tenant, interestingly enough, in relation to the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, and then move on to explore the historical development of Buddhist thought on politics, with an eye towards how monarchs should rule properly. Matt notes that there is not a great deal of writing about politics within Buddhism. Our discussion then turns towards the issue of “limited citizenship,” a topic that many political science undergraduate students would find surprising given the emphasis Western democracies place on political engagement. Here, Prof. Moore points out four critical aspects of Buddhist thought that outline the role of average citizens in the polity: 1) politics is inevitable (and can be beneficial); 2) politics is sufficiently moral to require normative theories; 3) politics is relatively unimportant (in the grand scheme of things); and 4) politics has little power over people when it comes to the important things in life. Matt likens this philosophy to the thought of Henry David Thoreau, John Howard Yoder, and a number of Christian pacifists who argue that setting a permanent counter-example to the rough-and-tumble world of politics is the duty of the moral individual. We finish off with some thoughts on where Buddhist political thought is heading and, of all things, talk about whether or not robots would meditate. Recorded: May 13, 2016.

Buddhism and Political Theory, by Matthew Moore.

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