Research On Religion » Amish

David Smith on Episodic Religious Persecutions (Encore Presentation)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

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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.

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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.

Mark David Hall on Religious Accommodations and the Common Good

tonygill — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 08:00:19 +0000

The issue of special exemptions to laws based upon a person’s religious views has been a hot topic in the news lately (e.g., Hobby Lobby, Little Sisters of the Poor, and Arlene’s Flowers). Prof. Mark David Hall, the Herbert Hoover Distinguished Professor of Politics at George Fox University and a senior research fellow at Baylor’s ISR, reviews the history of such religious accommodations to federal and state statutes. As an expert witness in the State of Washington vs. Arlene’s Flowers case, he began to study the depth and scope of exemptions to various laws based upon one’s conscience and published this as a separate paper entitled “Religious Accommodations and the Common Good” (Heritage Foundation’s Backgrounder). He explains the term “common good” and how it relates to religious accommodations, asserting that when we have “Americans at their best,” our nation is sensitive to the sincerely-held religious beliefs of religious majorities and minorities alike. Historically, America has grown more religiously free over time, leading to greater religious diversity. As federal and state government power has expanded, especially in the 20th century, the need for more religious accommodations has also grown, often in new areas. We step back in history to look at some of the policy areas where such accommodations have been made, including military service, the swearing of government oaths, mandatory school attendance, and vaccinations. Quakers, often (though not exclusively) known for their pacifism, have been at the forefront of many of these struggles for accommodations, and Mark reveals how various compromises were made to satisfy the “common good” and the specific religious interest. He notes that exemptions from combat service did not necessarily exempt one from military (or civil) service altogether, as many Quakers and other conscientious objectors were asked to take non-combatant roles (e.g., medics). Other religious groups such as the Amish, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Adventists have received similar accommodations on various statutes and the number of religious accommodations granted numbers over 2000 as of the mid-1990s. We briefly discuss whether and how such accommodations could be abused by individuals seeking to avoid various laws including military service and vaccinations, and whether this has been a major problem (which it appears not to be). Prof. Hall finishes with some observations on the contemporary legal landscape and where he thinks legislation and jurisprudence may be heading in the near future. Recorded: June 27, 2016.

“Religious Accommodations and the Common Good,” by Mark David Hall in The Heritage Foundation’s Backgrounder.

Faith and the Founders of the American Republic, edited by Daniel L. Dreisbach and Mark David Hall.

Roger Sherman and the Creation of the American Republic, by Mark David Hall.

America’s Forgotten Founders, by Gary L. Gregg and Mark David Hall.

The Sacred Rights of Conscience, edited by Daniel L. Dreisbach and Mark David Hall.

See Prof. Hall’s bio (above) for additional books.

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Should Christians Have Fought in the U.S. War of Independence? (Discover Prof. Hall’s answer.)

Mark David Hall on Religious Minorities in the American Founding.

Mark David Hall on Roger Sherman, Puritan Patriot.

Mark David Hall on Religion and the Founding Fathers.

John Inazu on the Four Freedoms, Religious Liberty, and Assembly.

Rajdeep Singh on American Sikhs and Religious Liberty.

Jonathan den Hartog on Patriotism and Piety.

Michael McConnell on Church Property Disputes.

Francis Beckwith on Taking Rites Seriously.

Matthew Franck on Hosanna-Tabor and Ministerial Exemptions.

Matthew Franck on Hobby Lobby and Religious Freedom Jurisprudence.

David Cortman on Religious Freedom Updates.

Larry Iannaccone on Sacrifice, Stigma, and the Economics of Religion

tonygill — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 08:00:33 +0000

Why do ultra-orthodox Jews wear such strange garb? Why do two-year mission trips and prohibitions on alcohol enhance the organizational strength of the Latter Day Saints? We answer these questions and many more with Prof. Larry Iannaccone, an economist at Chapman University and the founder of the Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Culture.

Our interview begins with a gushing review of Larry’s work by Tony, who considers Prof. Iannaccone as an instrumental influence in his own work. We talk about whether (and how) economics can be used to understand religious behavior. Larry recounts the difficulty he had in getting other academics to take the economics of religion seriously, how he built this perspective up into a community that includes hundreds of scholars, and then Tony reminisces about his first encounter with this eclectic economist.

