Research On Religion » C.S. Lewis

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

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

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

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

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

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

LOGOS: A Journal of Catholic Thought and Culture.

The Catholic Controversy, by St. Francis De Sales.

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

The Idea of a University, by John Henry Newman.

Orthodoxy, by G.K. Chesterton.

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

Martin Luther Insult Generator (mentioned in podcast).

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

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Brian O’Neel on Saint Who? Some Holy Unknowns.

Brian O’Neel on the Saints of January.

Brian O’Neel on the Saints of February.

Jim Tonkowich on Converting to Catholicism.

Corey Olsen on J.R.R. Tolkien.

Louis Markos on the Poetry of Heaven and Hell.

Micah Watson on C.S. Lewis.

Anne Rathbone Bradley on Christianity and Capitalism

tonygill — Sun, 10 Sep 2017 08:00:16 +0000

Does capitalism get a bad rap? Was Jesus and his followers socialists? These questions and more frame our discussion this week as we invite Dr. Anne Rathbone Bradley onto the show to discuss her latest co-edited volume Counting the Cost: Christian Perspectives on Capitalism. Dr. Bradley is the Vice President of Economic Initiatives at the Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics. We begin with an overview of this relatively new institute and what it does, and then turn to the question of what motivated an edited volume on Christianity and capitalism. This leads us to a discussion of how capitalism often gets a bad image, often viewed as synonymous with greed, materialism, and the rich taking from the poor. Anne provides a different working definition of capitalism that rests upon who makes decisions about how the means of production are used (which is a wide swathe of people), and a system of exchange through the mechanisms of profit and loss. We then take a look at the chapter written by Joy Buchanan and Nobel Laureate Vernon Smith about who benefits from capitalism and review the progress humanity has made over the past 200 years as markets have become historically more free. Anne points out that commoners can enjoy such luxuries today that would have only been reserved for a small hereditary class in the past. We move to Jonathan Pennington’s chapter on the topic of human flourishing in both the Old and New Testaments, noting that enjoying life (and the gifts of God) is an important goal here on Earth. This is contrasted to “Kantian altruism,” that tends to wallow in asceticism that often subverts enjoyment of material things. We further talk about how free markets allow us to trade with strangers and the role that trust plays in society, springboarding ourselves into the chapter written the late Michael Novak on how democratic capitalism also helps to raise human dignity. Art Lindsley’s chapter falls next on the docket. He argues that while the New Testament does not specifically call for a capitalist system, neither does it endorse the socialist alternative. The “sharing economy” described in Acts 2-5 is put into context, and Anne introduces the importance of the concept of “ownership of self.” The last portion of our interview is spent discussion one of Dr. Bradley’s specialties — inequality (of both income and wealth). We talk about “good” and “bad” inequality, how inequality is measured, and how God has gifted individuals with different talents that manifest themselves in different returns. Tony notes that this does not undermine the inherent dignity of a person, comparing Bill Gates and his bartenders equally. At this point, Anne relays a personal story about the survival of her daughter immediately after a premature birth and how much she not only benefited from a feeding tube patent introduced by Henry Turkel in the early 1950s, but all the other people that brought the all the technology together that saved a precious life. We also bring up Jesus’s Parable of the Talents that this point. Anne offers some thoughts about what Christians can and should do about inequality, specifically denouncing “cronyism” — the use of government coercion to direct social resources towards one’s personal gain. The interview ends with some of Dr. Bradley’s thoughts on what she has learned over the course of a couple decades studying economics while being a practicing question. She has enjoyed how her spiritual faith has always put her “economic way of thinking” to the test. Recorded: August 18, 2018.

Counting the Cost: Christian Perspectives on Capitalism, edited by Art Lindsley and Anne R. Bradley.

For the Least of These: A Biblical Answer to Poverty, edited by Anne R. Bradley and Art Lindsley.

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Art Carden on Christian Ethics and Economics.

Robert Sirico on Markets, Morality, Faith, and Freedom.

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Samuel Gregg on Pope Francis, Argentina, and Economics.

Maureen Fitzgerald on Irish Nuns and Welfare.

Martin Barrett on Sozo Friends and For-Profit Charity.

