Research On Religion » secularization

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

tonygill — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 14:45:26 +0000

Due to a series of technical difficulties with our studio line, we are rebroadcasting an interview that friend and colleague Steven Pfaff (UW Sociology) did with me nearly 5 years ago. Given that I am teaching a course on religion and politics this term, I am floating this one up to the top of the feed as an encore presentation for the students and for you. Please enjoy, and once we get the phone lines reconnected we will bring you some crescent fresh episodes.

Religious liberty has not been the normal state of affairs in world history. Indeed, religious activity has been tightly controlled by rulers across space and time. So why would political leaders ever choose to “deregulate a religion market”? This week, Anthony Gill (University of Washington, political science), the host of Research on Religion (Facebook page and Twitter), becomes the guest as Prof. Steven Pfaff (University of Washington, sociology) takes the reins of inquisitor and peppers Tony with questions about his book The Political Origins of Religious Liberty. We begin our conversation with a definition of religious liberty. Tony points out that it is important to think about religious liberty in terms of costs and benefits. Any government policy that imposes a greater cost on an individual or group’s ability to worship needs to be viewed as a decrease in freedom, whereas anything reducing such costs enhances liberty. We then talk about previous theories of why religious liberty has arisen in the modern world, noting that most scholars rely upon ideational reasons for its appearance — namely that policymakers were convinced by philosophers that religious freedom was a good idea in-and-of-itself. But Tony notes that even through religious liberty might be a good idea per se, it is not an idea that is always shared by everyone in the policymaking arena. Numerous policy ideas exist at any given moment and it is important to consider the political and economic interests of rule-makers when accounting for the appearance of tolerance and freedom in places like The Netherlands, Great Britain, and the United States. Secular leaders are most interested in their political survival, generating tax revenue, and growing the economy. These interests will be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to allow greater religious freedoms. We also note that religious leaders are not neutral in this process. the clergy of dominant religions will generally favor restrictions on religious minorities, whereas religious minorities will advocate for greater religious freedoms. The gradual development of religious pluralism changes the political landscape in a way that favors the emergence of tolerance and liberty in the long-run (though there is likely to be conflict in the short-run). Our discussion relies upon examples from colonial British America, but Steve Pfaff adds to the conversation other illustrations from Russia, Germany, the Netherlands, and even Spain. We close with Steve challenging Tony on some different configurations of religious liberty and whether or not a government that seeks to be “neutral” is privileging secularism over all other confessions. Tony chimes in on this topic as well. Recorded: December 18, 2012.

Steve Pfaff’s bio at the University of Washington’s Department of Sociology.

The Political Origins of Religious Liberty, by Anthony Gill.

Rendering unto Caesar: The Catholic Church and the State in Latin America, by Anthony Gill.

Exit-voice Dynamics & the Collapse of East Germany, by Steven Pfaff.

The Spiritual Virtuoso: Personal Faith and Social Transformation, by Marion Goldman and Steven Pfaff.

RELATED PODCASTS

An extensive list of our podcasts on religious liberty.

Anthony Gill on Religion (an EconTalk podcast).

Steven Pfaff on the World of 1517 (Protestant Reformation Series).

Steven Pfaff on Denominationalism, Sin, and Other Stuff.

Larry Iannaccone on Sacrifice, Stigma, and the Economics of Religion.

Rodney Stark on Myths of the Reformation

tonygill — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 08:00:00 +0000

Everybody knows that the Protestant Reformation ushered in what eventually became an era of scientific enlightenment, economic development, and secularization to Europe. Or did it? Prof. Rodney Stark, co-founder of Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion, says “Nonsense!” to many of these so-called historical truths as we walk through some common myths and misconceptions of the famous religious movement that Martin Luther set rolling. We begin first by noting that there really wasn’t just a single Reformation, but at least three including Luther’s protest, Calvin’s subsequent religious movement, and King Henry VIII’s English Reformation, which wasn’t so much a change in theology as it was a transfer of authority. Prof. Stark also points out that once Catholicism’s exit door was opened and excommunication was off the table as a form of punishment, Protestantism became a fissiparous movement that underwent continual reformations leading to thousands of recognizably distinct Christian denominations today. We further learn that “Protestantism” was a term first used by the Catholic Church, and not by the individuals protesting Rome’s monopoly dominance of Christian theology. The next myth that we wander into is that the Reformation (writ large for all the various reformations) was a religious rebellion of the masses. Here Rod points out that Europe was not deeply religious in the sense of being steeped in official Catholic doctrine, but rather was a mish-mash of popular Christianity, pagan rituals, and other non-Christian superstitions and rituals. The lower classes seldom attended religious services during the supposed “golden age” of Christianity, and when they did it was often raucous affairs, not the solemn worship services often depicted in paintings and literature. Social movements, he points out, are rarely ever spurred on by the poor, but rather by economic and cultural elites that have the time and motivations to organize collective action. We address the German Peasant’s War (sometimes Revolt) of 1524-25 as possible evidence of a popular religious uprising, but this was merely the one in a long string of sporadic peasant revolts against unfavorable economic conditions. Rod notes that the reason why some regions of Europe tended to “go Protestant” while others stayed Catholic had little to do with popular sentiment and more to do with elite politics and the economic position of princes to the Vatican in terms of debt owed. Poland is brought up as a curious case of a region that initially sided with Protestantism, but then returned to the Catholic fold. Rod further points out that Protestantism did not lead to an uptick in formalized religious worship, citing the work of a historian who actually took a census of church attendance and rolls during the 16th century.

