Research On Religion » Mars Hill

Jeremy Lott on Episcopalians, Ex-Atheists, Health Care, and German Circumcision

tonygill — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 08:00:31 +0000

What’s the news in the world of religion? We check in with author and blogger extraordinaire, Jeremy Lott of RealClearReligion (and other RealClear sites) to catch up with some of the more recent doings and happenings in the US and other parts of the world. We begin by talking about the most recent convention of the Episcopal Church of the USA. That conference produced a number of controversial actions on same-sex marriage, transgendered priests, and funeral rites for pets. We discuss this in the context of Ross Douthat’s New York Times’ column (see below) that Episcopalians are dropping in numbers rapidly and the trend looks gloomy for the future. Jeremy helps to put this in a larger context regarding liberal mainline denominations and the troubles they are facing in retaining members, while Tony wonders why these declining churches don’t adopt “best practices” from growing congregations just as many secular business do. Our continuing discussion on the supposed increase in “nones” (i.e., people declaring no religious affiliation in surveys) prompts Tony to reveal a new research project that he has been working on that deals with decreasing transportation costs. To figure out that link, you will have to listen closely in the podcast. Our conversation then transitions to the issue of atheists recently announcing their religious conversions, including Kaya Oakes who recently wrote a book about her conversion back to Catholicism. Jeremy gives his take on her recent book, pondering why she would go back to Catholicism when many of her ideological and philosophical views don’t match well with Church. All this discussion allows for Tony to help Jeremy with a recent moral quandry he found himself in. Readers of this passage will have to listen deep into the interview to find out what this issue was and the surprising solution your podcast host proposed. Speaking of moral quandries, the next issue to arise in our interview involves the struggle that the Catholic Church and Wheaton College are having with some of the mandates that have come down the pipeline from the Department of Health and Human Services via the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a topic we have addressed a few times previously on our show. Jeremy provides his insight into this matter and discuss what might become of the new lawsuit and what will happen in various election scenarios. We then pivot quickly to talk about the issue of Mormonism in the upcoming presidential election with Jeremy providing his thoughts on that topic, including how evangelicals including Robert Jeffers are coming around to the idea of supporting a Mormon candidate in Mitt Romney. We next deal with an issue that is on the cutting edge of the news — the German circumcision controversy that arose when a four-year old died during this procedure and prompted calls for legally ending the practice. That in turn prompted calls of religious discrimination and Jeremy explains how all of this played out. Finally, Tony poses Jeremy with a question that we presented to other scholars on an earlier podcast: Would you have, as a Christian, fought in US War of Independence? Hear Jeremy’s answer in our closing moments. Recorded: July 19, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Real Clear Religion. (You can access Real Clear Politics, Real Clear Books, Real Clear Science and other portals at this website as well.)

Jeremy Lott’s Diary on Patheos.com (pithy and profound insights galore).

In Defense of Hypocrisy: Picking Sides in the War on Virtue, by Jeremy A. Lott.

The Warm Bucket Brigade: The Story of the American Vice Presidency, by Jeremy A. Lott.

William F. Buckley (Christian Encouter Series), by Jeremy A. Lott.

I’ll Never Forget It: Memoirs of a Political Accident from East Baltimore, by Marvin Mandel, Jeremy Lott, and Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr.

“Can Liberal Christianity Be Saved?” by Ross Douthat in The New York Times (July 14, 2012).

“The Church Vanishes,” by Philip Jenkins on Patheos.com.

“Perhaps Atheists Should Be Hitting the Panic Button,” by Timothy Dalrymple on Patheos.com.

Radical Reinvention: An Unlikely Return to the Catholic Church, by Kaya Oakes.

RELATED PODCASTS

Jeremy Lott on RealClearReligion.

Hunter Baker on the End of Secularism.

Philip Muñoz on Catholic Bishops, Religious Liberty, and Health Care Mandates.

Should Christians Have Fought in the US War of Independence?

Steve Pfaff on Denominationalism, Sin & Other Stuff

tonygill — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:00:00 +0000

Is denominationalism becoming a thing of the past? What are the upsides and drawbacks of a church affiliating with a denomination? Are young adults becoming too soft in their faith, or are the kids alright? Do we talk about sin enough in our contemporary religious landscape? Tony invites his good friend and colleague Steve Pfaff, professor of sociology at the University of Washington, to answer these questions and more in an open-ended discussion that mirrors a typical weekly discussion that Steve and Tony often have. You get a chance to listen in to what academics talk about over lunch or a few beers before a Husky football game. Steve has a more favorable view of denominationalism than Tony does, but recognizes some of the downsides including the tendency to become less entrepreneurial and stagnant. On the other hand, Tony is convinced by Steve’s argument that denominations help by communicating a consistent message about the quality of a religious organization and also assists in long-term quality control. We ponder whether churches like Mars Hill that have several branch campuses are on their way to becoming new denominations. Our conversation then turns to a recent article written by Rabbi Eric Yoffie on the Huffington Post (ht: RealClearReligion) that argues Americans no longer talk about sin very much. Steve contemplates the downside of this, but Tony chimes in that successful churches like Mars Hill and his own church hit you in the face with sin in a hard way. We both recognize that churches that provide a “tough love” message about individual sin are often more successful in attracting members than mainline churches that view sin as a social malady. Our conversation also covers whether kids today are less religious today than in the past and why religious pluralism might be a good thing in terms of encouraging greater civility, contrary to some prior worries that it would promote religious conflict. We promote the works of Christian Smith and James Wellman, but finally realize that we need people to know that both of us have written some pretty good books too! Recorded: October 21, 2011.