John Rees on International Development and Faith-Based Organizations.

Brian Grim on Religious Liberty and Business.

Louis Markos on the Poetry of Heaven & Hell (Encore Presentation)

tonygill — Sun, 23 Jul 2017 15:29:42 +0000

C.S. Lewis once noted that humans are the only species to fear their own dead. Not surprisingly, visions of the afterlife — or of heaven and hell — loom large within literature. Prof. Louis Markos, the Robert H. Ray Chair in the Humanities at Houston Baptist University, explains how these visions have changed over time, starting back with pre-Christian pagan writers such as Plato, and all the way through our contemporary period with an emphasis on C.S. Lewis. The interview also mingles in a variety of insights about how the great texts of Western Civilization are being taught today.

We begin the discussion with Dr. Markos making a case for why studying the classics is important. Tony admits that literature was never one of his favorite topics in school, and also has Lou explain to him the difference between poetry and prose. Poetry, we discover, does not necessarily mean words that rhyme, but rather a genre of writing where every word counts and there is extensive and deep use of metaphor, simile, and cadence. Lou proposes that while there is not merely one “correct reading” of poetry, there can be “wrong answers.” Tony reveals that his skepticism of literature emanated from a college course that seemingly read too much Freudian psychology into The Odyssey, which then launches Dr. Markos into a discussion of how poorly literature is often taught today.

The discussion of contemporary education in the area of literature then takes us to Dr. Markos’s book Heaven and Hell: Visions of the Afterlife in the Western Poetic Tradition. He notes that his goal is to bring Athens and Jerusalem together. Lou explains the difference between general revelation, wherein God speaks to all humans throughout history, and special revelation, wherein God specifically speaks through Jesus Christ. Christianity, he asserts, is not the only truth, but is the only complete truth. This allows him to note the importance of early pagan writers and the foundational influence they had on later writers such as Dante, Milton, and Lewis. It is at this point where Prof. Markos also explains why C.S. Lewis wrote that humans are the only species that fear the dead and what the difference is between fear of an imminent danger and fear of the unknown. It is the latter, in the form of what comes after life, that has motivated great literature throughout the ages.

The last half of our interview walks (or perhaps jogs) through nearly three millennia of literary history. Lou starts us with Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, which deals directly with Odysseus having to face death (though it is not clear in this epic work if the hero actually ventures into the afterlife or merely stands at its gates). Plato is next up, and although Plato banished the poets, Lou observes that this great Greek philosopher plants himself firmly in the poetic tradition as he tends to “lose himself” in myth after introducing a philosophic principle. Here we also see how the afterlife becomes a place of judgment, not just a destination, which in turn helps Plato to wrestle with the concept of justice. Moving to Rome we briefly pick up the work of Virgil who becomes a major influence on the likes of Dante. What is introduced here is that we are introduced into the souls of the great Romans who act out an eternal drama. It is no wonder, Lou mentions, that Dante then picks up on Virgil who Prof. Markos considers to be the climax of general revelation. Dante infuses this vision with the specific revelation of Christianity and develops the notion that hell is not just punishment for a sin, but that it is the sinner becoming sin — an explanation of what sin does to humans.

Time constraints forbid us from examining a number of other authors that Prof. Markos discusses in his work (e.g., Milton), and so we jump up to the (relatively) contemporary period and C.S. Lewis where Lou reveals that his favorite work of that author is The Great Divorce. Lou discusses how Lewis builds upon Dante and gives us a psychology of sin by using the story of the grumbling old lady on the bus from hell. He points out that “the grumbler” really is nothing more than a “grumble” herself, leaving little to save on the road to heaven. The intellectual challenge of that work is how all but one of the characters, when offered a choice of heaven and hell, choose the latter revealing how the process of sin is really the hell we face; hell is not just a single destination. We finish with an interesting observation about how evangelical Christians, who used to be very skeptical of reading non-Christian authors, are once again embracing these classics at a time when The Academy may be abandoning them. Lou offers the analogy of building a bridge between the pre-Christian and Christian eras and its important for general and special revelation. Recorded: July 6, 2015.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Louis Markos’ website over at The City Online, a website hosted by Houston Baptist University.

Lou Markos’ bio at HBU’s Department of English and Modern Languages.

