We begin with how Dr. Levin fell into the world of religion & health and his more specific interest in what is going on in the world of Judaism.  He relates a rather fortuitous story of seeing an advertisement for a panel on Judiasm and healing at Hebrew Union College.  Although he had been writing on religion and health for awhile, this event prompted him to begin exploring what had been happening in the Jewish community with respect to health.  This journey took him back into the Torah and Midrash, taking notes on anything he saw written about health, as well as an examination of the contemporary Jewish scene.

We then cover a variety of topics that bridge the link Judaism and health starting with bioethics.  Jeff connects this to historical interpretations (the “responsa” literature) of Jewish law (halakhah).  Tony observes that we seem to be on the cusp of a new set of bioethical debates that were unimaginable just a few decades ago including genetic engineering.  Jeff then talks about how the rabbinical community is addressing these issues within the tradition of Jewish law.  A brief detour is taken to address the Jewish response to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which was not surprisingly varied within the Jewish community.  Another aspect of Jewish health we examine is the growing institutionalization of pastoral care, including Jewish hospices and the creating of organizations designed to aging-related issues given that the US Jewish demographic is aging faster than most other demographics.  Tony wonders if this specific emphasis on building formal institutions is related to the “new diaspora” to suburbs and how this might threaten Jewish solidarity.  Jeff responds to this query and it leads us to an interesting discussion of the Jewish community in Waco where we learn that Jews were instrumental in the settlement of central Texas.  We finish off with Jeff’s empirical work on Judiaism and health, noting how active observance in the Jewish faith actually has positive health outcomes (i.e, a protective factor) for individuals.  Recorded: December 12, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Jeff Levin’s bio at Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion.

Judaism & Health: A Handbook of Practical, Professional, and Scholarly Resources, edited by Jeff Levin.

Divine Love: Perspectives from the World’s Religious Traditions, edited by Jeff Levin and Stephen Post.

National Center for Jewish Healing.

RELATED PODCASTS

Jeff Levin on Religion & Health.

Rodney Stark on How Religion Benefits Everyone, Even Atheists.

Proeschold-Bell and Adams on Clergy Mental Health.

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).

RELATED PODCASTS

Matthew Moore on Buddhism and Political Theory.

Nancy Ellen Abrams on Spirituality & Science.

Stephen Barr on Quantum Physics, Religion, & the God Particle.

Rob Moll on Religion and the Brain.

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/featured/matthew-moore-on-buddhism-meditating-machines-the-robopocalypse/feed 2 http://www.researchonreligion.org/religion-politics/frank-selden-on-the-military-suicide-and-faith http://www.researchonreligion.org/religion-politics/frank-selden-on-the-military-suicide-and-faith#comments Sun, 21 May 2017 08:00:09 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=5029 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.

RELATED PODCASTS

Ron Hassner on Religion on the Battlefield.

Ron Hassner on Religion in the Military.

Robert Kinnune on Military Chaplains.

“On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty, to God and my country….”  And so begins the Oath of the Boy Scouts of America, an organization now over a century old and the largest youth organization in America.  It is also an organization with a global reach.  To what extent are the ideals of the Boy Scouts upheld by their members, particularly into their adult years?  Prof. Sung Joon Jang, research professor of criminology at Baylor University and a faculty fellow at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, joins us to discuss the most extensive sociological study of the Boy Scouts to date.  Commissioned by the Boy Scouts and funded by the John Templeton Foundation, Prof. Jang along with his colleagues Byron Johnson and Young-Il Kim surveyed over 2,500 adults to see whether belonging to the Boy Scouts had any affect on their adult behavior and character.  Their particular focus was to see whether or not becoming an Eagle Scout, the BSA’s highest award, resulted in prosocial behavior in adulthood.  After discussing what it takes to become and Eagle Scout, and the methodology involved in the study, Prof. Jang discusses the results of his survey in a variety of categories including exercise & recreation, social capital, environmental stewardship, community service, goal orientation, and leadership.  The study largely confirms that becoming an Eagle Scout leads to very positive outcomes later in life.  Nonetheless, there are some surprising results along the way, including interesting comparisons with Boy Scouts who never made the rank of Eagle.  Throughout the interview, Tony reflects upon his time in the Boy Scouts.  While never achieving Eagle, Tony did work at a BSA summer camp and was active in Order of the Arrow, the BSA’s honor society.  After our discussion with Prof. Jang, Tony visits with an old friend he knew back in his Scouting days, Gene Sjoberg.  Gene provides colorful detail about his Eagle experience and how it has affected his life, shares a few laughs with Tony, and leaves us with perhaps the most powerful and inspiring moment in this podcast’s history.  Wise advice from an outstanding citizen.  Recorded: May 3, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Sung Joon Jang’s bio at Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion.