The next issues that we tackle are not so much myths as they are misfortunes. Prof. Stark explains why he sees Protestantism as providing for the cultural and political conditions that gave rise to European nationalism, that had some beneficial aspects in coagulating states, but also led to a number of extremely vicious wars between rival geographies. Rod further notes that what the Protestant Reformation(s) did was really end Christendom, the spiritual language that kept Europe pieced together during some rather fragmented centuries, at least amongst the political elite. We then go on to discuss whether or not Christianity was the impetus behind the Scientific Revolution and, eventually, the Enlightenment. Rod corrects the record about the so-called Dark Ages in that there was still a great deal of scientific and technological progress that was occurring in the centuries prior to Luther, and that the seeds of capitalism were also sown and growing long before there could have been a Protestant Ethic. Rod explains that many of these notions were promoted by scholars who held an anti-Catholic agenda (e.g., Voltaire) and were uncritically accepted by scholars up to present day (although he also points out that many contemporary historians are setting the record straight). All this then leads us to consider the purported rise of individualism and secularization in the modern (post-18th century) era. Again, Rod emphasizes that Europe never really secularized because it always was relatively secular in terms of large numbers of people avoiding religious institutions, and what constitutes the notion of “individualism” today has always been around in some form.

We finish off with a brief discussion of one of Prof. Stark’s other recent books, Why God? Explaining Religious Phenomenon. His main critique here is that social scientists have typically approached religion as something that has nothing to do with God, citing the likes of Emile Durkheim who considered religion to be something other than an institutional connection to the transcendent or supernatural. Rod corrects the record by noting that scholars need to take the actual beliefs of the people they study seriously, and if they say they are creating organizations for the purpose of worshiping God, then that must might be what they are doing. He leaves us with some critical words of wisdom, which is always to be suspicious of the received wisdom. Recorded: August 21, 2017.

(Note: Prof. Stark has always been one of my informal academic mentors, and was a close neighbor of mine when he lived in Washington State. Following our formal interview, we had a nice chat about bears, bobcats, and coyotes in the area that I live. We shared a number of other “everyday stories.” It was a simple conversation, but a truly delightful one that should remind us about the importance of living one’s daily life.)

Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion.

Reformation Myths: Five Centuries of Misconceptions and (Some) Misfortunes, by Rodney Stark.

Why God? Explaining Religious Phenomenon, by Rodney Stark.

For the Glory of God: How Monotheism Led to Reformations, Science, Witch Hunts, and the End of Slavery, by Rodney Stark.

Bearing False Witness: Debunking Centuries of Anti-Catholic History, by Rodney Stark.

The Triumph of Faith: Why the World Is More Religious than Ever, by Rodney Stark.

See Prof. Stark’s personal website (link above) or his Amazon author page for a full listing of titles.

RELATED PODCASTS

Protestant Reformation Series.

Emily Fisher Gray on Luther’s 95 Theses.

Rob Sorenson on Martin Luther’s Life.

Steven Pfaff on the World of 1517.

Marion Goldman on Martin Luther and Spiritual Virtuosity.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Faith.

Rodney Stark on How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part I.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part II.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part III.

Rodney Stark on the Crusades.

Steven Pfaff on the Protestant Reformation.

Russell Kleckley on Religion, Science, and Johannes Kepler.