Heaven & Hell: Visions of the Afterlife in the Western Poetic Tradition, by Louis Markos.

From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics, by Louis Markos.

The Eye of the Beholder: How to See the World Like a Romantic Poet, by Louis Markos.

On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue in Tolkien and Lewis, by Louis Markos.

C.S. Lewis: An Apologist for Education, by Louis Markos.

The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis (mentioned in podcast).

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John Mark Reynolds on A Christmas Carol.

Jason Jewell on Why Christians Should Read the Great Books.

Pamela Edwards on Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Corey Olsen on J.R.R. Tolkien, Religion, and the Hobbit.

Hunter Baker on the Future of Higher Education.

Does America Need a Christian Democratic Party?

tonygill — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 08:00:18 +0000

The American political landscape appears in chaos, and Christians are seemingly under assault in both the legislative arena and judicial system, or so says Hunter Baker, an associate professor of political science at Union University. Based upon these reflections, he began wondering whether the United States was in need of a Christian Democratic party to defend religious liberty and promote other Judeo-Christian values in the polity. To this end, Prof. Baker organized a symposium of scholars to write their thoughts on topic. The results were published in the Winter 2017 issue of the academic journal Perspectives on Political Science. We pick up this debate here with Prof. Baker and two additional scholars — Bryan McGraw (Wheaton College) and Micah Watson (Calvin College). Prof. Baker argues that a Christian Democratic party represents the best means of defending Christian interests in the public arena considering that lobbying attempts by religious organizations have not been entirely effective in convincing either the Democratic or Republican parties to protect religious freedoms and promote Christian values. Tony questions Hunter as to how effective such a partisan effort might be given that CD parties have not been able to hold back the tide of aggressive secularism in Europe, though Prof. Baker counters with evidence from Germany that shows how their CD party has favored traditional definitions of marriage and has been open to refugees. Prof. McGraw provides additional historical perspective in his segment of the debate, noting that CD parties were crucial in a number of European countries — most notably Belgium — during the late 1800s and early 1900s, and were also important in helping promote policies that favored religious interests such as funding for religious education. Nonetheless, Bryan points out that the political structure of the United States lends itself to a two party system wherein third parties have a hard time making any headway, and with Christianity much more diverse than in Europe, the chance for any one party to coalesce around a religiously-based platform would be very difficult. Prof. Micah Watson responds to all of this arguing that irrespective of whether a CD party could be successfully created in the U.S., it is nonetheless a bad idea because associating Jesus’s name with a variety of mundane policies that could divide citizens is not the proper use of the Christian mission. Tony asks if this even applies to potholes. Micah notes that while it may be acceptable to pray for pothole relief, building a political party around a single Christian identity would be difficult (echoing Bryan McGraw’s concerns) and bad for the long-term evangelization agenda of Christianity. Tony adds his own perspective to the debate with an intellectual appeal to public choice theory. (Those interested in reading Tony’s paper can request it via our Facebook or Twitter pages.) Prof. Watson shares some of his ideas for how Christians may engage the world politically based upon the ideas of C.S. Lewis. Recorded: March 3, 2017.

RELATED LINKS

Symposium on Christian Democracy in America in Perspective on Political Science (may require subscription or university affiliation).

Prof. Hunter Baker’s bio at Union University.

Prof. Hunter Baker’s article, “Can Christian Democracy Be America’s Next European Import?”

Prof. Bryan McGraw’s bio at Wheaton College.

Prof. Bryan McGraw’s article, “Europe’s Christian Democratic Parties and American Possibilities.”

Prof. Micah Watson’s bio at Calvin College.

Prof. Micah Watson’s article, “Another Meditation on the Third Commandment.”

Prof. Anthony Gill’s article, “Christian Democracy without Romance.”

The End of Secularism, by Hunter Baker.

Political Thought: A Student’s Guide, by Hunter Baker.

The System Has a Soul, by Hunter Baker.

Faith in Politics: Religion and Liberal Political Thought, by Bryan McGraw.

Natural Law and Evangelical Political Thought, edited by Jesse Covington, Bryan McGraw, and Micah Watson.

C.S. Lewis on Politics and the Natural Law, by Justin Dyer and Micah Watson.

