Michael Foley on Religion and Booze

tonygill — Sun, 03 May 2015 08:00:35 +0000

How do you take your religion — straight up or on the rocks? Either way, it is time to get your drink on with this out-of-the-ordinary podcast. We talk with Prof. Michael P. Foley of Baylor University’s Great Texts Program about his new book Drinking with the Saints: A Sinner’s Guide to a Holy Happy Hour. We cover a wide range of topics from the history of alcohol in the Bible to some brand new cocktail recipes. This interview is filled with fun facts, spiritual insights, and a wide variety of other surprises, a perfect pairing with whatever you might be drinking at the moment! (Visit our Facebook page for a few of Prof. Foley’s original recipes.)

We begin by asking Prof. Foley how he came to write such a book and he shares how alcohol when consumed in moderation can be a very pleasing experience and is often associated with great fellowship. Michael cautions us that this is not a book on debauchery, but rather is a way to savor the fine things in life and learn about the connection between alcohol and religion. He jumps into a number of “fun facts” about this relationship, noting how alcohol was rather important in bygone eras because it was an important alternative to drinking water that often contained many pathogens. He then reviews some of the places where alcohol can be found in The Bible, starting in the Old Testament with Noah. Fan of bar trivia will be thrilled with a number of other interesting references he makes between religion and booze throughout the ages, including the role of Trapist monks in brewing beer, Irish missionaries and their introduction of whiskey to Scotland, a magical liqueur, and the story of how one member of the clergy announced his invention of champagne. Tony becomes dismayed by the lack of rum in religious history, but his faith is rekindled by a mention of a “Mexican eggnog” (rompope).

A quote from G.K. Chesterton helps to transition us to a brief discussion on Prohibition, and Prof. Foley discusses why this movement may have become to be associated with evangelical religion, and possibly a few anti-Catholic sentiments. From that point, we move to the alcohols of the liturgical calendar. Starting with Advent, working through Christmas and then through Easter, we cover some of the favorite adult beverages associated with these celebrations. Along the way, we learn a bit about Fat Tuesday and Lent, and how abstaining from alcohol was not necessarily the historical thing to give up during the latter religious season. Indeed, Michael tells the story of how beer — particularly a dopplebock — became connected to Lent given its “nutritional” qualities. We learn about a more contemporary experiment in getting through Lent on beer, and beer alone. Easter and the Pentecost, we discover, are not particularly associated with any specific drink.

Next, we take a look at how some saints have been affiliated with certain drinks and, with a tip of the hat to RoR regular guest Brian O’Neel, we review some of the Catholic saints of May. It is at this point where Michael begins to reveal some of his own personal recipes that can be found in his book, several of which are named after saints. He explains how he came about choosing the ingredients of these drinks based upon the lives of these religious personalities. Moreover, Tony learns the difference between a mixed drink and a cocktail, and the rules that differentiate them. Michael also shares his fondness for shaking cocktails, as opposed to stirring, and why chards of chipped ice add to the pleasure of various beverages. Listen to his secret recipes or visit us at Facebook for the ingredient list, perhaps taking a sip or two while listening to this podcast!

Our interview finishes off with some final reflections about what Michael has learned from his process of researching and writing this book. Recorded: April 20, 2015.

John Errington on “A Long Way Off” and Religious Movie Making

tonygill — Sun, 04 May 2014 08:00:33 +0000

With religiously-themed movies such as Noah and The Blind Side making their way into major motion picture releases recently, we talk with writer, producer, and director John Errington about his new independent film project A Long Way Off set to be released on May 16th, 2014. Our conversation takes us into the world of independent film making to see how smaller movies with religious themes can compete with big cinematic productions.

We start off with a quick synopsis of the movie A Long Way Off, which follows the story of the prodigal son in the New Testament. After this short “trailer,” we then take an overview of John’s life, finding how a kid born in Detroit, raised in North Carolina, and educated at Harvard ends up directing motion pictures and winning an Emmy (albeit not for directing). John provides some insight into his personal faith and other tidbits about his life including how he goes from making a movie in college for fun to directing a motion picture with stars such as Robert Davi and Edie McClurg. John reflects upon his love of storytelling and how it relates to film making.

Following this autobiography, we dive into the world of making a movie. Tony learns why there are so many different companies (e.g., Word Films, Uptone Pictures) with their “hands in the pot” and what constitutes an “independent film.” John explains that every film is really a business enterprise unto itself that brings together a number of different companies. It is revealed that Word Films is actually a distribution subsidiary of Warner Brothers, yet A Long Way Off still qualifies as “independent” based upon how the funding for the making of the picture was assembled. We also talk about why the film was shot in North Carolina and the impressive cast that was assembled for this film, including important roles for the likes of Robert Davi (the Bond villain in License to Kill and Edie McClurg from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Frozen). Tony probes whether working on an independent Christian film might brand or limit an actor/actress/director in terms of future career options.

Our conversation also covers the plot of the film, what type of liberties John and the writers took with the prodigal son story, and how the movie is being marketed. The latter includes discussion on how to give the story some “edge” so that it doesn’t come off as a sappy Hallmark made-for-TV movie, yet keep it clean enough to make it enjoyable family fare. As for marketing, we talk about the role that churches can play in helping to “get the word out.” John, while not principally responsible for distribution, does talk about the use of social media and religious networks to help the film get some traction.

We finish with John’s general thoughts about the role of religion in Hollywood and popular culture and how the lower costs of film making has changed the landscape. Recorded: April 18, 2014.

Research On Religion » Noah

Michael Foley on Religion and Booze

John Errington on “A Long Way Off” and Religious Movie Making