We then turn to the main question at hand, which is to examine why some of the most demanding religious faiths tend to have the most committed members and also tend to grow faster than religions that “cost less.” This puzzle has been one that has vexed the minds of sociologists of religion for decades, including the great Dean Kelley in his book Why Conservative Religions are Growing. We contextualize this puzzle in terms of a simple economic framework. One would naturally expect that if an organization imposes high costs on its members, fewer people would be interested in joining (as per ye olde economic textbook rule — the more you charge for something the less you get of it). Tony also notes that in his classes he asks students to design what they would consider to be a successful religion and the majority of responses tend to be “laid back, low cost” type faiths. But then Larry runs through a list of the more strict denominations — e.g., Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, ultra-orthodox Jews — and we see that these are some of the most vibrant religious communities out there. He also reviews some of the evidence for the strength of these “high cost” religions, including regular attendance, financial contributions (as percentage of member income), extracurricular participation in church groups, and intensity of friendship networks.

The next segment of the interview focuses on why requiring seemingly irrational sacrifices and stigmatizing behavior helps build group strength. This is set into the context of collective action theory, a major topic of research in the social sciences. There are two principal reasons why high-cost religions are successful. First, high-cost sacrifices screen out free-riders — i.e., people who want the benefit of the group without having to contribute much to the provision of it. Larry notes that religious congregations have certain features that categorize them as “club goods,” wherein the quality of the good or service provided is dependent upon how many individuals contribute whole-heartedly to the provision of the good. We talk about churches where all members sing with passion tend to be more enjoyable than churches where people merely mumble their way through the hymns. A high-cost sacrifice, or a stigmatizing behavior that might ostracize an individual in the broader culture, gets the “mumblers” (free-riders) to reconsider whether they want to join or not. Those who do join have self-selected into a pool of individuals who will be fervent in their participation.

The second reason for the success of strict religions is that the members who do enter (or remain in) the congregation do participate fervently to the congregation and the overall benefits obtained are much higher than the costs of the sacrifice or stigma. In other words, people who do pay the high costs of strict sects find out that they got a good bargain. Larry and Tony provide their own illustrations of how this works.

We finish the interview with a brief discussion of how this theory can apply to other groups ranging from prison gangs to environmental groups. Larry also details an experiment he conducted with Jason Aimone, Michael Makowsky, and Jared Rubin that provided further evidence in support of this theory. While his previous work on this topic back in the 1990s was based upon a number of empirical sources, including survey research, this new experiment (based upon the voluntary contribution method game) shows how the theory still stands under a completely different lens of scrutiny. Tony notes how this research represents a major contribution to political economy and should net Larry a Nobel Prize. (Yeah, he is that excited about it.) Larry then ends with a short discussion of where the boundaries of the economics of religion need to be pushed. Recorded: September 8, 2014.

Association for the Study of Religion, Economics, and Culture.

Note: Prof. Iannaccone’s publications are generally in academic journals that are behind paywalls, but can be accessed with educational accounts. The following are a list of the ones we talked about and readers are encouraged to visit them at their leisure:

“Endogenous Group Formation via Unproductive Costs,” Review of Economic Studies (2013) 80, 1215-36. With Aimone, Makowsky, and Rubin. (This is the article with the experimental game.)

“Sacrifice and Stigma: Reducing Free-Riding in Cults, Communes, and Other Collectives, “Journal of Political Economy (1992) 100, 271-91.

“Why Strict Churches Are Strong,” American Journal of Sociology (1994) 99, 1180-1211.

“The Market for Martyrs,” Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion. (2006) 2. (Online journal free with registration.)

“Religious Extremism: The Good, the Bad, the Deadly” Public Choice (2006) 128, 109-29. With Berman.

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Michael McBride on the Economics of Religious Leadership.

Colleen Haight on the Oracle of Delphi.

Jared Rubin on Christian and Islamic Economic History.

Timur Kuran on Islamic Economics.

Donald Kraybill on the Amish and Old Order Mennonites.

Robert Nelson on Environmentalism as Religion.

Russ Roberts & Anthony Gill on Religion and Religious Liberty.

Donald Kraybill on The Amish and Old Order Mennonites

tonygill — Sun, 18 May 2014 08:00:29 +0000

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.

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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.

David Smith on Episodic Religious Persecutions

tonygill — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 09:00:38 +0000

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United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney.

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Anthony Gill on the Political Origins of Religious Liberty.

Michael McBride on Religious Free-Riding and Mormons.