Does America Need a Christian Democratic Party?

tonygill — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 08:00:18 +0000

The American political landscape appears in chaos, and Christians are seemingly under assault in both the legislative arena and judicial system, or so says Hunter Baker, an associate professor of political science at Union University. Based upon these reflections, he began wondering whether the United States was in need of a Christian Democratic party to defend religious liberty and promote other Judeo-Christian values in the polity. To this end, Prof. Baker organized a symposium of scholars to write their thoughts on topic. The results were published in the Winter 2017 issue of the academic journal Perspectives on Political Science. We pick up this debate here with Prof. Baker and two additional scholars — Bryan McGraw (Wheaton College) and Micah Watson (Calvin College). Prof. Baker argues that a Christian Democratic party represents the best means of defending Christian interests in the public arena considering that lobbying attempts by religious organizations have not been entirely effective in convincing either the Democratic or Republican parties to protect religious freedoms and promote Christian values. Tony questions Hunter as to how effective such a partisan effort might be given that CD parties have not been able to hold back the tide of aggressive secularism in Europe, though Prof. Baker counters with evidence from Germany that shows how their CD party has favored traditional definitions of marriage and has been open to refugees. Prof. McGraw provides additional historical perspective in his segment of the debate, noting that CD parties were crucial in a number of European countries — most notably Belgium — during the late 1800s and early 1900s, and were also important in helping promote policies that favored religious interests such as funding for religious education. Nonetheless, Bryan points out that the political structure of the United States lends itself to a two party system wherein third parties have a hard time making any headway, and with Christianity much more diverse than in Europe, the chance for any one party to coalesce around a religiously-based platform would be very difficult. Prof. Micah Watson responds to all of this arguing that irrespective of whether a CD party could be successfully created in the U.S., it is nonetheless a bad idea because associating Jesus’s name with a variety of mundane policies that could divide citizens is not the proper use of the Christian mission. Tony asks if this even applies to potholes. Micah notes that while it may be acceptable to pray for pothole relief, building a political party around a single Christian identity would be difficult (echoing Bryan McGraw’s concerns) and bad for the long-term evangelization agenda of Christianity. Tony adds his own perspective to the debate with an intellectual appeal to public choice theory. (Those interested in reading Tony’s paper can request it via our Facebook or Twitter pages.) Prof. Watson shares some of his ideas for how Christians may engage the world politically based upon the ideas of C.S. Lewis. Recorded: March 3, 2017.

RELATED LINKS

Symposium on Christian Democracy in America in Perspective on Political Science (may require subscription or university affiliation).

Prof. Hunter Baker’s bio at Union University.

Prof. Hunter Baker’s article, “Can Christian Democracy Be America’s Next European Import?”

Prof. Bryan McGraw’s bio at Wheaton College.

Prof. Bryan McGraw’s article, “Europe’s Christian Democratic Parties and American Possibilities.”

Prof. Micah Watson’s bio at Calvin College.

Prof. Micah Watson’s article, “Another Meditation on the Third Commandment.”

Prof. Anthony Gill’s article, “Christian Democracy without Romance.”

The End of Secularism, by Hunter Baker.

Political Thought: A Student’s Guide, by Hunter Baker.

The System Has a Soul, by Hunter Baker.

Faith in Politics: Religion and Liberal Political Thought, by Bryan McGraw.

Natural Law and Evangelical Political Thought, edited by Jesse Covington, Bryan McGraw, and Micah Watson.

C.S. Lewis on Politics and the Natural Law, by Justin Dyer and Micah Watson.

The Political Origins of Religious Liberty, by Anthony Gill.

Rendering Unto Caesar: The Catholic Church and State in Latin America, by Anthony Gill.

RELATED PODCASTS

Should Christians Have Fought in the US War for Independence?

Hunter Baker on Secularism.

Hunter Baker on the Past and Future of the Religious Right.

Hunter Baker on the Future of Religious Higher Education.

Micah Watson on C.S. Lewis.

Francis Beckwith on Taking Rites Seriously.

David Buckley on the Demand for Clergy in Politics.

Nathanael Snow on the Evangelical Coalition and Public Choice.

J0n Shields on Democratic Virtues and the Christian Right.

Aaron Saiger on Religion and Charter Schools.

