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

tonygill — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 08:00:39 +0000

While congregations may pray for manna from heaven, financing a religious institution often relies upon hard work, creativity, and direct appeals to parishioners to contribute to the provision of the clergy and the buildings. Prof. James Hudnut-Beumler, the Anne Potter Wilson Distinguished Professor of Religious History at Vanderbilt University, discusses his historical studies of how American Protestant churches changed their funding models over the past two and a half centuries. We begin with a personal story of how Dr. Hudnut-Beumler came to be interested in the economics behind church funding, and he regales us with a story of his chance meeting with Ben Bernake (yet to become chairman of the Federal Reserve). Upon finding out that Jim studied religion, Bernake told him how economics predicts that women would be more religiously active then men. We talk a bit more about the appropriateness of using economics to understand the world of religion, and Jim notes that one of the most important concepts that economics contributes to a humanities-based approach is the notion of value. Indeed, the becomes important later in our interview when we ask Prof. Hudnut-Beumler about his own personal reflections on his research and how it helped him in his religious vocation as a Presbyterian minister. We then work our way through a history of American Protestantism and how funding models have changed over time.

Jim notes that there are three common tensions or ironies that run throughout this history including: clergy who raise money “for God” understand that they are really paying for their own salary; the spiritualization of appeals for financing; and the increasing voluntary nature of church tithing. Jim points out that roughly two-thirds of the cost of running a congregation goes to personnel in the form of salaries and other compensation. During America’s colonial history, much of the needed funding was collected via taxes collected by local governments. This began to change during the First Great Awakening as itinerant ministers and upstart churches would compete with the state-funded churches for members and funds. By the end of the 18th century and into the early 19th century, congregations lost support of state funding and needed to make new appeals to members to voluntarily contribute to churches. We talk a bit about the “pew rent” model and learn, as a fun fact, that the raised boxes of seating in many churches were to house heated bricks to keep the wealthier congregants warmer in the winter. Not only was it valuable to sit up front near the preacher, but that was also where the heating was! Another development in the first half of the 1800s was the rise of the “Benevolence Empire,” wherein colporteurs and other charity entrepreneurs would raise funds for specific causes. Realizing that this was competing with a fixed set of dollars that congregants were giving to religious causes, church congregations also got into this business leading to a dramatic increase in the amount of charitable funding during this era. Another fascinating development, and one which surprised Prof. Hudnut-Beumler, was the emphasis placed on constructing and remodeling church buildings. Whereas we are often treated with iconic photos of churches that exist “as they were in colonial days,” the truth of the matter is that church buildings were constantly undergoing change as individual congregants saw building or remodeling a church as a way to demonstrate devotion to God and to take pride in one’s own congregation.

The next phase of church financing occurred after the Civil War and up to World War I. Here Jim emphasizes a rediscovery of tithing and stewardship, noting how religious rhetoric tended to spiritualize the notion of giving, making it appear as one’s duty to God as compared to the mere need to support the pastor and keep the building looking tidy. Also during this era, clergy began to see themselves as professionals, much the way one would envision a business manager or banker. A number of congregations responded to this by altering how they compensated their clergy, and Jim provides examples of the Presbyterians who insisted upon supporting their ministers and missionaries on a salary that was equivalent to that of a local school superintendent. United Lutherans developed another model of investing in pensions for their clergy so they knew they would be taken care of after their retirement. We then talk about the developments that occur in the latter half of the 20th century and how growing suburbanization led to increased demands for a “seven day church” that was used for athletic and other social activities. Church sizes began to increase as did the spread of non-denominational churches. We then talk about how automated teller machines (ATMs) and the rise of “plastic money” has changed the giving model, with many churches turning to weekly debits from bank accounts as a way to smooth out the annual giving cycle. Jim tells us about how his father, a minister, would be somewhat concerned about family expenses going into the summer as that was the time when contributions were at their lowest. (Tony notes that another guest on the podcast brought up this same issue, Pastor Larry Osborne, who Tony mistakenly refers to as Robert Osborne. Oops.) We conclude our discussion some of Rev. Hudnut-Beumler’s own personal reflections about what he has learned in his studies and how it has affected his ministry. He emphasized the importance of speaking plainly and transparently to congregants about the need for funding. Recorded: September 29, 2017.

In Pursuit of the Almighty’s Dollar: A History of Money and American Protestantism, by James Hudnut-Beumler.

“Why Cash Remains Sacred in American Churches,” by James Hudnut-Beumler (on RealClearReligion).

Looking for God in the Suburbs: The Religion of the American Dream and Its Critics, 1945-1965, by James Hudnut-Beumler.