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Mike McBride on the Economics of Religious Leadership

tonygill — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 08:00:24 +0000

Why is religious leadership important? What function does religious leadership play? And what is with all those public rituals? We explore these questions with Prof. Mike McBride — associate professor of economics at UC-Irvine — who recently turned his scholarly attention to understanding the economic logic of authority and leadership. Be forewarned, though, this is not your typical “Ten Habits of Effective Leadership” type discussion. Instead, Prof. McBride trains the analytical tools of game theory and microeconomics to show how leadership is essential in coordinating social behavior.

We begin our discussion with a brief summary of what “economics” really is. While most folks think it is all about “money” or “international trade,” Mike points out that economics is really the study of choice under scarcity or, alternatively, the study of how humans make trade-offs. Given that we all face scarcity — be it in resources or time — the application of economics to the study of religion is perfectly natural. Clergy members, as well as the laity, have to make decisions about how to use their time to further a variety of goals. With that said, Mike points out that few (if any) economists of religion have paid attention to the important role leadership plays in guiding the resource decisions of an organization.

Our discussion of leadership begins with a basic definition of authority, which is the socially-recognized right to direct/coordinate action. Leadership is the personification of that authority. We then examine a critical function of leadership, which is to coordinate the actions and expectations of followers (congregants) so as to achieve some goal. We discuss the economic concept of a “coordination game” and Mike presents it in a manner that everybody (or at least Tony) can understand, which is to compare the functions of a religious leader to a coach on a football team. Without an agreed-upon focal point for decision-making — i.e., a leader, coach, pastor — chaos would reign regarding what actions should be undertaken. We also discuss another type of game — the prisoners’ dilemma — wherein individuals know what needs to be done but have an individual incentive not to participate. We all know that the sanctuary needs to be cleaned after services, but if everybody leaves that chore to somebody else, then the sanctuary never gets cleaned. Once again, leaders are central in crafting shared expectations about who needs to do what in order to get that room cleaned!

Prof. McBride then touches upon three different mechanisms by which leaders help coordinate group activity — promoting other-regarding behavior; screeing out free-riders; and creating shared expectations via repeated behavioral patterns. The first function includes selecting and propagating a set of norms and values that allow individuals to know what behavior is expeted of them relative to the group. The second function, one that has been studied extenstively by economists of religion, revolves around the selection of certain “sacrifices” or “stigmas” that weed out “free-riders” from the group. We talk about how proscriptions on certain behaviors (drinking) or prescriptions for wearing certain clothes (e.g., Amish dress) reduces the likelihood of individuals joining the religious group merely for the benefits of membership while avoiding any cost (e.g., tithing, volunteering). Finally, we look at the importance of repeated interactions with other people, a process that helps turn a “prisoners’ dilemma” game into an easier-solved coordination game. Here leaders are important fulcrums for facilitating these interactions.

Prof. McBride’s analysis leads to three interesting implications that are discussed in relation to various religious denominations including Catholics, the Amish and Latter Day Saints (Mormons). First, we discover the underlying importance of ritualistic behavior, particularly when it comes to selecting leadership. Rituals represent more than just rote memorization or action, but rather provide a public venue for individuals to reassure one another that they know who is in charge. Second, Mike divorces the notion that leadership is always linked to hierarchy. While titular heads of hierarchical organization (e.g., the pope) are important, authoritative leadership frequently emerges among the grassroots of an organization. Mike offers up the Mormon church as an example of an entity that does have a hierarchical structure of leadership at the top of the organization, but that also provides numerous ways for leadership to emerge at the local (congregational) level. Finally, we talk about how the deterioration of national religious leadership may be promoting secularization in society. While previous economists of religion have argued that religious competition begets a vibrant spiritual life within a society, Mike also argues that it leads to pluralism which may have the effect of eroding the coordinating power of religious leadership. We close with some of Mike’s thoughts on how his findings help us understand the issue of leadership writ large. Recorded: July 22, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. McBride’s website at UC-Irvine.

The Religious Marketplace, a blog by Mike McBride.

Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge, by Michael Chwe (as mentioned in the podcast.)

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Michael McBride on Religious Free-Riding and the Mormon Church.

