Research On Religion » divorce

Margaret Taylor-Ulizio on Being a Canon Lawyer

tonygill — Sun, 06 Aug 2017 08:00:35 +0000

If the Catholic Church maintains a Code of Canon Law, one would assume that there are canon lawyers to mediate disputes that fall within the realm of that form of religious jurisprudence. It just so happens that canon lawyers do exist and we were to track down and invite Dr. Margaret Taylor-Ulizio – founder/principal of the Canon Law Advocacy and Mediation Services and part-time instructor at Georgian Court University – to discuss her career path and what canon lawyers do. After a quick introduction about what canon law is, we trace Dr. Taylor-Ulizio’s career path from an undergraduate student interested in theology at Duquesne University to her successful pursuit of a doctorate in systematic theology and ecclesiology at Marquette University. Following this, we learn that Catholic University of America is the only school in the U.S. that trains canon lawyers for the Catholic Church. Following a rigorous program of courses on canon law, along with some training in secular law, Margaret was able to take her exams and enter into the world of canon lawyering. She gives an overview of the profession and outlines what falls within the scope of canon law. We also cover how changes to the Code of Canon Law have been made over time, including recent revisions that were a response to the increasing involvement of the laity following Vatican Council II. Dr. Taylor-Ulizio then notes that most of her cases have involved marriage nullity. We spend time discussing what an annulment entails and some of the trickier aspects of these cases, including the differences between defect in consent and defect in exchange. We finish off with her reflection upon her theological and legal training and how she views the world differently today. Recorded: July 27, 2017.

Bradley Wright on the Upside of Life

tonygill — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:00:08 +0000

If you are feeling depressed about all the horrible news you’ve been hearing recently, Prof. Bradly R.E. Wright — associate professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut — returns to Research on Religion to deliver you some upbeat news from his recently published book Upside. Brad starts by reminding Tony that it was the Connecticut Huskies, not the Washington ones, that recently won a basketball championship and that is one of the reasons he is in a good mood. But more than that, Prof. Wright shares a number of suprising statistical trends that show the world is becoming a better place all around. We begin our discussion with the state of the economy, covering growing wealth in the US and the world over the past 50 years. This discussion covers the oft-repeated claim that the middle class is disappearing and we take a closer look at income inequality. Our attention then turns to crime , showing that crime rates have decreased significantly since the 1970s. The middle part of our interview takes a step sideways to reflect upon why so many people think the world is getting worse even though the statistical record suggests otherwise. We look at the role of the media, clergy, and academics in perpetuating negative information about the state of the world. After this discussion we move on to health, happiness, marriage, and the environment, before closing with reflections on whether Christianity is on the brink of disappearing. Throughout this podcast, Brad spices up his statistics with stories about how Christians are actively engaged in making a positive difference in people’s lives. Listen until the end to discover what prescriptions Prof. Wright has for continuing the positive trends we’ve seen over the past half century. Recorded: June 7, 2011.

RELATED SITES

Bradley Wright’s website and blog.

Upside: Surprising GOOD NEWS About the State of Our World by Bradley R.E. Wright.

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

News about the North Korean happiness survey, ranking China and North Korea #1 and #2 respectively!

Urban Ministry website.

HOPE International website.

RELATED PODCASTS

W. Bradford Wilcox on Marriage

tonygill — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:00:53 +0000

W. Bradford Wilcox — associate professor of sociology at the University of Virginia and director of the National Marriage Project — discusses the the recent report When Marriage Disappears: The New Middle America, part of The State of Our Unions series published by the Institute for American Values. When it comes to the health of marriage in society we often turn to the divorce rate as our primary statistical indicator. Since the 1970s, the trend is divorce has tended to stabilize and even declined in some sectors of American society. However, Prof. Wilcox views the institution of marriage from a number of different angles including cohabitation rates and out-of-wedlock births. With respect to these trends, Brad notes that while the poorest and least-educated portions of our nation have had high rates of cohabitation and unwed mothers, these practices have become increasingly common among “Middle Americans” — defined as those individuals with a high school education and moderate income. We talk about the consequences of this trend on both society and the religious landscape, detailing how married couples are more likely to attend church services than single parents. This, in part, may explain some of the noted decline in religious attendance in the US in recent years. Brad and I also delve into the causes of this trend. Interestingly, we note that while elite, highly-educated and wealthy Americans often hold values in support of cohabitation and single motherhood — and here we discuss the Murphy Brown controversy of the early 1990s — these same elite individuals are less likely to engage in cohabitation, more likely to practice traditional notions of marriage, and far less likely to get divorced. Prof. Wilcox offers some solutions for dealing with the decline in marriage among “Middle America.” At the end of the podcast we turn our attention to the role of religion and its affect on parenting, especially as it pertains to men and their role in the household. Recorded: February 23, 2011.

Brad R.E. Wright on Christian Stereotypes

tonygill — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 08:00:30 +0000

Bradley R.E. Wright, associate professor of sociology at the University of Connecticut, discusses his new book, Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites … and Other Lies You’ve Been Told. Is it true that evangelical Protestants have a divorce rate equal to or higher than the secular public? Are Christians really more honest than their unchurched counterparts? Are evangelicals simply poor, white Southerners who are easily led? Using data from a variety of sources, Prof. Wright challenges some commonly held myths about Protestantism in America — myths that are not only propogated by a secular media, but often perpetuated by Christian leaders themselves! We end the podcast with an observation that it may be harmful for Christian ministers to alarm the public about the decline of religion and Christianity. Don’t miss our discussion of big hair or the revelation about a tragic incident in your host’s past! Recorded: July 5, 2010.