Joseph O. Baker on American Secularism

tonygill — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 08:00:36 +0000

The biggest trend in American religiosity in the past two decades has been the increase in “religious nones,” individuals who do not proclaim an affiliation with any particular denomination or faith tradition. We invite Prof. Joseph O. Baker, assistant professor of sociology at Eastern Tennessee State University, to talk about this phenomenon in light of his recent book (with Buster Smith) entitled American Secularism: Cultural Contours of Nonreligious Belief Systems. After a brief chat about his work on the paranormal and other fringe religious movements, we dive into the topic of secularism and Prof. Baker provides a nuanced definition of that term. He actually notes that there are secularisms (plural) and explains what that means. Four categories of individuals with a non-religious cosmic belief system are identified including atheists, agnostics, non-affiliated believers, and cultural religionists. Joseph reveals that you could break these down into more nuanced categories, but sticks with these four basic types for the purposes of our conversation. We then break down the demographics of American secularism. Joseph points out that non-theists tend to be found in the upper social classes and have higher levels of education. Younger individuals tend to fall into the four basic groups of secularists, more so than older generations. Racially, whites and Asians tend to be the most secular, with second generation Asians being the least religious, but 3rd generation Asians looking more religiously similar to whites. African-Americans are the least secular of the major racial categories. Prof. Baker also notes that individuals often shift between categories in a more fluid manner than one might predict, often moving between different identities even within one year’s time. We then review the history of American secularism dating back to Thomas Paine, through the Freethought period of the early 19th century, evolutionary agnosticism coming in the late 1800s, and then seeing a subsiding of secularism during the middle part of the 20th century, with the 1950s being the high-water mark of American religiousness. We then explore the origins of what Joseph calls the Great Abdicating (a term he and Buster Smith hopes sticks). We see a gradual decline in religiousness in the 1960s and ’70s and then becoming more pronounced in the ’90s and early part of the 21st century. Several explanations for this trend are advanced, including political polarization, changes in family structure (e.g., later marriages), and a change in the concept of what “religion” is. This is followed by some of the social and political implications that might arise from increasing secularism. We conclude with some of Prof. Baker’s surprises in this study, including how diverse the category of “secular Americans” really is. Recorded: June 24, 2016.

American Secularism: Cultural Contours of Nonreligious Belief Systems, by Joseph O. Baker and Buster G. Smith.

Paranormal America, by Christopher Bader, Joseph O. Baker, and Carson Mencken.

The American Religious Data Archives.

RELATED PODCASTS

Chris Bader on Ghosts, UFOs, and the Paranormal.

Hunter Baker on Secularism.

Hunter Baker on the Past and Future of the Religious Right.

Paul Froese on America’s Four Gods.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Faith.

Daniel Libenson on Present and Future Judaism.

Frank Newport on Survey Research and America’s Religiosity.

Barry Hankins on Jesus, Gin, and the Culture Wars.

Tony Carnes on a Journey Through NYC Religions.

David Buckley on the Demand for Clergy in Politics.

Timothy Dalrymple on Religion and Sports

tonygill — Sun, 02 Feb 2014 09:00:14 +0000

What does it take to be an elite athlete? And what role does faith play in that lifestyle? We are pleased to re-run an interview with Timothy Dalrymple who knows all about being an elite athlete and religion. Tim was part of the 1995 NCAA national championship gymnastics team at Stanford University and was on his way to the 1996 Olympic trials when he tragically broke his neck, unbeknownst to him for several days. He recounts all the dedication and time it took to become a junior nationals champion at age 15 as well as to make it to the highest levels of collegiate competition.

We also follow Tim’s journey beyond athletics through his M.Div. at Princeton Theological Seminary, his Ph.D. at Harvard, and his current position as the managing editor of the evangelical channel at Patheos.com. He provides numerous insights into the life of an elite athlete and how his faith played an important role in shaping his character during his journey in this world, including his career-ending neck injury on the cusp of a possible appearance at the 1996 Olympics. The discussion of this injury alone is worth the (free) price of admission into this fascinating interview.

Tim corrects a number of misperceptions that the general public has about how religious athletes approach their faith. Interestingly, Tim notes that what challenges one the most is not the failures, because elite athletes learn about those all the time, but the victories. This discussion helps Tony understand the personal faith commitments of athletes such as Gabby Douglas, Tim Tebow, and Jeremy Lin.

We then turn our discussion to the incredible phenomenon of Jeremy Lin, noting how he captured the nation’s attention coming off the bench to play for a “down-and-out” New York Knicks team and leading them on a miraculous seven game winning streak in February of 2012. Tim knew of Jeremy long before his appearance in the NBA spotlight and recalls his first discussion with him at Harvard University, where Jeremy played collegiate ball. He then details the trajectory of Jeremy’s career based upon his recent book, Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity. We use this discussion to reflect upon the current state of religion in America. Whereas many scholars and pundits have argued that America’s religiosity is in decline, the attention and adoration that athletes like Lin, Tebow, and Douglas draw — not only for their athletic performances but for their public witness to their faith — provides an indication that our nation still thirsts for heroes who celebrate their Christian faith. Recorded: September 6, 2012.

RELATED LINKS

Timothy Dalrymple’s biography at Patheos.com (you can access his numerous articles at this website).

Jeremy Lin: The Reason for Linsanity, by Timothy Dalrymple.

RELATED PODCASTS

Eric Carter on Religion & the NFL.

Mike McBride on the Economics of Religious Leadership

tonygill — Sun, 28 Jul 2013 08:00:24 +0000

Why is religious leadership important? What function does religious leadership play? And what is with all those public rituals? We explore these questions with Prof. Mike McBride — associate professor of economics at UC-Irvine — who recently turned his scholarly attention to understanding the economic logic of authority and leadership. Be forewarned, though, this is not your typical “Ten Habits of Effective Leadership” type discussion. Instead, Prof. McBride trains the analytical tools of game theory and microeconomics to show how leadership is essential in coordinating social behavior.

We begin our discussion with a brief summary of what “economics” really is. While most folks think it is all about “money” or “international trade,” Mike points out that economics is really the study of choice under scarcity or, alternatively, the study of how humans make trade-offs. Given that we all face scarcity — be it in resources or time — the application of economics to the study of religion is perfectly natural. Clergy members, as well as the laity, have to make decisions about how to use their time to further a variety of goals. With that said, Mike points out that few (if any) economists of religion have paid attention to the important role leadership plays in guiding the resource decisions of an organization.

Our discussion of leadership begins with a basic definition of authority, which is the socially-recognized right to direct/coordinate action. Leadership is the personification of that authority. We then examine a critical function of leadership, which is to coordinate the actions and expectations of followers (congregants) so as to achieve some goal. We discuss the economic concept of a “coordination game” and Mike presents it in a manner that everybody (or at least Tony) can understand, which is to compare the functions of a religious leader to a coach on a football team. Without an agreed-upon focal point for decision-making — i.e., a leader, coach, pastor — chaos would reign regarding what actions should be undertaken. We also discuss another type of game — the prisoners’ dilemma — wherein individuals know what needs to be done but have an individual incentive not to participate. We all know that the sanctuary needs to be cleaned after services, but if everybody leaves that chore to somebody else, then the sanctuary never gets cleaned. Once again, leaders are central in crafting shared expectations about who needs to do what in order to get that room cleaned!

Prof. McBride then touches upon three different mechanisms by which leaders help coordinate group activity — promoting other-regarding behavior; screeing out free-riders; and creating shared expectations via repeated behavioral patterns. The first function includes selecting and propagating a set of norms and values that allow individuals to know what behavior is expeted of them relative to the group. The second function, one that has been studied extenstively by economists of religion, revolves around the selection of certain “sacrifices” or “stigmas” that weed out “free-riders” from the group. We talk about how proscriptions on certain behaviors (drinking) or prescriptions for wearing certain clothes (e.g., Amish dress) reduces the likelihood of individuals joining the religious group merely for the benefits of membership while avoiding any cost (e.g., tithing, volunteering). Finally, we look at the importance of repeated interactions with other people, a process that helps turn a “prisoners’ dilemma” game into an easier-solved coordination game. Here leaders are important fulcrums for facilitating these interactions.

Prof. McBride’s analysis leads to three interesting implications that are discussed in relation to various religious denominations including Catholics, the Amish and Latter Day Saints (Mormons). First, we discover the underlying importance of ritualistic behavior, particularly when it comes to selecting leadership. Rituals represent more than just rote memorization or action, but rather provide a public venue for individuals to reassure one another that they know who is in charge. Second, Mike divorces the notion that leadership is always linked to hierarchy. While titular heads of hierarchical organization (e.g., the pope) are important, authoritative leadership frequently emerges among the grassroots of an organization. Mike offers up the Mormon church as an example of an entity that does have a hierarchical structure of leadership at the top of the organization, but that also provides numerous ways for leadership to emerge at the local (congregational) level. Finally, we talk about how the deterioration of national religious leadership may be promoting secularization in society. While previous economists of religion have argued that religious competition begets a vibrant spiritual life within a society, Mike also argues that it leads to pluralism which may have the effect of eroding the coordinating power of religious leadership. We close with some of Mike’s thoughts on how his findings help us understand the issue of leadership writ large. Recorded: July 22, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. McBride’s website at UC-Irvine.

The Religious Marketplace, a blog by Mike McBride.

Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge, by Michael Chwe (as mentioned in the podcast.)

RELATED PODCASTS

Michael McBride on Religious Free-Riding and the Mormon Church.

Larry Witham on the Economics of Religion.