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

tonygill — Mon, 07 May 2012 08:00:11 +0000

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently released a document on religious liberty that criticized a new regulatory provision in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (a.k.a., Obamacare) requiring employers to provide insurance coverage for contraceptions, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs. Prof. Phillip Muñoz, the Tocqueville Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Notre Dame and an associate professor in the Notre Dame Law School, helps us wade through this controversy by explaining the bishops’ argument and how it relates to religious liberty. After briefly outlining the controversy, we take up the initial issue of religious liberty with Phillip discussing what it means to have a right to religious liberty and then outlining the Catholic position on religious freedom. We use the realm of educational policy to help frame the general theoretical and political issue, specifically pointing to the Wisconsin v Yoder Supreme Court case that challenged whether Amish citizens could exempt their children from mandatory schooling laws based on religious grounds. Cases of parents refusing to have their children vaccinated for theological reasons is also discussed, and we note the tension between trying to balance the public interest with the right to individual conscience. Following this general discussion, we return to the recent health care mandate, discussing the politics behind the new regulations and the Catholic bishops’ reaction. Prof. Muñoz notes how the Catholic Church’s response was not to ask for particular exemptions from these regulations for their institutions (including dioceses, hospitals, and universities), but rather to oppose the mandate on a more general ground. It is noted that it is not just Church-owned institutions that are affected, but these regulations can have an impact on secular business owners who may be Catholic and/or simply opposed to paying for the contraception and abortions of their employees. The reaction of the Obama administration, including the testimony of HHS Director Kathleen Sebelius, is considered. Phillip notes how the issue of religious freedom, or the desire to opt out of these policies on grounds of moral conscience, never really occured to the people drafting and implementing the regulations. Tony then asks Phillip about a tension he has noticed within Catholic social thought, between a tendency among bishops and other Church leaders to prefer a larger government-run welfare system and the Catholic principle of subsidiarity. That latter principle states that social problems should be handled at the lowest level possible, a philosophy akin to notions of federalism and a more laissez-faire political philosophy. We speculate about how this issue may affect the upcoming presidential election, and Tony asks Phillip how much sway the opinion and pronouncement of bishops has over Catholic voters. We finish our discussion by noting that the letter drafted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also contained concerns over violations of religious freedom in other areas of public policy, including the immigration issue. Here, the bishops appear to stand with the Obama administration in opposing recent laws in Alabama and elsewhere that make it difficult for the Catholic Church to minister to undocumented immigrants. We end the podcast with Phillip reading the prayer that the bishops used to close their pastoral letter, a salient reminder of how the secular and the sacred cross paths in the public square and the importance that freedom represents to a religious society. Recorded: May 2, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Phillip Muñoz’s biography and website at Notre Dame.

God and the Founders: Madison, Washington, and Jefferson, by Vincent Phillip Muñoz.

“Catholic Bishops Take on Obama,” by Vincent Phillip Muñoz in The Weekly Standard.

“Our First, Most Cherished Liberty: A Statement on Religious Liberty,” by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty.

Wisconsin v Yoder Supreme Court Case (mentioned in podcast).

HHS Director Kathleen Sebelius testimony on contraception mandate and religious liberty, mentioned in the podcast (from GetReligion).

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Eli Berman on Religious Terrorism

tonygill — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 08:00:09 +0000

Prof. Eli Berman, professor of economics at UC-San Diego and Research Director of International Security Studies at the University of California’s Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, discusses his new book Radical, Religious, and Violent: The New Economics of Terrorism (MIT Press). Contrary to popular notions that suicide bombers are pyschologically-distressed or economically-disadvantagted individuals, Prof. Berman discusses how radical religious groups are rational in their selection of tactics. Using Laurence Iannaccone’s theory of strict religious clubs, Berman argues that radical religious groups excel at providing social services to their members, while simultaneously filtering out “free riders.” Here we discuss the case of ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel as well as the Amish. We then discuss how successful insurgency operations require that groups limit membership defection, since a defector could easily compromise the secrecy of an entire organization. Adherence to strict religious requirements (e.g., intensive religious training, dietary restrictions, distinct clothing) provides behavioral signals about the loyalty of an individual to a group, making radical religious sects an ideal recruiting ground for rebels. We do not discuss the particular grievances of various terrorist organizations; rather the discussion focuses on the organizational aspects of terrorism and insurgency. Recorded: August 3, 2010.

RELATED LINKS

Eli Berman’s website at UCSD (includes various working papers).

Radical, Religious, and Violent: The New Economics of Terrorism by Eli Berman (Amazon.com)

Radical, Religious, and Violent website (with reviews and teaching material).

Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation.