William Reimer on Religion & Violence in Toronto

tonygill — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 08:00:05 +0000

Historians and sociologists have long been puzzled by the falling rates of interpersonal violence over the course of the past few centuries. Despite a few upticks at localized moments, murder rates have been falling in urban areas contrary what one might expect. William (Bill) Reimer, author of Revisiting “Toronto the Good”: Violence, Religion and Culture in a Late Victorian City, looks at this phenomenon at the micro-level via an exploration of a Canadian “city of churches” in the late 1800s. His theory builds upon the work of a number of scholars such as Ted Gurr, Norbert Elias, and Manuel Eisner to fill in some of the larger macro-sociological theories that have been floated to explain this phenomenon. Bill explains how the growing social and political influence of British Evangelical Protestantism, most notably Methodists and Baptists, altered the “rough and tumble” nature of an industrializing city by emphasizing themes of “true manliness,” the importance of marriage, temperance, and empathy for prisoners (particularly those on death row). We discuss how Bill came to study this topic, oddly enough involving a visit to a “slam poetry” contest, and how his own Canadian roots influenced his area of study. Bill covers some of the more colorful characters of the era, including William Howland – a pastor turned politician who implemented a strong reformist agenda as mayor of Toronto in the 1880s and who also “put his money where his mouth was” by promoting a number of civic organizations that helped to alleviate various social problems. We also chat about how the concern of evangelical Christians about the mistreatment of Jews in Europe helped shape the “roots of the peaceful Canadian.” Bill offers some of his thoughts as to how his historical study may influence our understanding of our contemporary period and ends on an optimistic note about a religious barista who helps with a local struggling family in Vancouver. Recorded: September 27, 2016.

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.

Research On Religion » temperance

William Reimer on Religion & Violence in Toronto

Michael Foley on Religion and Booze