Eli Berman on Religious Terrorism.

Larry Osborne on Church Finances & Growth.

Rodney Stark on How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists

tonygill — Sun, 05 May 2013 08:00:21 +0000

Welcome new visitors. Join (and like) us at our Facebook Fan Page for regular updates, and be sure to tune in next week when we talk about Jesus & Gin!

Religious folks would agree that religion is pretty good for them. But is a more religious society good for the entire society as a whole, including non-believers? We take a look at the “positive spillover effects” that spiritual belief and church attendance has on the population as a whole with Prof. Rodney Stark, frequent guest and co-director of Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion. (Disclaimer: Baylor’s ISR is the sponsor of our podcast.) Our conversation begins with a discussion about how religious America really is. Recent students appear to indicate increasing non-participation, particularly among the young, and the newly-defined category of “nones” has become a regular talking point in the popular media. Prof. Stark puts these studies into perspective noting some methodological issues with these studies, but also notes that the “nones” — when examined more closely — actually behave rather religiously, including engaging in regular prayer. Rod mentions that the problem may not be so much as a loss of faith amongst the population, but rather a current weakness among churches to provide an adequate set of services. We then talk about a variety of benefits that a religious, and churched, population brings to society as a whole, including atheists. Our first stop on this journey deals with crime and its flipside, “pro-social behavior.” Despite having an image of a society out of control, Rod points out that “secular” (or “unchurched”) Europe has much higher crime rates in almost all categories except murder. We then discuss how and why religion may help to ameliorate crime by promoting pro-social behaviors, a seemingly obvious notion that has often been overlooked by criminologists. Religion not only decreases crime, but it promotes pro-social behavior such as helping people on the side of the road and donating blood, which moves us into a discussion about voluntarism. Contrary to the oft-cultivated notion that religious folks only provide charity or donate time to their own religious organizations, Rod points out that religious individuals are more engaged in secular organizations than secular folks. This moves our conversation into the realm of civic (political) involvement, and again the data show that religiously-active individuals shine in this area as well, and this includes not only evangelical Protestants, but Catholics, Jews, and members of other faith traditions. Tony then notes that being a “community volunteer” is not the only way to benefit a community, but rather being successful in one’s own chosen profession and not becoming a burden on society is also a way of benefitting the society at large. Rod talks about how religious individuals are, on average, more successful in business than secular individuals and are less likely to become a burden on society. This move us then to the issue of education and how homeschooling, promoted largely by religious individuals, has transformed the educational system to the point where many institutions of higher learning are taking note. Again, this provides a great many “positive externalities” for the local and national community. We then tackle intellectual life by playing off Mark Noll’s famous book about the lack of an “evangelical mind,” and Rod shows — to the contrary of Noll’s assertion — that religious individuals contribute greatly to intellectual life and high culture in the U.S. We finish off the interview with a discussion of health-related issues, including both physical and mental health. Both Tony and Rod share their various outrages at some of the very odd studies that have looked at the interconnection between religion and health. And just to spice things up on RoR, we get into a bit of a discussion about s-e-x, as well as how that relates to a bigger issue facing the Western world — fertility. Recorded: April 30, 2013.

America’s Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone, Including Atheists, by Rodney Stark.

The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Religion, by Rodney Stark.

America’s Blessings: How Religion Benefits Everyone… Including Atheists, by Rodney Stark (available November 2012).

Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion.

RELATED PODCASTS

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part I.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part II.

Rodney Stark on the Triumph of Christianity, Part III.

Rodney Stark on The Crusades.

Byron Johnson on More God, Less Crime.

Byron Johnson on Religion and Delinquency.

Daniel Hungerman on Religious Charity & Crowding Out.

Jeff Levin on Religion & Health.

Chris Bader on Ghosts, UFOs, and the Paranormal.

Paul Froese on America’s Four Gods.

Tony Carnes on A Journey through NYC Religions

tonygill — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 08:00:29 +0000

Religion in New York City? Say it ain’t so! Well, we talk with journalist Tony Carnes, who over the past three years has been working on a project to document every nook and cranny of The Big Apple in a search for that city’s spiritual lifeblood. His multi-media endeavor, known as A Journey through New York City Religions, has uncovered a remarkably vibrant spiritual lanscape that is constantly changing as the city finds itself in the throes of constant immigration and emigration. We start our interview with a look at (East Coast) Tony’s life, discussing his upbringing in small town Texas as well as his first visit to NYC wherein he was pleased to find out he could order a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at The Four Seasons restaurant. He then explains his own personal religious development from a kid more interested in hot rods than in the Bible and how this changed while he was at the University of Texas. His journey then takes us around the globe, including a pit stop to study under Frances Schaeffer at L’Abri in Switzerland, until he finally lands a job as a journalist, contributing to such notable publications as Christianity Today, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Newsday. Our discussion probes a theme that has arisen several times before on this podcast series, namely why the mass media tends to overlook the nation’s religious life or portrays it in ways that are incongruent with people’s daily experience. Mr. Carnes then gets into the details of how he set up A Journey through NYC Religions based upon the changes he saw taking place in internet media and how that could be harnessed to explore stories that were largely being ignored. Our conversation then moves to a discussion of New York City itself and how it has changed over time, from what was once considered “Sodom and Gomorrah on the Hudson” in the late 19th century to its “burned out days” in the 1960s and ’70s, to what it has become today. He provides some interesting data on how religion, which appeared to be on the decline in the ’50s and ’60s, makes a remarkable turnaround in NYC starting in 1978, particularly with the growth of evangelical churches being founded in the city. We then discuss how Tony goes about this project including his initial plan for covering the 6,400 miles of roads in the city and what questions he asks of his religious subjects that he encounters. He also reveals the journalistic philosophy that undergirds his reporting, something known as “sympathetic objectivity,” and how this differs from “accountability journalism” that most other news outlets practice. (If you listen carefully at this point in the interview you can hear RoR’s very own canine mascot, Rocky Barkington, weigh in with his opinion.) We finish our interview with a few stories of Tony’s adventures, including trodding through one of New York’s biggest snowstorms to find a pastor’s house, his discovery of a Mayan evangelical church, and Tony’s reflections on what he has learned over the years of doing this project. Contrary to secularization theorists, or those folks who think secular culture is trumping religion, Mr. Carnes sees an awakening of spiritual fervor facilitated by the mixing of new people always feeding into this great metropolis. Starving to hear more specific stories of religion in New York, (West Coast) Tony invites (East Coast) Tony back on the show, to which Mr. Carnes gracefully agrees. Stay tuned. Recorded: April 19, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Tony Carnes’s profile on A Journey through NYC Religions

A Journey through NYC Religions main website.

Values Research Institute.

New York Glory: Religions in the City, edited by Tony Carnes and Anna Karpathakis.

Asian American Religions: The Making and Remaking of Borders and Boundaries, edited by Tony Carnes and Fenggang Yang.

ProPublica, as mentioned in the podcast.

James Felak on Picking Pontiffs and Pope Francis I

tonygill — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:00:47 +0000

Visit our Facebook Fan Page, help us get to 400 “likes,” and tell us what name you would have chosen had you been picked pope!

Unless you’ve taken up the hermit lifestyle, you probably have heard about the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the selection of Jorge Mario Bergoglio as the Catholic Church’s new pontiff. The help us understand what the Catholic papacy is all about, and how the Church transitions from one leader to the next, we call upon James Felak, professor of history at the University of Washington – a frequent and popular guest on our show. Prof. Felak begins the discussion with an overview of what role the pope plays in the Catholic Church, including his responsibilities in writing encyclicals and serving as the Court of Final Instance. We examine the pontiff’s role in relation to a presidency or corporate executive, two of the more pervasive analogies in the popular media, and James explains why those models are not an accurate description of the pope’s duties. This becomes an important insight as we discuss whether or not a new pontiff can take the Church in a radically different direction, as many pundits have been speculating in recent weeks. James likens the Church to an elephant that can plod along with force in a single direction, but has trouble making rapid turns. The vast size and bureaucratic continuity of the Church makes it difficult for any single pontiff to dramatically alter the institution. We also review the relationship between the Holy See and the various bishops and national bishops’ conferences around the world. Attention then turns to the process of papal transition and we examine closely the decision of Benedict XVI to resign, the Conclave of Cardinals, and who finally emerged on the balcony shortly after the white smoke appeared. Prof. Felak brings some interesting insights into the last pope’s resignation based upon Benedict’s scholarship on norms and meta-norms. The health of Benedict XVI becomes a topic for discussion and James provides some interesting observations on the role of suffering in the Church and how this related to John Paul II. Only on Research on Religion can you hear such fascinating and deep insights! We move then to the selection process, looking at both the politics leading up to the Conclave as well as speculating about what went on behind closed doors. Tony asks James whether the short notice provided by Benedict was a strategic move to limit politicking among the Cardinals. After all, he stepped down only three weeks after his announcement during on the the busiest months of the Catholic calendar (e.g., Lent and Palm Sunday), meaning that the Cardinals had to hustle out to Rome, conduct their business, and (hopefully) choose a new pontiff by Easter. Tony also peppers Prof. Felak with additional questions about whether Benedict will be setting a new precedent among popes and how much outside influence from different Catholic factions and secular governments plays a role in the election process. Our discussion also explores who the Cardinals are, how they are selected, and what roles they play in the Church. Our conversation also covers the issues of secrecy surrounding the Conclave, whether there has been any leaks, who gets on the first ballot, how candidates get eliminated during the voting process, and the duration of the event. James notes that Tony tends to be interested in these strategic details, but then Tony reminds him that he is a political economist after all! Finally, James offers up his reflections on the selection of Bergoglio with a fascinating observation that nobody else in the media has pointed out, and one that might be critical for the direction of the Church. To find out what that observation is, you will have to listen. We also talk about how big of a deal it is that Francis I is from Argentina and that he is a Jesuit, as well as his theological and ideological leanings. And what about that name Francis? We talk why that name was chosen, why popes take certain names, and what name James would have taken had he been picked for pope. We finish with Tony asking James why non-Catholics should care about who is chosen as pope, prompting a very interesting response about the role of ecumenism. Recorded: March 18, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Prof. James Felak’s biography at the University of Washington.

After Hitler, Before Stalin: Catholics, Communists, and Democrats in Slovakia, 1945-1948, by James Felak.

James Martin, S.J.’s writings at America magazine (referenced in interview).

Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclicals at the Vatican archives and books at Amazon.com (referenced in interview).

RELATED PODCASTS

Jeremy Lott on the Media’s Pope-O-Rama.

John M. Sweeney on the Pope Who Quit.

James Felak on Vatican Council II.

James Felak on Pope John Paul II and Communism.

James Felak on Pope Pius XII, The Wartime Pontiff.

Theodore Malloch on Spiritual Capital & Virtuous Business

tonygill — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:00:34 +0000

In the light of recent business scandals involving the likes of Enron, Tyco, and Bernie Madoff, Research on Religion turns attention to the role that spiritual capital can play in America’s free enterprise system. Dr. Theodore Malloch, a research professor at Yale University’s Center for Faith & Culture and CEO of The Global Fiduciary Governance LLC, joins us to discuss his most recent book on that topic aptly titled, America’s Spiritual Capital. We begin with a bit of chat regarding the annual Davos meeting of important political and business leaders as Ted has served on the board of the World Economic Forum and has some insights into that high profile, albeit sometimes secretive, gathering. We then dive into the world of spiritual capital, definining it is relation to the other types of capital that economists often talk about. This moves us into a discussion about America’s “modernity project” and how the United States was able to produce such phenomenal technological growth over the past two hundred years. Ted links innovation, economic freedom, political freedom, and limited government to a responsible use of freedom that rests upon a Judeo-Christian foundation. He makes an excellent point that economists often forget about the cultural underpinnings of a free society. He spells out a number of cultural traits that differentiate our modern times from the feudal era, with a focus on personal autonomy among other things. This personal autonomy helps to provide the eventual cultural milieu that leads to the demise of slavery and the rise of entrepreneurship. Our conversation also weaves its way through the tension between fostering liberty and promoting equality, with Dr. Malloch having some interesting points to make with respect to that debate. We then move on to a discussion of virtue in the business world with Ted explaining the difference between hard and soft virtues. He uses several examples of businesses that illustrate one or another of these virtues, and our talk focuses extensively on the issue of humility, which is one of the virtues Ted believes is most important to successful leadership and one that may be slipping away in our culture. This portion of the interview also includes some thoughts on the role of “individualism” and Ted’s thoughts on Ayn Rand. We conclude with some reflections on where America’s spiritual capital and business environment is heading in the next few decades. Recorded: January 4, 2013.

RELATED LINKS

Theodore Malloch’s biography at his personal website.

Spiritual Capital Initiative at the Yale Center for Faith & Culture.

America’s Spiritual Capital, by Nicholas Capaldi and Theodore Roosevelt Malloch.

Doing Spiritual Business: The Remarkable Success of Spiritual Enterprise, by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch.

The End of Ethics and a Way Back: How to Fix a Fundamentally Broken Financial System, by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch and Jordan Mamorsky.

Renewing American Culture: The Pursuit of Happiness, by Theodore Roosevelt Malloch and Scott T. Massey.

RELATED PODCASTS

Art Carden on Christian Ethics, Charity, and Economics.

Robert Sirico on Markets, Morality, Faith, and Freedom.