Eagle Scouts: Merit Beyond the Badge, by Sung Joon Jang, Byron Johnson, and Young-Il Kim.

Camp Long Lake, BSA (the camp Tony and Gene worked at located in Dundee, WI).

Philmont Scout Ranch.

RELATED PODCASTS

Byron Johnson on Religion & Delinquency.

Rod Stark on How Religion Benefits Everybody (Including Atheists) .

RELATED LINKS

Dr. Rae Jean Proeschold-Bell’s bio at the Duke Global Health Institute (DGHI).

Dr. Chris Adam’s bio at Azusa Pacific University (link undergoing redesign).

Duke Divinity School’s Clergy Health Initiative.

Clergy Health Initiative Summary Report (2014).

“Study Finds Unique Positive Mental Health Factors for Clergy,” DGHI news release.

“The Glory of God Is a Human Being Fully Alive: Predictors of Positive versus Negative Mental Health Among Clergy,” be Proeschold-Bell et al., in Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion (possible paywall or requires institutional affiliation).

RELATED LINKS

Alexander Ross on Religion and Happiness.

Gregory Popcak on Religion, Psychology, and the Seven Longings.

Rob Moll on Religion and the Brain.

Bradley Wright on SoulPulse.

Justin Barrett on the Naturalness of Religious Belief.

]]> http://www.researchonreligion.org/church-organization/proeschold-bell-and-adams-on-clergy-mental-health/feed 0 http://www.researchonreligion.org/church-organization/phillip-sinitiere-on-the-osteens-lakewood-church http://www.researchonreligion.org/church-organization/phillip-sinitiere-on-the-osteens-lakewood-church#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2016 09:00:04 +0000 http://www.researchonreligion.org/?p=4316 Join us on Facebook and/or Twitter for regular updates on upcoming guests.

Since 2000, Pastor Joel Osteen seemingly has become an overnight success on the national evangelical scene.  But his rise in popularity, along with that of Lakewood Church, has a deeper history dating back to the ministry of his father, John Osteen.  Prof. Phillp L. Sinitiere — an associate professor of history at the College of Biblical Studies (Houston) and a visiting assistant professor at Sam Houston State University — talks about his new book Salvation with a Smile: Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, & American Christianity.

As is par for the course, we explore how our guest came to be interested in the topic he studies.  Prof. Sinitiere grew up in Houston, which he calls the “buckle of the Bible Belt,” and attended small churches in a mixed-ethnicity neighborhood.  Having known about Lakewood Church growing up, he found it to be an interesting topic given his fascination with the history of American Christianity and considering how it dovetailed with his interests in African-American Christianity.  His experience studying Lakewood dates back about a decade, and Phillip tells the story of his first visit to the mega-church and how he was immediately approached to sing in the choir.  He talks of himself as a “shade tree sociologist” using both archival research and ethnographic fieldwork to paint a vivid picture of the Osteen family and the Lakewood community.

Our conversation turns historically to the story of John Osteen, the founder of Lakewood Church, and his unique personal journey to the pastorate.  We learn about John Osteen’s childhood growing up during the Great Depression, his evangelical conversion to Christ as a teen, and his Southern Baptist charismatic roots.  After attending John Brown University, he then followed his spiritual development through the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary and spent some time in California during the 1940s before returning to Houston.  Phillip notes that the elder Osteen was associated with some of the early attempts at “televangelism” in the 1950s when TV was becoming all the rage.  Following a divorce in 1955, another marriage brings him a daughter who has medical problems at a young age but who eventually grew in health.  This event had a significant impact on John and he becomes more drawn to the neo-Pentecostal movement bubbling up at the time and develops an interest in divine healing, which plays an important role in his theological development, eventually influencing his son Joel.  Prof. Sinitiere then details the institutional founding and growth of Lakewood Church.  Interestingly, shortly after Lakewood’s founding in 1959, John heads down to Mexico to do missionary work but returns home in the late 1960s.  This gap in the senior Osteen’s ministry proves critical for Lakewood’s eventual multi-racial appeal as John did not get drawn into the divisiveness of the Civil Rights Movement in the South during the 1960s.

We follow Lakewood Church’s history through the 1970s and into the ’80s when Joel enters the picture and begins working in the television aspect of his father’s ministry in the early 1980s.  By this time, Lakewood could be considered a mega-church by scholarly standards (more than 2,000 members) and Joel is learning how to manage such a large congregation as it grows extensively during this time.  We also talk a bit about the transition of the pastorate to Joel in 1999.  Shortly after taking the helm, Joel moves Lakewood from northeast Houston and to Greenway Plaza and the Compaq Center, giving the church new visibility along a major highway.  Combined with the use of social media and an expanding televangelism ministry, Lakewood witnesses unprecedented growth making it the largest congregation in America.

Our discussion then picks up on theological themes and Prof. Sinitiere explains the “prosperity gospel” that Joel Osteen (and his father before him) were known for.  Phillip traces the roots back to 19th century “New Thought” and the neo-Pentecostal movement of the 20th century.  While there is much emphasis on material advancement within prosperity gospel thinking, Phillip points out that a major part of John Osteen’s theology also revolved around divine healing, which was influenced both by his daughter’s recovery from muscular disease and his second wife’s overcoming cancer.  We then examine the development of Joel’s theological perspective and the influences that Joyce Meyer and John Maxwell played.  Joel’s thinking emerges in the first few years of his taking the helm at Lakewood, and in addition to the material aspects of his theology that his critics are quick to point out, Prof. Sinitiere notes that there is a great deal of emphasis on healthy living, psychological wholeness, and positive thinking, which was an influence from his father.  The picture that is painted by Phillip is more nuanced than of Osteen’s critics.  While not an apologist for the prosperity gospel, Prof. Sinitiere puts it into a much broader context based upon his own research of the topic.

We finish our discussion with an examination of how Lakewood’s congregants have taken to this prosperity gospel message, and what impact the Osteens have had on American Christianity.  Phillip notes that many individuals who attend Lakewood see it as a means of finding a “second chance” in life, and that several of these individuals eventually go in search of deeper Christianity elsewhere.  Amongst these individuals, there is an image of Lakewood being a “seasonal Christianity” from whence they move into other phases of their spiritual development.  Phillip also points out that Lakewood’s congregation is multi-racial although the leadership has tended to be Caucasian, but notes that there have been efforts to address this in recent years. As for Lakewood’s impact, Phillip explains how the Osteens have “re-enchanted” American televangelism and how the message of predictability in unstable times seems to resonate during times of economic turmoil.  He also observes that many of Osteen’s Calvinist critics indicates the broader influence Osteen is having on the discussion of Christianity in America.  Recorded: Jan. 21, 2016.

RELATED LINKS

Phillip Sinitiere’s bio at the College of Biblical Studies.

Phillip Sinitiere’s personal website.

Salvation with a Smile: Joel Osteen, Lakewood Church, and American Christianity, by Phillip Sinitiere.

Holy Mavericks: Evangelical Innovators and the Spiritual Marketplace, by Shayne Lee and Phillip Sinitiere.

Christians and the Color Line: Religion & Race after Divided by Faith, by Russell Hawkins and Phillip Sinitiere.

Blessed: A History of the American Prosperity Gospel, by Kate Bowler (mentioned on the podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Dave Travis on Megachurch Myths.

Marc von der Ruhr on Megachurch Recruitment and Retention.

Gordon Melton on Mega-Trends in American Religion.

Matt Sutton on Aimee Semple McPherson.

Darin Mather on Evangelicals and Racial Attitudes.

Our conversation begins with a discussion of the West Dallas neighborhood and the various social problems it has faced over the decades.  We then discuss the Serve, West Dallas program that consists of integrating the efforts of a variety of faith-based organizations that are sponsored by local and outlying suburban churches.  William provides us with the history of this effort, tracing it back to Arrvel Wilson who grew up in the neighborhood, left it for his military service, but was called back by God to help improve the community.  Mr. Wubbenhorst highlights a number of component parts to this program, including Service Optimizing Academic Reach (SOAR), Mercy Street Mentoring, Advocates for Community Transformation (ACT), and Brother Bill’s Helping Hand Clinic.  He discusses some of the specific efforts undertaken by each of these individual organizations, including the importance of cupcakes (which immediately catches the attention of Tony).