Generous Saints: Congregations Rethinking Money and Ethics, by James Hudnut-Beumler.

The History of the Riverside Church in the City of New York, by Peter Paris, et al. (including James Hudnut-Beumler).

The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior, by Steven Garber (mentioned in the podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Larry Osborne on Church Finances and Growth.

John Fea on the American Bible Society.

Michael McConnell on Church Property Disputes.

Phillip Sinitierre on the Osteens and Lakewood Church.

Richard Hammar on Churches, Taxes, Donations, and Liability.

Mike McBride on the Economics of Church Leadership.

Thom Rainer on Baptist Conventions and Church Health.

Jordan Lorence on Religious Property Cases.

Oliver Crisp on Calvin and Reformed Theology

tonygill — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 09:00:09 +0000

Who was John Calvin and why did his theological ideas take hold the way they did? And is Reformed Theology, which traces its roots to Calvin, really as narrow as is typically portrayed? Prof. Oliver D. Crisp, a professor of systematic theology (and more) at the Fuller Theological Seminary, helps all of us understand the mystery that is Calvinism and Reformed theology and why he named his latest book Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology. As Tony is not much of a theologian, this interview was immensely helpful in making some seemingly esoteric topics readily accessible.

Our conversation begins with Prof. Crisp explaining what hamartiology and soteriology are to Tony, who has a problem with his -iologies. We learn that hamartiology is the study of sin whereas soteriology is he study of salvation, both of which mesh nicely with Oliver’s interest in Reformed theology. To better understand Reformed theology, though, we next step back to one of the great founders of this intellectual tradition — John Calvin. Prof. Crisp reviews Calvin’s wandering ways and his efforts in reforming Geneva, noting that Calvin played the role of theologian, preacher, and politician. We also compare Calvin’s historical shadow to Luther’s and wonder why the latter cast a much larger one (with Luther getting his very own “Reformation Day” and Calvin did not). Oliver offers up a few ideas as to why Luther has overshadowed Calvin. We also talk a bit about Calvin’s relation with the Roman Catholic Church.

We next move into a theological discussion, examining the general themes of Calvin and the Magisterial Reformers. Prof. Crisp reviews the general themes of these reformers and the more specific views of Calvin. These folks (and Calvin in particular) tended to emphasize divine sovereignty, the notion that humans are morally corrupt and entirely dependent on God’s grace, incarnation as a substitute, revelation in nature versus Scripture, the doctrine of election, and absolute predestination. Oliver points out that most people tend to focus on election (predestination) to the neglect of other aspects of Calvin’s thought. Prof. Crisp’s own work is to highlight the greater theological breadth and depth of Reformed thinkers than what is typically assumed.

Our next segment reviews how the ideas of Calvin and the early reformers spread to places such as Scotland and influenced Presbyterianism. We also discuss the transformation of Reformed thought through the ages, covering theologians from John Knox to Jonathan Edwards to Karl Barth, as well as the movements of “school theology” and pietism. In the midst of this Tony remembers to wish George Whitefield a happy 300th birthday, which brings us up to 21st century and what Tony has been perceiving as a revival of Reformed thought, something Oliver calls the “Reformed recovery” or what Colin Hanson terms the “young, restless, and reformed.” Oliver explains how certain doctrines have been picked up and adopted by non-traditional Reformed churches (such as Baptists and non-aligned evangelicals) as well as some confessional denominations. We discuss the influences of new multi-denominational seminary training and influential thinkers such as John Piper and Tim Keller.

At this point we dive into theology, with an examination of TULIP, a boiled down, five-point version of the Synod of Dort. This acronym stands for Totally depraved, Unconditional election, Limited atonement, Irresistible grace, and Perseverance of saints. It is here that Oliver discusses how not all Reformed theologians subscribe rigorously to these five points and that there is a great deal of diversity within the thinking. He uses the example of Bishop John Davenant who was a major participant at the Synod of Dort (1618-19) to demonstrate that Reformed thinking was quite variegated from its earliest of days. Here we dig into other theological topics such as the sufficiency-efficiency debate surrounding atonement, free will, and universalism. Oliver helps Tony figure out all of this stuff with an analogy to Hal Jordan and his alter-ego, the Green Lantern.

We conclude the interview with Prof. Crisp’s thoughts on how this deep theology matters to the laity after Tony suggests that this all sounds like esoteric debates about how many angels can dance on a pin. Oliver has two fantastic responses. First, he argues that there is a virtue in knowing simply for knowledge as an end-in-itself. Second, Oliver points out that there is a trickle down effect wherein pastors who are trained in theology are able to develop a consistent underlying theology and set of principles that assist them in bringing the Gospels to the wider laity. Recorded: November 6, 2014.

