Research On Religion » evangelical Christianity

Douglas Baker on Dominionism, Michele Bachmann, & Rick Perry

tonygill — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 08:00:25 +0000

Recently, Republican presidential candidates Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry have been accused by some journalists of being influenced by a political theology known as Dominionism. Also known as Christian Reconstructionism, this line of thinking supposedly advocates for a theologically-based government based largely on Old Testament law. But are some of these assertions simply misrepresentations of various Christian thinkers, and of the positions of the GOP candidates. Douglas Baker, assistant to the provost at Union University and a regular columnist at Patheos.com (the Crisis and Kairos column), discusses the philosophy behind Dominionism. We trace the roots of this theological perspective back many centuries and discuss how thinkers such as St. Augustine and John Calvin approached the ongoing tension between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Man, reflecting upon the proper role of religious thought and law should play in secular governance. Our discussion then turns to two contemporary figures who are said to have had influenced modern Christian Reconstructionists — Rousas John Rushdoony and Francis Schaeffer. Baker argues that Rushdoony, although capturing the attention of some of the critics of Dominionism such as Michelle Goldberg and Sarah Diamond with his more extreme views, has largely been a marginal figure in the thinking of most evangelical Christians. Instead, Doug Baker asserts that Francis Schaeffer has had a more profound and moderate impact on evangelicals, influencing the likes of Chuck Colson, James Kennedy, and Jerry Falwell. We discuss why some journalists and authors have tended to focus on Rushdoony, and how they have misrepresented the debate over the role of religious faith in the public square that is ongoing amongst evangelical Christians. We then talk about the proper role religion should play in government, noting that religion can sometimes have a corrupting influence on politics and how politics may have a corrupting influence on religion. This discussion takes us back to James Madison’s thoughts on religion during the Founding and allows us to think about the recent Faith-Based Initiative that was pursued under our last three presidents, most notably George W. Bush. We finish up with Doug’s thoughts on how and to what extent Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry — two of the leading contenders for the Republican nomination for president in 2012 (as of mid-September 2011) — have been influenced by Christian Reconstructionism. Doug then shares his thoughts on whether LSU is a contender for the national football championship or not. Recorded: September 15, 2011.

Paul Froese on America’s Four Gods

tonygill — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 09:00:38 +0000

Prof. Paul Froese — associate professor of sociology at Baylor University and research fellow at the Institute for Studies of Religion — discusses his critically-acclaimed book America’s Four Gods (co-authored with Chris Bader). Unlike many surveys of religion that simply ask if a person believes in God, these authors examine how different people conceptualize God and find four relatively distinct images that Americans have of God based upon two important dimensions — the level of engagment that people think God has with this world, and the extent they think God is judgmental of humanity. We cover the four principal images of God, including: Authoritative God (engaged and judgmental); Benevolent God (engaged, but less judgmental); Critical God (not engaged, but judgmental); and Distant God (not engaged and not judgmental). Paul details the socio-demographic and denominational characteristics associated with each of the four conceptualizations of God and discusses how different regions of the United States tend to favor different visions of God. We further talk about how these foundational images affect our beliefs in different areas of life including cultural issues such as abortion and adultery, the relationship between science and faith, support for social welfare policies, and how people view natural disasters and war. Your host took the authors’ online survey and reveals what those questions said about his image of God. Recorded: December 15, 2010.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Paul Froese’s website at Baylor University.

The America’s Four Gods website (including the God test and Images of God).

America’s Four Gods: What We Say about God & What that Says about Us by Paul Froese and Chris Bader.

The Plot to Kill God: Findings from the Soviet Experiment in Secularization by Paul Froese.

RELATED PODCASTS

James Wellman on Evangelical versus Liberal Christians.

Jay Hein on the Faith-Based and Community Iniative.

Chris Bader on Ghosts, UFOs, and the Paranormal.

James Wellman on Evangelical vs Liberal Christians

tonygill — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 08:00:48 +0000

Evangelical Christians and liberal mainline Protestants represent distinct religious subcultures in the United States. James Wellman — associate professor of comparative religion and sociology, and director of the Comparative Religion Program at the University of Washington — discusses the core beliefs, organizational structures and pastoral strategies of these two groups. Prof. Wellman’s most recent book Evangelical vs. Liberal, examines these two groups in a most unlikely of environments: the Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), arguably one of the least churched region of the United States. We briefly discuss the cultural environment of the Pacific Northwest, with Prof. Wellman (a native Washingtonian) emphasizing the region’s libertarian sensibilities. Jim argues that the evangelical emphasis on personal salvation leads to dramatically different styles of worship, community outreach, and engagement in the political arena. We explore the reasons for these differences in the first half of the podcast. Our discussion also focuses on why evangelical churches are growing at a faster pace than more liberal-oriented mainline churches. Recorded: September 24, 2010.

(Please note that due to a scheduling conflict with our normal recording room, the acoustic environment for this podcast created an echo, particularly with your host’s voice. We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause.)

Thomas Kidd on The Great Awakening

tonygill — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 08:00:15 +0000

The Great Awakening was a period of great evangelical fervor in the British American colonies that is typically dated from 1740-43, yet had its roots back in the 17th century and which also lingered into the 1760s. Prof. Thomas Kidd — associate professor of history at Baylor University, senior fellow at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion, and co director of Baylor’s Program on Historical Studies of Religion — discusses his book The Great Awakening (Yale University Press). We learn how this evangelical revival varied regionally in the colonies and how it was defined by a more heartfelt and charismatic spirituality. Our conversation covers several of the most colorful characters of this movement including George Whitefield, James Davenport and Gilbert Tennent, and how established clergy pushed back at their emotionally-fueled evangelism. Whitefield is discussed in particular detail. We conclude our podcast with how The Great Awakening influenced the anti-slavery movement and the American Revolution. Recorded: August 6, 2010.