Research On Religion » Catholicism

James Hudnut-Beumler on Religion in the Now South

tonygill — Sun, 27 May 2018 08:00:19 +0000

When you think if Christianity in the U.S. South, images of Southern Baptist congregations, conservative politics, and even snake-handling may come to mind. But Prof. James Hudnut-Beumler, the Anne Potter Wilson Distinguished Professor of American Religious History at Vanderbilt University, reveals that the spiritual tapestry is much more nuanced than might appear on initial glance. Prof. Hudnut-Beumler joins us to talk about his new book Strangers and Friends at the Welcome Table and reveals how several historical traditions have persisted in the region while significant transformations are also taking place.

We commence with a discussion of a definition of “the South,” which can be viewed geographically (starting just below Northern Virginia, running down to the top portion of Florida, and extending westward to Arkansas and encompassing the southern portions of Indiana and Illinois) and spiritually (those areas with a majority Southern Baptist population). Jim explains how this decade-long process took him on a “r0ad trip” around the region to experience the lives and institutions of those living in what he calls the “Now South,” a region with deep roots to its “Old Time Religion” past, but which is also changing in surprising ways. Looking at the historical roots first, we discuss how religion, food, and hospitality are intimately linked via kinship networks and a concern over scarcity being a daily lived experience. Food and visitation are viewed as an expression of love for folks who are ill, imprisoned, or otherwise facing difficult times. Jim also notes that food and hospitality also becomes a basis for various types of social activism as such community involvement is often viewed as a measure of piety. Sometimes such activism can take on hard-nosed policies towards drug addicts who are allowed assistance only if they quickly accept Jesus, or in more open terms that seek to get mentally ill individuals the help they need. We also chat about how Pentecostalism, technically a very small fraction of Southern Christians, has influenced the Christianity of the region, often leading to “Bapticostal” congregations that call their ministers bishops and have multiple offerings. Religion also manifests itself along racial lines in the South, as one might expect, and Jim talks about religiously-infused racial histories can wound but also offer up possibilities for forgiveness. He raises the horrific shooting at the Charleston Emmanuel AME Church in 2015 as an example of these racial divides and how the power of forgiveness is used not necessarily to “forgive and forget,” but to heal tragedies so it doesn’t wound the victims continuously.

The conversation then moves in the direction of the “Now South” and the new trends that have been reshaping the spiritual landscape over the past several decades. We look at how megachurches are setting new standards of worship not only for congregants in the suburbs, but in smaller rural and urban churches as well. Jim points out how the growth of homeschooling has responded to the integration of private religious schools (often called “segregation academies”). The growth of Catholicism with the influx of immigrants from Mexico and Central America has also diversified the religious tapestry of the region. And finally, we discuss the surprising increase in the number of congregations that have taken a welcoming position to the LGBT communities and how it has roiled the waters. Jim explains that while it is easy to preach hate, the culture is changing via kinship ties and the “power of one” wherein one individual can help to change the views of those around them. While still a very small minority of churches, the presence of LGBT-friendly congregations indicate progressive steps forward.

We finish off by asking Prof. Hudnut-Beumler what he would tell a younger version of Jim if he had the chance to travel back in time. The elder Jim provides some interesting words of advice for his younger self recognizing that things you never thought would have made an impression early on often come back to you as new opportunities for exploration and learning. Recorded: May 25, 2018.

Strangers and Friends at the Welcome Table, by James Hudnut-Beumler.

In Pursuit of the Almighty’s Dollar, by James Hudnut-Beumler.

The Future of Mainline Protestantism in America, edited by James Hudnut-Beumler and Mark Silk.

Looking for God in the Suburbs, by James Hudnut-Beumler.

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James Hudnut-Beumler on the History of Church Financing in the US.

Paul Harvey on Religion in the American South.