RELATED LINKS

Steve Pfaff’s website at the University of Washington.

Exit-Voice Dynamics & the Collapse of East Germany, by Steve Pfaff.

RealClearReligion, a portal for religious news and opinion (we appreciate them linking to us – thanks guys).

Evangelical vs Liberal: The Clash of Christian Cultures in the Pacific Northwest, by James Wellman.

The Secular Revolution: Power, Interests, and Conflict in the Secularization of American Life, by Christian Smith.

Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults, by Christian Smith.

The Political Origins of Religious Liberty, by Anthony Gill (implicitly mentioned in the podcast).

Americans Don’t Like to Talk about Sin, blog by Eric Yoffie on RealClearReligion and Huffington Post.

RELATED PODCASTS

James Wellman on Evangelical vs Liberal Christians.

Gordon Melton on Mega-Trends in American Christianity.

Mark Driscoll on the Growth of Mars Hill Church.

Mark von der Ruhr on Megachurch Recruitment & Retention.

Dave Travis on Megachurch Myths.

James Brettell on Trends in American Christianity.

Dave Travis on Megachurch Myths

tonygill — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:00:12 +0000

Since the early 1980s, the nmber of megachurches –defined as churches with weekly attendance exceeding 2,000 congregants — have increasingly grown in number and scope. From the casual glance of an outside observer, these churches often appear to be highly impersonal and spiritually shallow, prefering theatrics to theology. Dave Travis, the managing director of The Leadership Network and co-author of Beyond Megachurch Myths, explores these impressions and several other stereotypes surrounding megachurches. We cover the variation in size, demographic composition, and theological orientation of these churches and continue our discussion by examining the different organizational emphases one sees in these organizations. Our conversation also drifts to the denominational affiliation (or lack thereof) of megachurches and we think about whether denominationalism is a relevant concept in the contemporary world. Dave also reveals different ways that these large churches make themselves “smaller” with the use of small groups. Indeed, much of the spiritual growth that members of these churches experience often occurs outside the typical Sunday service. Dave’s research has also shown that many members of megachurches do feel they are getting a serious dose of theology. We speculate on the future of megachurches, particularly those led by charismatic and well-recognized figures such as Rick Warren and Mark Driscoll. What will happen when these figures pass from the scene? How do megachurches deal with the issue of pastoral succession? At the end of the interview, Dave discusses his role at The Leadership Network and tells Tony there is nothing he can do to help the Seattle Seahawks. Recorded: August 12, 2011.

RELATED LINKS

Dave Travis’s profile at the Leadership Network.

Beyond Megachurch Myths, by Scott Thumma & Dave Travis.

“Not Who You Think They Are: The Real Story of People Who Attend America’s Megachurches,” by Scott Thumma and Warren Bird.

Reinventing American Protestantism, by Donald E. Miller.

RELATED PODCASTS

Marc von der Ruhr on Megachurch Recruitment and Retention.

Mark Driscoll on the Growth of Mars Hill Church.

Gordon Melton on Mega-Trends in American Religion.

Mark Driscoll on the Growth of Mars Hill Church

tonygill — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 09:00:56 +0000

Welcome new visitors. Please check out our other great podcasts or subscribe to us on iTunes.

How can a small Bible study group in the heart of one of America’s least churched cities grow to be one of the largest mega-churches in just a decade and a half? This is the question we put before Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church based in Seattle, Washington. Pastor Driscoll recounts how he came to take on his pastoral mission and recounts many of the early difficulties he had in setting up his ministry including the challenges of finding adequate space to accomodate a rapidly growing membership. We discuss how Mars Hill developed a multi-campus approach that utilizes modern telecommunication technology to broadcast sermons from the main church in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle to seven other branches in the Puget Sound area and another one in New Mexico. What is perhaps most amazing about Mars Hill is that it attracts a demographic that is not typically known to be regular churchgoers — young single males. Mark relates how a message rooted directdly in Scripture can appeal to youth and to individuals who have been sinned against. We further touch upon the Acts 29 Network aimed at planting churches around the country and how it screens and trains future church leaders in the process. Mark reveals what characteristics he and his staff look for when determining who should lead a new church plant. Finally, Pastor Driscoll offers some reflections on why churches that are theologically conservative are growing whereas mainline Protestant denominations are shrinking. Admittedly, your host was expecting to learn how various organizational innovations have determined the success of Mars Hill. And while the church does rely upon creative organizational techniques, I learned that the content of the pastoral message is really what has been the main driving force in this church’s growth. Recorded: October 12, 2010.

RELATED LINKS

Mars Hill Church.

Acts 29 Network.

Mark Driscoll’s Confessions of a Reformission Rev: Hard Lessons from and Emerging Missional Church (Zondervan Press).

Mark Driscoll’s Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe (Crossway Books).

RELATED PODCASTS

James Wellman on Evangelical vs Liberal Christians.