The Political Origins of Religious Liberty, by Anthony Gill.

Rendering Unto Caesar: The Catholic Church and State in Latin America, by Anthony Gill.

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Should Christians Have Fought in the US War for Independence?

Hunter Baker on Secularism.

Hunter Baker on the Past and Future of the Religious Right.

Hunter Baker on the Future of Religious Higher Education.

Micah Watson on C.S. Lewis.

Francis Beckwith on Taking Rites Seriously.

David Buckley on the Demand for Clergy in Politics.

Nathanael Snow on the Evangelical Coalition and Public Choice.

J0n Shields on Democratic Virtues and the Christian Right.

Aaron Saiger on Religion and Charter Schools.

Owen Strachan on Chuck Colson

tonygill — Sun, 16 Aug 2015 08:00:06 +0000

What happens when you walk the highest hallways of power and then end up in prison for your role in one of America’s most famous political scandals? Such was the life of Chuck Colson. Owen Strachan — associate professor of Christian theology at the Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary — takes us on a journey through this fascinating individual’s life via his recently-published book, The Colson Way.

We begin the discussion with a bit of background on Owen himself, finding out what he does as the director of the Center on Gospel & Culture and how he is able to write so many books even though he is quite young. We also learn that he is answering these questions while sitting in a Toyota Highlander (which is not moving, for the record). Owen explains how he came to write about Colson, noting that as a historian he is always taking stock of who is, and who is not, being written about and finding opportunities to connect with new communities. Prof. Strachan makes a case for writing about Colson to bring this man’s life to the attention of the so-called Millennial generation, a theme that he picks up again at the end of the interview.

We then plunge into the early life of Colson, the “swamp yankee.” Owen defines this term that Colson used to describe himself as someone who grew up in New England but who does not have the elitist trappings of that region. This aspect of Colson’s life is important as we find out that he goes through much of life with a “chip on his shoulder,” even deciding to turn down admission to Harvard University in favor of Brown. Combined with his brief time in the US Marines, this “swamp yankee” mentality forms his personality in such a way that will make him an ideal candidate to eventually take on the role of prison minister. We walk through the Watergate scandal and Colson’s role as “the fixer” in the Nixon Administration, noting that Colson was a guy that was able to get things done, even if it entailed “breaking some china” along the way. Again, this is another related aspect of Colson’s demeanor that helps explain his doggedness in his Christian faith in later years. Owen spends time noting that Colson’s role in Watergate has been exaggerated in media accounts, and that he wasn’t involved much about some of the deeper scandals. Nonetheless, Colson was sentenced to three years in prison for his involvement, of which he served about seven months of the sentence.

During the period that the Watergate scandal was breaking, Colson was also experiencing a spiritual transformation. Seeing how Colson was stressed by the pressure of the White House and media attention on Watergate, Tom Phillips, CEO of Raytheon Corporation, gave Colson a copy of C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, which had a huge impact on Colson who was not much of a religious man at the time. We discuss how Colson picked up on a number of other (relatively) contemporary Christian scholars such as William Wilberforce, Frances Schaeffer, and Carl Henry. Tony asks Owen to reflect upon this pathway to Christianity, noting how it is different than the typical “going to church as a kid every Sunday” method of picking up and learning one’s faith. Owen agrees that this is a much different means of coming to Christianity, and combined with his time in prison, helps to shape Colson’s approach to missionizing. While Colson saw a role for the corner church and Sunday services, he was unsettled with this as a way of bringing the Gospel to the world. Instead, he preferred taking Christianity to the places where it typically wasn’t, which becomes the basis for the eventual creation of Prison Fellowship, not to mention a number of other entrepreneurial creations credited to Colson, including Breakpoint radio. It is clear how Colson’s hard-nosed “fixer” and “swamp yankee” personality shape his approach to Christianity, including taking ex-cons directly to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to pray for and with Congressional representatives, an approach that was shocking to some at the time.