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Timothy Neary on Race, Sports, and Catholics

tonygill — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 09:00:06 +0000

In the first half of the twentieth century, the city of Chicago was going through a number of economic, political, and demographic changes that drew the attention of the Catholic Church. Prof. Timothy Neary, an associate professor of history at Salve Regina University (Newport, RI), discusses how a popular sports program – the Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) – was developed by the Catholic archdiocese in response to growing challenges from secularism, communism, and a changing racial landscape. Prof. Neary recalls how he came to study such a topic in graduate school, taking us back to his past education in Jesuit institutions from high school through his doctorate. We then lay out the scope of his new book Crossing Parish Boundaries: Race, Sports, and Catholic Youth in Chicago 1914-1954, starting with what Chicago as a city looked like at the turn of the century and the changes it experienced over the next half century. This transformation included the rise of Catholic politicians and increased immigration from African Americans, transforming the formerly Irish Catholic neighborhoods of South Chicago into one with a majority black population. We explore the nature of the religious scene paying particular attention to an influential minority of African American Catholics. Tim then explains how an important auxiliary bishop in the Chicago archdiocese — Bernard Sheil — brought his interest in sports to bear on an increasing concern among the clergy to engage in social work as a counter to a number of changes they saw facing their communities in the era of urban industrialization. Inspired by the papal encyclicals Rerum Novarum and Quadragesimo Anno, Bishop Sheil creates the Catholic Youth Organization in 1930 to give adolescents — a newly identified demographic with more teenagers attending high school — an alternative outlet to other less savory activities. Partially inspired by the Protestant YMCAs that were popping up throughout the country, the CYO offered young men and women the opportunity to participate in a number of individual and team sports that crossed parish boundaries and brought disparate members of the Catholic community together in unified activity. We spend some time talking about a very popular sport at the time, boxing. Tim notes that despite being a competitive, martial sport, the CYO was able to use this activity to promote discipline, upright behavior, and a love of God, country, and the papal encyclicals. Open to non-Catholics, it also brought in some converts. Despite the Chicago branch of the CYO falling into disarray after the death of Bishop Sheil, Prof. Neary details the long-term influence this program had in terms of creating greater awareness for racial justice (a growing concern of Sheil) and cultivating a cohort of Black Democrat leaders including the likes of Ralph Metcalfe. (Tony points out that Mr. Metcalfe, a CYO participant and Olympian, was a graduate of Marquette University, his alma mater.) Tim finishes up by discussing what he learned throughout the course of his studies and what the future might hold for Catholics and race relations. Recorded: December 30, 2016.

Crossing Parish Boundaries: Race, Sports, and Catholic Youth in Chicago, 1914-1954, by Timothy Neary.

Urban History Association.

Parish Boundaries: The Catholic Encounter with Race in the Twentieth Century Urban North. by John McGreevy (mentioned in podcast).

Play Like a Champion Program (Notre Dame).

For God & Country: Bishop Sheil’s Vision for Youth Sports (Feb. 10, 2017 at the University of Notre Dame – public lecture by Prof. Neary).

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Paul Harvey on Religion in the American South

tonygill — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 09:00:10 +0000

“The South” is commonly referred to as the Bible Belt in the United States today, and despite New England having a more explicit Christian identity during colonial times, the region from Virginia down to Florida and out to Texas has been shaped by religious dynamics from its most early days. Prof. Paul Harvey, professor of history at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs, takes us on a grand tour of this region and the history of Christianity there. After sorting through Prof. Harvey’s own intellectual trajectory to this topic, we define what is meant by “The South,” an identity-based term that really doesn’t become defined until roughly the Civil War era and shortly thereafter. Histories of religion in The South often begin with the arrival of the British in Jamestown and the Anglican influence there, but Paul reminds us that Florida was a northern outpost for the Spanish Empire and Catholicism came to the region during the 16th century. He discusses attempts by the Spaniards to missionize the indigenous populations and how the presence of the Spanish put pressure on the British to colonize up the coast. We then walk through the colonial period, through the First Great Awakening, the Revolutionary era, and then into to the Second Great Awakening discussing how Christianity factored into the socio-demographic environment of those two centuries. We focus on the role of Christianity with respect to slavery, touching upon the issues of whether to missionize slaves and how the Christian message was received, including mention of Charles Jones (“apostle to the slaves”) and the Stono Rebellion. Paul points out that the Great Awakenings had an impact on these marginalized groups and there was even a religious “Awakening” amongst the Indian population. Our discussion moves next to the Antebellum period, the Civil War, and Reconstruction, where religion plays a role in shaping the identify of the South, both amongst the White “evangelical” population and among former African-American slaves. Paul plays out these themes noting a period of segregation that occurs in religion after the Civil War. Journeying into the 20th century, we explore some of the themes we’ve visited in previous podcasts (e.g., Lerone Martin – see below) and how modern technology shaped the religious landscape, with an emphasis on phonograph religion and how that, in turn, influenced the musical trends of Americana, country music, and even Elvis Presley. Paul points out an interesting paradox in Southern culture in this time that juxtaposes an immense amount of racial violence and poverty with an enormous outpouring of artistic creativity, not only in music, but in literature as reflected in the works of individuals such as William Faulkner. We finish with a discussion of the role of religion in the Civil Rights Movement of the mid-20th century, the rise of the Religious Right, and how interesting it has been to see the growth of the “prosperity gospel” message in the past few decades. Paul further notes the changing religious landscape as an influx of Latinos are adding to the pluralism of the region, not only in terms of Catholicism, but a new flavor of evangelical Protestantism as well. Prof. Harvey ends with a few reflections on where he sees religious and social trends moving in the future, offering up both some pessimistic concerns and optimistic hopes for the future. Recorded: December 23, 2016.