Deviant Calvinism: Broadening Reformed Theology, by Oliver D. Crisp.

Divinity and Humanity: The Incarnation Reconsidered, by Oliver D. Crisp.

Revisioning Christology: Theology in a Reformed Tradition, by Oliver D. Crisp.

Advancing Trinitarian Theology: Explorations in Constructive Dogmatics, edited by Oliver Crisp and Fred Sanders.

Christology, Ancient and Modern: Explorations in Constructive Dogmatics, edited by Oliver Crisp and Fred Sanders.

Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the New Calvinists, by Collin Hansen (mentioned in podcast).

RELATED PODCASTS

Michael McClymond on Jonathan Edwards.

Russell Kleckley on Religion, Science, and Johannes Kepler.

Steven Pfaff on the Protestant Reformation.

Thomas Kidd on the Pilgrims.

Tracy McKenzie on the First Thanksgiving.

Christopher Grenda on Religious Satire during the Enlightenment (and Today)

tonygill — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 09:00:38 +0000

Can satire be used to prompt religious reform? Prof. Christopher Grenda, an associate professor of history at CUNY- Bronx Community College, discusses his recent research on satire during the English Enlightenment (c. late 17th and 18th centuries). Chris tells us how he stumbled onto this research topic and then we spend some time discussing what satire is relative to other forms of humor such as parody and irony. Our conversation uses several contemporary instances where satire has led some individuals to get into trouble, including humorist Mark Steyn who was brought up before a Canadian Human Rights Commission for his satirical writings. We then move backwards in time to the English Enlightenment. Chris lays out the historical context of what is happening in jolly old England in terms of politics and religion. It is a time of great ferment, with the early Stuart monarchs trying to consolidate their power at the time when religious dissent is arising. Early satirists such as Charles Blount (a Deist) and Ralph Wallis (an orthodox Christian) become some of the first writers to critique the Church of England for its seemingly corrupt practices. Our conversation then takes various historical turns (not always in sequence) as we discuss other authors such as Thomas Paine, John Witherspoon, David Hume, and Anthony Ashley-Cook (a.k.a. the Third Earl of Shaftesbury). We explore the different ways in which each of these writers used wit to lampoon the powerful ecclesiastics of their day, and Chris provides some memorable and surprisingly cutting quotes from their works. Chris mentions that satire becomes increasingly “democratized” with the spread of literacy and printing technology, and how this affects the style of writing in order to reach new and different audiences. Throughout the podcast, we also learn about how the authorities responded to such satire and how many of these literary figures had to use pen names or circulate their missives underground. We close with some thoughts on satire in the contemporary world and how our present society may be a bit less tolerant of such dissent than in the past. Recorded: February 12, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. Christopher Grenda at CUNY.

“The Right to Ridicule” by Ronald Dworkin in the New York Times Review of Books.

The First Prejudice: Religious Tolerance and Intolerance in Early America, by Chris Beneke and Christopher Grenda.

Robert Coote on the 27 Most Popular Hymns & Amazing Grace

tonygill — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 08:00:59 +0000

What hymns do you think of when someone asks you to list the greatest songs of praise of all time? Robert T. Coote, senior contributing editor of The International Bulletin of Missionary Research, wondered just that and undertook a two-year research project examining the hymnals of six mainline Protestant denominations to create a list of the 27 most popular hymns over the past century (see link to list below). The results are revealing, including the interesting observation that “Amazing Grace” does not make the list. We discuss the history of hymns, showing how they are a relatively recent development in Christian history and how they are related to psalters. We also discuss how hymnal committees select songs for inclusion into the official denominational hymal. Mr. Coote also makes the observation that many Protestant hymns are frequently found in Catholic song books. Our conversation explores why the history of the popular song “Amazing Grace,” and we examine why it did not make the list of the top hymns of all time. We finish the podcast with some speculation about the contemporary Christian music scene, the growth of non-denominational churches and how this may affect the endurance of traditional hymns. Tony reveals some of his favorite hymns (which don’t make the list) and what his pastor has to say about his singing. This interview ranks as one of Tony’s favorite episodes. Recorded: March 25, 2011.

RELATED LINKS

Research on Religion Facebook page. Join the conversation and tell us your favorite hymns or songs of worship!

“The Hymns that Keep on Going: The 27 worship songs that have made the hymnal cut time and again” by Robert T. Coote in Christianity Today.

The list of the top 27 hymns as compiled by Robert T. Coote.

“Whatever Happened to Amazing Grace” by Robert T. Coote in Christianity Today.

International Bulletin of Missionary Research.