Research On Religion | 2010

Archive for December, 2010

Paul Froese on America’s Four Gods

Tags: abortion, African American churches, Andrew Newberg, atheism, Baylor Relgion Survey, evangelical Christianity, faith-based initiatives, gay marriage, Judaism, mainline Christianity, socialization

Paul Froese of Baylor University discusses how Americans have different views of God and how these different concepts affect our beliefs and actions in other areas of life. Based on extensive survey research and in-depth interviews he conducted with his colleague Chris Bader, Prof. Froese details four distinct images of God, including authoritative, benevolent, critical and distant. Click “read more” to find a connection to the authors’ website where you can take a survey to find out what your image of God is relative to others in the U.S.

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Merisa Davis on Bill Cosby, Religion, and African American Churches

Tags: African American churches, Bill Cosby, Bishop Charles Blake, Brown vs Board of Education, Colin Powell, crime, delinquency, education, Murray vs Curlett, Pastor Tony Evans, Pound Cake Speech, prison ministry, prosperity gospel

Merisa Parson Davis joins Research on Religion to talk about her new book on Bill Cosby’s much publicized “Pound Cake Speech” that he gave to an audience on the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education. She points out that much of the discussion of this speech in the popular media overlooked the religious dimensions of Dr. Cosby’s remarks. We discuss how African American churches and other religious organizations have responded (and can respond) to various social problems facing the Black community, including school dropout rates, incarceration of young Black men, and the challenge of entrepreneurship in the inner city. Your host also reveals his three favorite shows growing up.

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Jon Shields on Democratic Virtues & the Christian Right

Tags: abortion, Catholic Church, Christian Coalition, Christian Right, civil discourse, civil rights movement, clinic bombings, Jerry Falwell, John O'Keefe, Moral Majority, National Right to Life Committee, Operation Rescue, Pat Robertson, pro-life movement, Ralph Reed, Religious Right, same-sex marriage, sidewalk counseling, tea party movement

Prof. Jon A. Shields (Claremont McKenna College) examines whether the Christian Right conforms to norms of democratic deliberation and civil discourse. Our discussion covers the history of the pro-life movement, the rise of the Religious Right, and how those movements have changed over time. Prof. Shields offers evidence that Christian conservatives do, for the most part, enhance the democratic process contrary to popular opinion.

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Margaret Poloma on Pentecotalism, the Assemblies of God, and Godly Love

Tags: Assemblies of God, Azusa Street Revival, charisma, Church of God in Christ, glossolalia, Godly Love, Holiness Movement, Holy Rollers, Latter Rain, Oral Roberts, Pentecostalism, revivalism, speaking in tongues, The Great Commandment, Toronto Blessing, Youth with a Mission

Prof. Margaret Poloma shares her extensive research on Pentecostalism and the Assemblies of God. We examine the tension between the charisma needed to generate enthusiasm and growth in a new religious movement, what happens when those movements become institutionalized, and how Pentecostalism has been able to regenerate itself over the course of a century. Dr. Poloma discusses the crucial role of Godly Love in religious revivalism.

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