Christianity and Race in the American South, by Paul Harvey.

Bounds of their Habitation: Religion and Race in American History, by Paul Harvey.

Through the Storm, Through the Night: A History of African American Christianity, by Paul Harvey.

Redeeming the South: Religious Cultures and Racial Identities among Southern Baptists, 1865-1925, by Paul Harvey.

The Color of Christ: The Son of God and the Saga of Race in American History, by Edward Blum and Paul Harvey.

Religion in American History (a fascinating blog on religious history with several historians).

Religion Dispatches.

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Billie Livingston on Religion, Writing Fiction, Crooked Hearts, and Mercy

tonygill — Sun, 15 May 2016 08:00:59 +0000

In a bit of a departure from our regularly programmed social scientific discussion of religion, we invite Billie Livingston — independent novelist and poet — to discuss her life and the role of religious faith in the process of writing fictional works of literature. This free flowing discussion takes us from Billie’s early days in foster care and filling milk coolers, through the process of discovering a love of writing, and through several of her novels. Our discussion covers what religious themes have developed throughout her works, and how spiritual themes such as guilt, mercy, and redemption are woven into the characters and plots. The books written by Ms. Livingston are not meant as religious novels per se, but rather reflect upon the real life struggles of individuals and how faith plays a role. She reveals where a number of her stories and characters came from, including her own history as well as from meeting people in her travels, including an interesting Pentecostal family living in Northern California, and some of her husband’s fellow students during his time in seminary. We also explore the concept of “mercy” in her latest novel, The Crooked Heart of Mercy. Whereas mercy is typically thought as being forgiving or kind, Billie discusses the Greek origins of the term (eleos) and how it connotes steadfast love and immersive healing. Billie shares a number of insights from the publishing world and what it is like to be an author throughout our conversation. Recorded: April 28, 2016.

RELATED LINKS

Billie Livingston’s personal website (including various novels and other works).

The Crooked Heart of Mercy, by Billie Livingston.

The Chick in the Back of the Church, by Billie Livingston.

The Trouble with Marlene, by Billie Livingston (and cinematic version).

Going Down Swinging, by Billie Livingston.

Cease to Blush, by Billie Livingston.

Greedy Little Eyes, by Billie Livingston.

One Good Hustle, by Billie Livingston.

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David Mislin on Embracing Religious Pluralism

tonygill — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 09:00:22 +0000

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the United States experienced a tremendous amount of economic, demographic, and cultural change that became reflected in a number of new religious movements and trends. Prof. David Mislin, assistant professor in the Intellectual Heritage Program at Temple University, discusses how this era gave rise to new conceptualizations of religious pluralism on the part of mainline Protestants and how this, in turn, shaped the way we think about religious diversity in our contemporary era. All of this is based upon his new book Saving Faith: Making Religious Pluralism an American Value at the Dawn of the Secular Age.