Our conversation continues to discuss the various other endeavors that Colson undertook in his life and how each tended to reflect a “whatever I want to do” approach to missionizing that Colson adopted. At the end of the interview, Prof. Stachan reflects upon some of what he learned from exploring the life of Colson. He notes how Colson’s life tended to come “full circle” when presented with a special pin honoring his service at a White House ceremony during the George W. Bush administration. He reflects upon how it must have seemed to be given an award for service in a place that had earlier sent him to the bottom of the barrel in his own life. Colson, in essence, returns to the place of his own undoing in a triumphant manner — a quintessential American success story that is peppered with hardship and determination. Owen also discusses how he came to realize the importance of prison in the Biblical narrative, with many of the key players from Daniel and Joseph in the Old Testament to Jesus and Paul having had to spend time in such an environment. Prof. Strachan further explains how this lesson can be important to the disaffected youth of today’s Millennial generation, who seem to be experiencing a “hollow prosperity.” Recorded: August 13, 2015.

The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood.

The Colson Way: Loving Your Neighbor and Living with Faith in a Hostile World, by Owen Strachan.

Awakening of the Evangelical Mind: An Intellectual History of the Neo-Evangelical Movement, by Owen Strachan.

The Pastor as Public Theologian, by Kevin Vanhoover and Owen Strachan.

Risky Gospel: Abandon Fear and Build Something Awesome, by Owen Strachan.

Essential Evangelicalism: The Enduring Influence of Carl F.H. Henry, by Matthew Hall and Owen Strachan.

Designed for Joy: How the Gospel Impacts Men and Women, Identity and Practice, edited by Owen Strachan & Jonathan Parnell.

Born Again and Life Sentence, by Chuck Colson.

Colson Center for Christian Worldview.

Breakpoint Radio.

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Louis Markos on the Poetry of Heaven & Hell

tonygill — Sun, 19 Jul 2015 08:00:43 +0000

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Louis Markos’ website over at The City Online, a website hosted by Houston Baptist University.

Lou Markos’ bio at HBU’s Department of English and Modern Languages.

Heaven & Hell: Visions of the Afterlife in the Western Poetic Tradition, by Louis Markos.

From Achilles to Christ: Why Christians Should Read the Pagan Classics, by Louis Markos.

The Eye of the Beholder: How to See the World Like a Romantic Poet, by Louis Markos.

On the Shoulders of Hobbits: The Road to Virtue in Tolkien and Lewis, by Louis Markos.

C.S. Lewis: An Apologist for Education, by Louis Markos.

The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis (mentioned in podcast).

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John Mark Reynolds on A Christmas Carol.

Jason Jewell on Why Christians Should Read the Great Books.

Pamela Edwards on Samuel Taylor Coleridge.

Corey Olsen on J.R.R. Tolkien, Religion, and the Hobbit.

Hunter Baker on the Future of Higher Education.

Phoenix Moomaw on Ronald Reagan’s Faith (Our 250th Episode!)

tonygill — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 08:00:55 +0000

For our annual Fourth of July show, and our 250th episode, we invite our very first freshly-minted high school graduate, Phoenix Moomaw of The Bear Creek School, to discuss his recently completed senior project investigating the faith of President Ronald Reagan. Phoenix is well-positioned for this research project given that his grandfather — Donn Moomaw — was Ronald Reagan’s pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian Church from the time that Reagan was an actor, his tenure as governor of California, and during the White House years. To add to this, Phoenix’s family discovered a set of letters written by Ronald Reagan that had previously gone undiscovered and uses this correspondence (dating form the governorship and presidency years) to build his thesis.

We begin the discussion talking about the nature of Mr. Moomaw’s senior project. He provides his school’s rationale for requiring such a project and mentions a few of the other activities his classmates did. He then talks about how he came about his project in particular. The impetus for his investigation of Reagan’s faith was prompted by the discovery of several folders of letters in his grandfather’s garage that dated back to the 1960s and 1980s. He takes time to give us a taste of these letters and reads one them related to the treatments of Presbyterians under the Sandinista regime. Phoenix’s desire to scan these discovered documents to pass around to his family then became a project designed to determine how much of an influence religion played in Reagan’s life, and we walk through the steps of his research project discussing his three days spent in the archives at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. It is also noted during the interview that Phoenix relied upon personal discussions with his grandfather about his recollections of Reagan, including a time when Reagan reached out to Rev. Moomaw regarding a decision whether or not to pardon a death row inmate.