We then spend some time talking about the collaborative efforts of Serve, which seeks to coordinate the activities of each of these organizations so that the causes and symptoms of poverty are addressed in a more holistic manner.  We discuss the funding of the program and whether there have been any tensions between the different faith-based organizations in vying for financial resources and territory.  Overall, William notes that the program has been successful in helping different organizations realize what other activities are going on in the community.

We then talk about William’s business and how he had a vision of providing evaluative services to faith-based organizations to help them determine whether the resources they were expending were working.  He chronicles his education and idea for creating the company, and the methodological tool that they use — the Expected Value Return on Investment model.  We discuss some of the methodological difficulties in measuring outcomes for many of these programs, including ones that have goals such as improving emotional and social learning.  He notes that his company works with these organizations to determine their definition of success and attempts to build the best metrics possible.

The final portion of our interview is spent examining the success of the different component parts of Serve.  The ACT program was the easiest to measure as crime statistics and property values were easily determined.  They found that this program, which aims to clean up abandoned houses and remove drug dens, had a huge impact, returning $5.79 to the community for each dollar spent.  Brother Bill’s Helping Hand Clinic, which is targeted and health education and preventive care as well as monitoring diabetes, also had a very favorable return at $6.64 to $1 ratio.  We finish with William’s thoughts on the nature of this new collaborative model in the world of faith-based organizations and the importance of continual evaluation to see if resources are being used wisely.  Recorded: February 11, 2015.

RELATED LINKS

William Wubbenhorst’s bio at Social Capital Valuations, LLC.

Community Transformation in West Dallas: Developing and Measuring Collective Impact Initiatives, by Byron Johnson, William Wubbenhorst, and Sung Joon Jang.  (A downloadable copy of that report is available at that link.)

Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion.

RELATED PODCASTS

Torrey Olsen on Faith-Based Humanitarianism and World Vision.

John Rees on International Development and Faith-Based Organizations.

Jay Hein on the Faith-Based and Community Initiative.

Byron Johnson on Religion & Delinquency.

Byron Johnson on More God, Less Crime.

Sung Joon Jang on the Boy Scouts of America.

David Wills on Religious Charity and Taxes.

Dan Hungerman on Religious Charity and Crowding Out.

Rob’s journey of discovery on the path of neuroscience began when he was writing his previous book, The Art of Dying.  He notes that he became interested in the topic of death when writing about the Terry Schiavo case for Christianity Today.  His curiosity took him to, of all places, a position answering phones and serving as an usher at a funeral home.  We discuss what that experience was like and how it prompted him to think about the connections between the spirit and the body.  One his main observations that he took from that job was how people who treated the physical body as something reverent (and not just a shell) tended to work through the grieving process in a healthier manner.  Along the way, Rob provides us with some personal details about his own background, being raised by some “Jesus freaks” who drifted from the faith but eventually came back to, in all places, a California church that was founded by Chinese.

We then dive in the world of the brain.  Rob admits to not being a brain surgeon and finding the task of examining neuroscience as being somewhat daunting, but he found it fascinating with the help of a number of scientists who made the research task very accessible. He reveals the three big things he learned from all of this brain research.  First, spirituality is hardwired in us.  And this is not just a matter of being epileptic, as some earlier research suggested.  Second, our conscious mind are not in control of our body as much as we tend to think.  Much of what we work out in our behavior lies in the subconscious.  And third, we are actually connected to people in ways that are reflected in the brain.

After getting through all the biology, we then turn to the connection between faith and our bodies.  We start at the individual level with the power of prayer.  When talking about prayer, Rob is not merely talking about the quick recitation of grace that we might say around the dinner table.  Instead, prayer gets us into the world of deep meditation.  Noting how research shows significant changes in the brain after about 12 minutes of intense reflection, Rob discusses how he has been developing a habit of praying for fifteen minutes after putting his kids to bed.  He details how research has shown that such a process actually had long-term effects in the part of the brain that deal with compassion.  There are also some fascinating studies that indicate such meditation affects how we orient our body in space — not the “out of body” experience that some people report, but rather how we develop feelings of “oneness” with God.