We begin with a little ex post facto revelation on the part of Prof. Mislin. When asked about how he came to study American religious history, he recounts his childhood years growing up as the son of a Congregationalist preacher, his mom. While avoiding the typical life of a preacher’s kid (being dragged to every Sunday School event), he nonetheless developed a deep interest in how people of different faiths interacted with one another, a tendency that was augmented during his high school days. He realized after he had published his book how much of an impact that his youth had on his thinking.

We then move back in time to talk about the religious changes that were occurring at the “dawn of the secular age” (circa 1875-1925). Rev. Lyman Abbott of Plymouth Church in Brooklyn is highlighted as a leading figure in embracing religious pluralism. Our discussion here covers the scientific, economic, demographic, and cultural changes that were taking place during the late 19th century and why David sees this era as a “gilded age crisis of faith.” He then lays out three distinct responses that many mainline clergy had to this changing landscape, including the New Theology movement, promotion of the Social Gospel, and a new conceptualization of religious pluralism. It is the latter that we then turn our focus to. Along the way, we also discuss some of the other religious dynamics occurring at the time, including the rise of Christian fundamentalism and how this might be related to changes within mainline Protestantism.

Prof. Mislin explains what this new embrace of religious pluralism was all about. Based upon a growing Christian skepticism of the time, he notes how ministers began arguing that all faiths are good, but that this did not necessarily mean all faiths were equal — an interesting intellectual tension. Our conversation covers the theological trend to see revelation as a progressive movement throughout history, with each new generation being able to discover new tendencies in God’s plan. The reduction of transportation costs and the missionary experiences of many clergy in places such as the Middle East, India, and East Asia also furthered an interest in non-Christian faiths such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. David reviews some of the colorful characters of the time who became strong advocates for reaching out to other faiths. We also talk about how this ecumenical outreach manifested itself in the creation of comparative religion programs at American universities, the Goodwill Movement reaching out to Jews, and an attempt to (re-)unify Protestants and Catholics in one church. The latter was almost exclusively a Protestant effort that fell flat, but was nonetheless indicative of the thinking of the day.

Our podcast concludes with Prof. Mislin’s reflections on how the ideas advance between 1875 and 1925 impacted religious trends during the remainder of that 20th century, and how — thinking about a Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure — Lyman Abbot would view today’s religious and cultural landscape. Recorded: November 11, 2015.

Saving Faith: making Religious Pluralism an American Value at the Dawn of the Secular Age, by David Mislin.

David Mislin on Twitter.

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Denis Dragovic on Religion & State-Building

tonygill — Sun, 10 May 2015 08:00:44 +0000

Do religious organizations play any role in helping to rebuild failed states? Prof. Denis Dragovic, an honorary fellow at the University of Melbourne, joins us from Australia to discuss his new book Religion and Post-Conflict Statebuilding: Roman Catholic and Sunni Islamic Perspectives. Prof. Dragovic not only is a scholar of this topic, but he is also a practitioner who has had extensive experience in the field working with a variety of faith-based groups in some of the most politically troubled spots in the world. He begins the interview by telling us how he had to rescue one of his aid workers that had been kidnapped in Iraq, a harrowing tale indeed!

Our discussion on the issue of state-building begins with a little political science discussion, helping to define the terms of “failed state” and “state-building.” Denis notes that there are three critical areas that must be tended to when creating a functioning state that can help coordinate a society: 1) legitimacy; 2) security; and 3) basic needs (e.g., food, shelter). Without any of these three elements, individuals in a society live in a rather precarious situation. Denis peppers his discussion with some examples from the Middle East, Africa, and the Balkans. We then discuss what role religious organizations can play and why so many policymakers have overlooked the important organizational role faith groups play in society. Religious groups are essential components of civil society that usually remain well-organized even when a secular governing system is collapsing, plus they provide a great deal of knowledge about local conditions and network well with residents in villages and towns.

We then move on to how religious groups assist in building (or rebuilding) the three elements of a functioning state. We start with legitimacy and Denis dissects this concept further by noting that there are three components to legitimacy: 1) legal validity of the state; 2) justification of power that transcends generations; and 3) the expression of citizen consent. He explains how religious groups can lend support to political leaders linking their legitimacy to the citizenry, and how rulers also use religious symbolism to connect with their population. He illustrates this with an interesting tale from Croatia following the civil war it experienced following the collapse of Yugoslavia. Security is the next issue we take up, and this is a surprising one given that religious groups generally do not control police or military force. Nonetheless, faith-based entities provide the ability to adjudicate disputes, enhance social capital (such as trust within society), and promote civic norms and values that help bring peace to a society. The role of sermons by religious leaders plays a large role here. Finally, we discuss the area of basic needs, which is what most people think about when talking about the role of religious groups in troubled areas. Here we cover the dimensions of international aid and domestic assistance, noting how religious organizations know a great deal about the local needs of different communities and are great conduits for solving problems.

We then discuss the role that different faith traditions play in state-building, including what it is like to work ecumenically across theologies. This takes us into a brief discussion of the different conceptualizations that Catholics and Sunni Muslims have with respect to the role of the state and governance. Our attention then turns to an interesting situation in the Middle East, which is the rise of the Islamic State and where this emerging group fits into the topic of state-building. We finish with some of Prof. Dragovic’s thoughts about what he has learned over the course of his scholarship and many years working in the field. Recorded: April 22, 2015.

Prof. Denis Dragovic’s bio at the Conversation.

Religion and Post-Conflict Statebuilding: Roman Catholic and Sunni Islamic Perspectives, by Denis Dragovic.

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Jim Tonkowich on Converting to Catholicism

tonygill — Sun, 07 Dec 2014 09:00:23 +0000

After serving in the Presbyterian ministry for over two decades, our guest Jim Tonkowich, former president of the Institute on Religion & Democracy, made the decision to convert to Catholicism. We follow Jim’s journey in this interview that is part personal reflection and part sociological look at the state of Christianity today.

We begin our discussion by going back to Jim’s early upbringing and learn that his family was rooted in the Russian Orthodox Church. His curiosity in religion, though, was piqued while attending boarding school in Connecticut when he purchased a Bible and began reading it. Finding this reading difficult on his own he began participating in a Bible study group and also attended a “Ski and Skeptics” program that helped him to start making sense of Christianity, much the way a the box top picture on a jigsaw puzzle helps one align the pieces. We follow him through his college career at Bates College and his further investigations into theology and philosophy. At this point in his life, he is still not a Roman Catholic.

Jim’s varied travels them take him to Gordon Cromwell Theological Seminary where he begins studying for the ministry. His own religious participation at this time involved a non-denominational Protestant congregation and participation at Park Street Congregational Church where he met both his wife and Marcus Grodi (also a Protestant who would later “make the journey home” to Catholicism). It is at this point in the interview we begin a conversation about church polity — i.e., how congregations are organized in terms of authority structure. This theme appears numerous times in our discussion and is one of the key pieces to understanding Jim’s conversion to Catholicism. Jim also reveals how he read the early Church Fathers and how that influenced his long-term thought process.

Following seminary we then move cross-country to a Presbyterian church in Silicon Valley, California. We discuss Jim’s experiences as a pastor here as well as the various challenges that ministers face in their profession. While Jim was pleased with the folks in that congregation, he talks about the professional grind and loneliness that often accompanies the pastorate. It is at this point where he brings up the issue of pastoral formation — preparing clergy for the tough road ahead — and mentions that the Catholic Church tends to excel at this task relative to its Protestant counterparts. Again, we start to see the pieces of the conversion puzzle start to fall into place. We develop a sense that Jim’s conversion wasn’t a Pauline “flash of light on the road to Damascus,” but rather a long and intellectually-engaging path.

After his ministerial stint in California, it is back to the Washington DC area where he shares a number of other stories regarding a variety of experiences, including an interesting interview he had with a few Presbyterians and the questions of whether Catholics need to be rebaptized if they move in a Protestant direction. Here we reflect a bit upon attitudes towards Catholics and how this challenged Jim’s thinking further. We also return to the question of orthodoxy and church polity at this point before finally learning more about the final pieces to his Catholic conversion that involved his son attending Thomas Aquinas College and bringing a group of friends home from California, an event that led him into the National Basilica for Mass and a great sermon “worshipping among the nations.” We further go into a wide range of topics involving connections with other intellectuals who converted Catholic (e.g., Frances Beckwith, Robby George) and a number of other interesting topics related to theology and church organization.