Phoenix’s principal research question was to determine how authentic Reagan’s faith was and how this played out in actual policy decisions. He uses as his basis for analysis C.S. Lewis’s theological test of true faith put forth in Mere Christianity, and Richard Neibuhr’s concept of “Christ above culture” in his book Christ and Culture. He explains both of these concepts for listeners. As for the former, Phoenix notes that Reagan did have an authentic faith as a “mere Christian.” Reagan also saw a place for religion and politics and maintained a moral compass for the nation. The analysis of whether Reagan was “Christ above culture” is more nuanced given that this concept holds up a standard that is separated from culture, but one that attempts to influence culture. Phoenix notes how difficult it is for a president to live according to this standard. Phoenix’s grandfather noted that Reagan did not want to talk theology much and did not believe he could influence culture much. Phoenix concludes from this that Reagan entered into office with a strong religious background, but as time wore on his beliefs were shaped by his office and he lost sight of much of big picture that he entered the White House with, becoming mired in daily decisions. Even though Reagan did pray over these difficult decisions, it was difficult to hold to the “Christ above culture” standard. We reflect upon how difficult this is for all of us. Recorded: June 24, 2015.

RELATED LINKS

The Bear Creek School.

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library in Simi Valley, CA.

Christ and Culture, by Richard Neibuhr (as mentioned in podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Gary Scott Smith on Presidential Faith.

Douglas Baker on Dominionism, Michele Bachman, and Rick Perry.

Mark David Hall on Religious Minorities in the U.S. Founding.

Mark David Hall on Roger Sherman, Puritan Patriot.

Mark David Hall on Religion and the Founding Fathers.

Should Christians Have Fought the US War of Independence.

Robert P. George on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom

tonygill — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 08:00:42 +0000

Listen to the very end of this fascinating discussion for a special treat. Prof. George, a superb banjo picker, performs “Wedding Dress” with his band Blue Heart. And don’t forget to link connect with us on our Facebook Fan Page and/or on Twitter.

Dr. Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence in the Department 0f Politics at Princeton University, discusses his thoughts on international religious liberty. As the former chair (and current vice-chair) of the US Commission on International Freedom (USCIRF) and a political philosopher, he is uniquely situated to reflect upon religious liberty as a concern for foreign policy and how it relates to the grand tradition of natural law.

We begin the interview with some personal reflections on how a first generation college student from Morgantown, West Virginia is able to earn several advanced degrees from Harvard and Oxford, and why Prof. George pursued political theory as a career path. Robby explains how his parent’s concern over abortion set him upon a political path where he worked with the Democratic Party in the mid-1970s, eventually choosing a political trajectory in the 1980s. He also explains how a political philosopher found his way into public service beginning in the early 1990s.

Our attention then turns to the workings of the USCIRF. Dr. George details the historical origins of the commission, dating back to the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act that did three things: 1) create an office in the US State Department to monitor and report upon violations of religious liberty around the world; 2) create an “ambassador at large”; and 3) appoint an independent and bipartisan commission (USCIRF) to monitor issues abroad and make recommendations to guide foreign policy. It is here that Robby notes that a handful of nations — including Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, and North Korea — are given the status of “Countries of Particular Concern” (CPC) and explains what that designation means. We also discuss how commissioners are appointed, whether there is political pressure to look askance at certain nations with strategic importance, and how easy it is to work with the State Department bureaucracy.

[NOTE: Due to audio distortion, we re-recorded a short segment of the interview roughly between the 21 and 24:30 minute mark. A small 30 second segment with audio distortion still exists at the 25 minute mark.]

Prof. George lists a number of the most common threats to religious freedom around the globe, including extremist Islam, apostasy & blasphemy laws, anti-Semitism, and aggressive secularist regimes. He notes that there are problems not only with laws that restrict rights of belief and practice, but also the neglect to enforce laws on the books when religious persecution does occur by independent thugs and mobs. Another problem that has been on the rise includes the presence of non-state actors that are violating religious freedom, as well as non-functioning states. Robby points out that roughly 75% of the world’s population lives under regimes that violate religious rights in a significant manner, and that the most persecuted group is Christians. Nonetheless, he explains that since religious liberty is a universal human right the commission also works to defend the rights of non-Christian groups.