We then scale things up a bit by looking at communal activity.  Here we discuss how religion is a social activity, recalling a quote from John Wesley an itinerant Methodist preacher.  And it is social activity that is not just being in a very large group, but having more personal and intimate connections with small groups of people.  It is here we note that the success of megachurches is not that they pack in big crowds, but that the break people down into “small groups” that reinforce spirituality and community.  Group activity has a variety of effects on our brain, including effects that get at our subconscious.  Rob notes that scientists have discovered “mirror neurons” that prompt us to adapt to the behavior and emotions of those around us.  Managers who tend to walk around their offices and visit staff tend to be more effective in motivating a positive workplace than those folks who do things over email.  This translates to our religious life as well, as the spiritual experiences of others also reinforce our own religious feelings.  The social connection is also reinforced by physical contact, which also appears to affect our brain.  We discuss this in the context of orphanages and “cuddle parties.”

The interview finishes up with Rob’s reflections on what he has learned through this process of study.  He is very impressed by the actual biological “power of prayer” and how much we are truly limited in our cognitive ability, but that religious faith helps bolster a healthier and more whole person.  Recorded: October 3, 2014.

RELATED LINKS

Rob Moll’s personal web page.

What Your Body Knows about God: How We Are Designed to Connect, Serve, and Thrive, by Rob Moll.

The Art of Dying: Living Fully in the Life to Come, by Rob Moll.

RELATED PODCASTS

Justin Barrett on the Naturalness of Religious Belief.

Jeff Levin on Religion & Health.

Jeff Levin on Judaism & Health.

Robert Barr on Quantum Physics, Religion, and the God Particle.

Bradley Wright on Soul Pulse.

Rodney Stark on How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists.

Our conversation begins with a discussion of World Vision, a Christian-based humanitarian relief organization with 45,000-50,000, several hundred thousand volunteers, and an annual budget of roughly $2 billion.  Torrey reviews the history of this entity, its general mission, and discusses a number of different projects that they have engaged in over the years.  He notes that while a faith-based organization rooted in Christianity, it is not a proselytizing ministry and has signed on to the Red Cross Code of Conduct.  Moreover, while employing nearly every stripe of Christian, World Vision operates ecumenically both hiring members of other faith traditions (e.g., Muslims, Hindus) and reaching out to these different confessions as a way to build communities and solve social problems at the grassroots level.  Mr. Olsen provides details of a recent project they are undertaking designed to bring Christian pastors and Islamic clerics together to disseminate information about the Ebola epidemic that is affecting western Africa.  He also covers a number of other humanitarian projects and along the way Tony learns what Plumpy’Nuts are.

Our discussion of World Vision also includes some reflections on how there has been a massive sea change in the world of humanitarian aid efforts.  Compared to the not so distant past, secular non-government organizations, governments, and local communities are embracing the efforts of faith-based organizations to help solve various socio-economic problems.  While there is much talk about “new social movements,” these “old social movements” (i.e., religious congregations) are ready-made for rapid collective action and have very useful information about local conditions and how aid efforts can be managed in that context.  Moreover, these religious groups also happen to be highly trusted among local populations, which facilitates efforts to bring both short-term and long-term assistance to communities in need.  We also discuss the general strategy of World Vision, which includes “rapid response teams” to drop in emergency supplies and long-term development projects such as encouraging local gardening as a means of battling malnutrition.  Torrey lays out his job with the organization, noting three specific tasks that he is responsible for: 1) training and supporting staff; 2) mobilizing pre-existing churches and faith-based organizations; and 3) supporting child sponsorship programs.  (Mr. Olsen and his wife have “walked the walk” by adopting a child and guiding him through a successful college and professional career.)

We then turn to Torrey’s personal history, and what a story it is!  We learn that although being raised as a pastor’s son, Torrey had his “prodigal period” only to return to his faith with a strong interest in economic development.  His first experience in the field involved be caught in the middle of a civil war in Chad and hiding under a bed while hundreds of villagers were killed around him, and then escaping to an French airplane.  This wasn’t the only harrowing experience he has had, as later in his aid career he was abducted at gunpoint.  He describes his thoughts and emotions during this very tense time, a fascinating look into how difficult it can be working in some of the world’s “hot spots.”  Nonetheless, he also recounts the numerous success stories he has been part of, including a project that had citizens growing their own food in small gardens in West Africa and an ecumenical effort between Muslims and Christians to help educate people about AIDS.  Torrey also mentions the role a movie — “The Imam and the Pastor” — played in alleviating conflict in local regions of Ghana that had the effect of local residents resisting an affront by Boko Haram.  He describes the most rewarding aspects of development work as being long-term projects that flourish and being able to let local individuals, using their own knowledge of their conditions, make choices that best suit their environment.

We finish the interview with his response to critiques that organizations such as World Vision are engaging in cultural imperialism or “ricebowl Christianity.”  He notes the acceptance that his efforts have among local populations he has worked with and wishes that more media attention would be paid to the good works that people are doing rather than the conflict.  The podcast ends on an upbeat and optimistic note about the future direction of the world and the role that religious individuals play in it.  Recorded: October 3, 2014.

RELATED LINKS

Torrey Olsen’s bio at World Vision.

Plumpy’Nuts.

The Imam and the Pastor film.

RELATED PODCASTS

Allison Pond on Being a Mormon Missionary.

Doug Johnson on Missionizing Romania.

Darren Slade on Missionizing North Korea.

Robert Woodberry on Protestant Missionaries and Democracy.

Charles North on Religion, Economic Development, and the Rule of Law.

Religious Freedom and Political Flourishing: A Panel Discussion.

Religious Freedom and Economic Prosperity: A Panel Discussion.

Can the federal government require a private employer to provide a service or product to employees that violates the private owner’s freedom of conscience?  This is the subject that is up for debate in an upcoming US Supreme Court case pitting Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties against the Health and Human Services contraception mandate that is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  Prof. Matthew Franck, director of the William E. and Carld G. Simon Center on Religion and the Constitution at the Witherspoon Institute, provides us with the background to this case, the historical precedents that may influence how it is decided, and his review of what each side will be arguing in late March.

We begin with a review of how this court case percolated up to the Supreme Court, as well as a brief discussion who the primary plaintiffs — Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties — are and what issues are at stake.  This discussion covers a bit of the history of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the HHS mandate that came out in the fall of 2011.  The primary issue being contested concerns whether or not a business owner can be required to provide certain types of contraception, most notably abortifascients, that those owners consider to be in direct violation of their religious conscience.  Tony asks a variety of questions regarding the nature of the litigants including why they were chosen amongst a number of other potential companies that were also suing, and whether or not the fact that both of these companies are privately held has any impact on their legal standing.  Matt fills in all the details and notes how the case might have been different had this been the CEO of a publicly-held and traded corporation bringing suit.  He also points out that under consideration is whether or not a corporation — in this case one that is privately held — can have the same rights of conscience that an individual possesses under the US Constitution’s First Amendment.

We next consider the historical case law that may (or may not) inform the thinking of the Supreme Court justices.  We take a quick tour of religious liberty cases over the past half century beginning with Sherbert v Verner and ending, most recently, with Hossana-Tabor, a case that Matt has discussed in greater detail on this show before (see link below).  It is during this discussion that Prof. Franck brings up a judicial concept that Tony was unaware of — exemption-based jurisprudence.  This style of jurisprudence allows for laws to be made and then exemptions appealed for based upon some special characteristic of an individual or group.  Matt feels that this is not the best legal structure for a country to have, something that he has written about and will be available in a few weeks (see link below).

Following our historical discussion, Matt then lays out what he believes will be the arguments made on both sides of this case.  A coin flip determined that he would start with the plaintiff’s side of things and he then brings up the defendant’s rebuttal to each of those points.  Many of these arguments were hinted at throughout our earlier discussion, but the last 15 minutes of the interview provide a nice summary of what will probably be heard in oral arguments in late March of 2014 (assuming the snow in DC will melt by then).  At the end of the conversation, Prof. Franck lays out what he thinks will be the implications for religious liberty should the government win the case and should Hobby Lobby and Conestoga win.  Recorded: February 14, 2014.

RELATED LINKS

Matthew Franck’s bio at the Witherspoon Institute.

“When Government Does Theology,” by Matthew Franck (at the Canon & Culture blog).

“Escaping the Excemptions Ghetto,” by Matthew Franck (at First Things … available in March 2014).

Against the Imperical Judiciary: The Supreme Court against the Sovereignty of the People, by Matthew Franck.

RELATED PODCASTS

Matthew Franck on Hosanna-Tabor and Ministerial Exemptions.

David Cortman on Religious Liberty Updates.

Phillip Muñoz on Catholic Bishops, Religious Liberty, and Health Care Mandates.

Jeremy Lott on Episcopalians, Ex-Athiests, Health Care, and German Circumcision.