Posts Tagged ‘religious pluralism’


Quin Monson on Norms, Religion, and Politics

How are different religious traditions viewed at the ballot box? Prof. Quin Monson, a political scientist at BYU, discusses a recent study he and several colleagues conducted on religious biases and sanctioning of norm violations during the 2012 presidential election. Our conversation covers how norms are used in society, when violations of norms are punished by individuals, what religious groups are considered “outside the norm” and by whom, and whether and how attitudes towards different groups may change over time.

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

While pastors often don’t want to talk about the subject of church funding, it is an established fact that religious groups need finances to survive and thrive. Prof. James Hudnut-Beumler (Vanderbilt University) discusses the importance of thinking about church funding and takes us on a tour of how church financing has changed in the United States over the past two and a half centuries. We cover topics such as pew rentals, competition from benevolence groups, and automatic debiting. Technological and social changes have affected how religious organizations collect revenue and, in turn, has shaped our religious landscape in interesting ways.

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Anthony Gill on the Political Origins of Religious Liberty (Encore Presentation)

While we are solving some technical difficulty problems, please enjoy this “blast from the past,” as Prof. Steven Pfaff interviews me about my work on the origins of religious liberty.

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Chris Soper on the Challenge of Religious Pluralism

How do various democratic nations manage increasing religious pluralism around the world?  Prof. Christopher Soper, a distinguished political scientist at Pepperdine University, answers this question and talks about the third edition of his book The Challenge of Pluralism, co-authored with Kevin den Dulk and the late Stephen Monsma.  After Chris provides a few reflections on […]

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Mark David Hall on Religious Accommodations and the Common Good

As a number of religious accommodation cases are winding their way through the U.S. court system, we invite Prof. Mark David Hall (George Fox University) to discuss the history of religious exemptions in American history. In addition to whether or not a florist or baker should be exempted from providing services to same-sex weddings based on religious beliefs, we also examine rights of conscience accommodations granted to religious groups for military service, the swearing of oaths, mandatory school attendance, and vaccinations. Prof. Hall explains how “Americans at their best” have accommodated religious views since colonial days and speculates on what the future holds.

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Joshua Hall on Adam Smith, Religious Competition, and the Simpsons

What did Adam Smith have to say on the effects of religious pluralism in a nation? And can what Smith hypothesized be tested today to see if it bears out? And what does this have to do with The Simpsons? Prof. Joshua Hall of West Virginia University explains a recent study he conducted that shows countries with higher levels of religious diversity have less regulated religious markets, just as Smith would predict. We also think about endogeneity and other fancy words, culminating in the economics of The Simpsons, which is not related to the main topic, but which is really cool nonetheless.

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David Mislin on Embracing Religious Pluralism

When and how did embracing religious pluralism become an American value? Prof. David Mislin (Temple University) discusses the significant changes that occurred within mainline Protestantism between 1875 and 1925 that helped shape the way the United States manages religious diversity. David argues that increased global travel, the rise of new scientific theories, and other cultural changes prompted a number of clergy and theologians within the mainline Protestant tradition to embrace religious pluralism, an intellectual shift that has had lasting impact to this day. At the end of the podcast, Tony asks Prof. Mislin a “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” question.

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Rajdeep Singh on American Sikhs and Religious Liberty

What is the Sikh religion and how have Sikhs fit into American society? Rajdeep Singh of the Sikh Coalition explains the history, tenets, rituals, and practices of his faith, as well as the challenges this religious minority has faced in the United States. We discuss how Sikhs have been instrumental in championing religious liberty with cases about religious garb in Oregon and issues of occupational safety.

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

Can satire be used to prompt religious reform? Prof. Chris Grenda (CUNY) discusses the role of humor, parody, irony, and satire in the changing religious landscape of the English Enlightenment (circa 17th and 18th centuries). We discuss the nature and role of satire in society and review a number of major historical satirists including Jonathan Swift and Thomas Paine, as well as the lesser known figures such as Ralph Wallis, Charles Blount, and Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the Third Earl of Shaftesbury. All of these satirists used their wit to advance the frontiers of religious toleration in an environment of growing religious pluralism and institutional corruption. How the “powers that be” — both ecclesiastical and secular — react to being the focus of ridicule is also discussed. We further bring the discussion into the contemporary era with references to Mark Steyn, Monty Python, and George Carlin. Prof. Grenda provides a number of interesting observations on what is happening to the rhetorical device of satire in our contemporary era.

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Anthony Gill on the Political Origins of Religious Liberty

For the past two and a half years, Tony Gill has interviewed over 135 guests on this podcast. Today, Prof. Steve Pfaff takes over as guest host and interviews Tony about his recent book, “The Political Origins of Religious Liberty.” We discuss what religious liberty is and why a government would ever want to allow religious groups to have greater freedom. Tony emphasizes the political and economic motivations behind “deregulating the religious marketplace”, including the need to attract immigrants, promote free trade, and generate economic growth and tax revenue. We focus attention on colonial American history, but also discuss religious freedom in Russia, China, Mexico, Chile and a few other places. This interview is a great complement to other podcasts we have had on the topic of religious liberty, and an opportunity to see what your weekly host is really thinking about!

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