We then explore the nexus between Prof. George’s academic interests — namely his study of natural law — and his policy role. To what extent are these two professional worlds distinct, or does his academic views have implications for his work with USCIRF. Robby explains that natural law is a universal form of ethical knowledge and principles of conduct that can be grasped via human reason (apart from revelation) and is common across all human civilizations. Dr. George emphasizes how important natural law is when discussing issues such as human rights across faith traditions as it provides us with a common language. It is all the more important with new ethical challenges begin to face humankind — e.g., cloning. Tony presses Robby as to whether the use of natural law can be viewed by other cultures as an imposition of a Western philosophy and he responds that there is not a rationally defensible foundation for cultural relativism.

Tony adds another critique into the mix by asking whether violations of religious liberty in the United States have any impact on how USCIRF performs its mission. Robby responds that while the USCIRF is not officially tasked with examining religious freedom in the US, he personally — apart from his work on the commission — is concerned about a number of issues here at home. Dr. George says that the best way to promote religious liberty abroad is to honor, respect, and protect it at home and set a good example for the rest of the world. He makes the interesting observation that violations of religious freedom often come about when people view religion merely as “a hobby,” and not something as central to a human’s existence. Robby finishes with his thoughts on whether the USCIRF has been making a difference around the world with respect to rights of conscience. Prof. George notes how the freeing of Jewish dissidents in the Soviet Union was prompted by US foreign policy. He remains cautiously optimistic yet realistic.

And last, but not least, to provide a lighter note on what is otherwise a rather heavy topic, we ask Robby if he could showcase one of his other talents, which is his skill on the banjo. He gratefully agrees, and with the help of his band, Blue Heart, he regales us with the English folk tune “Wedding Dress.” This is a delightful treat from a true renaissance scholar. Recorded: July 16, 2014.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Robert George’s bio at Princeton University and at CIRF.

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.

USCIRF Annual Report on Religious Liberty around the Globe (2014).

Making Men Moral: Civil Liberties and Public Morality, by Robert P. George.

In Defense of Natural Law, by Robert P. George.

Natural Law and Public Reason, by Robert P. George and Christopher Wolfe.

The Clash of Orthodoxies: Law, Religion, and Morality in Crisis, by Robert P. George.

Natural Law, Liberalism, and Morality, edited by Robert P. George.

The Meaning of Marriage: Family, State, Market, and Morals, edited by Robert P. George and Jean Bethke Elshtain.

Embryo: A Defense of Human Life, by Robert P. George and Christopher Tollefsen.

What Is Marriage?: Man and Woman, A Defense, by Sherif Girgis, Ryan T. Anderson, and Robert P. George.

The Abolition of Man, by C.S. Lewis (mentioned in podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Thomas Farr on Religion, Religious Liberty, and US Diplomacy.

Timothy Shah on the Case for Religious Liberty.

Allen Hertzke on Religious Liberty.

Will Inboden on Religious Liberty, Foreign Policy, and the Arab Spring.

David Smith on Religion, International Relations, and Foreign Policy.

Religious Liberty & Political Flourishing: A Panel Discussion.

Religious Liberty & Economic Prosperity: A Panel Discussion.

Roger Finke on Religious Persecution.

Russ Roberts & Anthony Gill on Religion and Religious Liberty.

Ani Sarkissian on Religious Liberty in the Post-Soviet World.

Jonathan Fox on Religion & State around the World.

Anthony Gill on the Political Origins of Religious Liberty.

Micah Watson on C.S. Lewis.

Ryan Habig on Music Ministry (the only other episode, to date, with a musical interlude).

Corey Olsen on J.R.R. Tolkien (An “Encore Episode”)

tonygill — Sun, 15 Jun 2014 08:00:00 +0000

While the staff at RoR is on vacation, and in honor of my son’s high school homework assignment to read The Hobbit over summer break, we re-run an episode exploring the life, times, and writings of J.R.R. Tolkien with Prof. Corey Olsen, founder of The Mythgard Institute, a privately-run center for learning about Tolkien and mythology more generally.