The podcast finishes with a few of Jim’s insights from his e-book How (Not) to Become Catholic, which is a humorous self-reflection of his journey and a variety of mistakes he and others often make when looking across the Catholic-Protestant divide. Recorded: November 7. 2014.

RELATED LINKS

Jim Tonkowich’s web page (including biography another links)

How (Not) to Become Catholic, by James Tonkowich (an e-book on becoming Catholic)

The Liberty Threat: The Attack on Religious Freedom in America Today, by James Tonkowich.

The Coming Home Network International (mentioned in the podcast)

The Institute for Religion and Democracy (where Jim was the former president).

Called to the Ministry, by Edmund Clowney (mentioned in the podcast)

Wyoming Catholic College (mentioned in the podcast)

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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.

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Robert Delahunty on Alexis de Tocqueville and Religion

tonygill — Sun, 25 Aug 2013 08:00:51 +0000

Back in the 1830s, a young Frenchman by the name of Alexis de Tocqueville travelled to the United States to write a report about its prison system. Although he did write such a report, the trip became more notable when Tocqueville put pen to paper and generated a two-volume set of observations about American political and social life known as Democracy in America. While the book contains many profound observations, we invite Prof. Robert Delahunty (University of St. Thomas) to discuss Tocqueville’s thoughts on the importance of religion in a democratic society based on a series of posts he recently wrote on the Center for Law & Religion Forum hosted by St. John’s University Law School (see below).

Our discussion begins with an examination of the historical setting for Democracy in America, namely the Jacksonian era of U.S. history. Prof. Delahunty reviews the many social, economic, political, and religious changes taking place in this fledgling nation. He then reviews the personal background of Alexis de Tocqueville, who was only in his mid-20s when he journeyed to America. His early life as a Catholic is covered as well as his “deconversion” at about age 16. Interestingly, though harboring doubts about his Catholic faith, Alexis continued to participate in the Catholic Church throughout most of his adult life. Robert notes how these personal experiences come to shape Tocqueville’s views of American relgion, most notably the more mainstream form of Protestantism typical of the northern US at the time, and also how he understands the growing Catholic presence in America during the 1830s. Robert makes an interesting historical observation that Tocqueville seems to have overlooked the dynamic ferment that was the Second Great Awakening in America. We also cover Tocqueville’s political outlook, noting how his parents had been persecuted during the French Revolution and how Alexis was also influenced by various French Enlightenment thinkers.

We then plunge fully into Tocqueville’s thinking on church-state relations and the role of religion in society more generally. Robert connects Tocqueville to a long tradition of Western political thought about religion dating back to Niccolo Machiavelli. This dialogue with previous philosophers, and Machiavelli in particular, helps to anchor our conversation. Robert notes that religion has been seen as being connected to governance in three ways. First, religion has historically been used to sacralize or legitimize secular authority and the state. Second, religion serves to moralize the population in ways that are beneficial to a smooth-functioning society. Finally, he notes that religious groups and leaders have served a “prophetic role” of challenging abuses of state authority. It is the latter two functions, Delahunty argues, that Tocqueville comes to increasingly see as the important aspect of religion in a democratic republic. Tocqueville is concerned that American Protestantism may not be sufficiently prophetic enough in the era in which he observed the nation. Nonetheless, we explore how important religion is, and could be, in limiting what Prof. Delahunty calls the “political immagination.” Religion, as a force in civil society, helps to restrict the options before democratic political leaders preventing it from devolving to mob rule. We close with Prof. Delahunty’s thoughts about how Tocqueville’s philosophy could be useful for understanding church-state relations and the role of religion in America over the past half century. Recorded: August 23, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Robert Delahunty’s bio at St. Thomas University.

Prof. Delahunty’s short blog articles on religion and Tocqueville at the Center for Law & Religion Forum.

“Russell Moore: From Moral Majority to ‘Prophetic Minority’,” by Naomi Schaeffer Riley in Wall Street Journal (mentioned in podcast; subscription required for access).

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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.)

RELATED PODCASTS

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

Larry Witham on the Economics of Religion.

Eli Berman on Religious Terrorism.

Larry Osborne on Church Finances & Growth.