Without doubt, Corey is passionate about the subject of Middle Earth, as is evidenced by his alternate moniker The Tolkien Professor. Tony probes where this passion came from and whether or not Christians should be wary of these stories that contain elves, goblins, and other seemingly pagan creatures. Not surprisingly, there are a number of deeply devout individuals who are hesitant to let their children read books by Tolkien or see the movies. However, Prof. Olsen does a remarkable job in discussing what myths are and what mythology is meant to do, and why religious believers should embrace these works of fantasy fiction.

Our discussion explores the important influences of Tolkien’s life, including his deeply-held Roman Catholicism, his love of languages, and his passion for mythology. We learn that Tolkien not only created the mythical world that we see in movies such as The Lord of the Ring trilogy, but that he fully developed six different languages and a storyline about their historical roots, an amazing feat if one considers how complex our everyday languages are. Tolkien’s relationship with C.S. Lewis is also discussed. Admittedly, Tony is not a big fan of this genre of fiction, so he was surprised to find out the degree of influence Tolkien had on Lewis. Corey shares a number of interesting tidbits about their longstanding and fruitful relationship.

We finally, then, get to the spiritual themes in The Hobbit. Prof. Olsen notes that Christianity was not something that was explicitly woven into Tolkien’s writings, though his deeply-held faith did condition how he crafted his mythic worlds. Providence, fate, and free will emerge as very important spiritual themes in Tolkien’s writings and Corey points to various examples within the story where this becomes apparent. (Not to worry, folks. There are no spoilers to the Hobbit film series in this interview.) Prof. Olsen also speculates about how Tolkien probably was influenced by the ancient Christian writer Boethius. We then finish off with whether or not, as a Tolkien aficionado, Corey is anticipating the release of Peter Jackson’s film. He even manages to get Tony excited about maybe, just maybe, reading the book. Recorded: November 9, 2012.

Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, by Corey Olsen.

RELATED PODCASTS

Micah Watson on C.S. Lewis

Jason Jewell on Reading the “Great Books”

Micah Watson on C.S. Lewis

tonygill — Sun, 17 Nov 2013 09:00:12 +0000

On the 50th anniversary of C.S. Lewis’s death, we take a moment to review his life, times, and writings with Micah Watson, an associate professor of political philosophy at Union University in Jackson, TN. Having just visited this fine school, Tony noticed that Prof. Watson was using a great deal of Lewis’s works for a class he was teaching. Unfamiliar with many of those works, Tony invited Micah to join him on the podcast and talk about this epic author.

We begin with a general overview of Lewis’s life, growing up in Northern Ireland, his drift away from Christianity, his astounding brilliance in school, his time as a soldier during WWI, and then his gradual return to the Christian faith. In somewhat of a non-synchronous fashion, we flitter in-and-out of his time at both Oxford and Cambridge, mixing intellectually with the likes of J.R.R. Tolkien and Owen Barfield. We then develop the intellectual themes of his writing, both fiction and nonfiction. We learn about the wide range of genres and styles of writing that he undertakes, including everything from apologetics to science fiction to children’s books and poetry. His broad repertoire — including radio broadcasts — earned him some cautionary disrespect from his intellectual colleagues, but also allowed him to reach audiences that he may not have had access to otherwise.

Prof. Watson walks us through some of Lewis’s works, including The Space Trilogy, and how he developed his immaginative thoughts. We learn how Lewis uses imagery and narrative to circumvent the “watchful dragons” of more orthodox Christianity. Prof. Watson considers Lewis’s ability to speak in the vernacular to a non-academic audience one of the main reason why he remains so popular today. He also notes that following a debate with G.E.M. Anscombe, Lewis stops writing pure apologetics and weaves his defense of Christianity into a more nonfiction narrative style. Given Micah’s own interest in political theory, we also talk about natural law and Lewis’s political views, which were never strongly stated but were nonetheless present in his scholarship.

The interview ends with Micah’s reflections on how Lewis has influenced our contemporary intellectual landscape and his own personal development as well. Recorded: November 11, 2013.

The Narnian: The Life and Imagination of C.S. Lewis, by Alan Jacobs (mentioned on the podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Corey Olsen on J.R.R. Tolkien, Religion, and The Hobbit.

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