Research On Religion | 2013

Archive for July, 2013

Mike McBride on the Economics of Religious Leadership

Why is religious leadership so important? And what do rituals have to do with establishing authority and leadership? Prof. Michael McBride of UC-Irvine discusses the underlying economic logic of religious leadership, particularly as it relates to coordinating group activity. Central to any leadership position is the issue of coordinating expectations among followers. Mike shows how various rituals, normative values, and sacrifices can assist in make leadership effective. We also discuss the implications of his theory with some surprising extensions to secularization theory.

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Mark Koyama on the Economics of Jewish Expulsions

Prof. Mark Koyama of George Mason University explains why King Edward I expelled the Jews from England in July of 1290, giving them only three months to leave. Rather than focusing on anti-semitism or explanations based upon “greed,” Prof. Koyama shows how changes in feudal revenue collection during the 13th century led to a devaluation of the moneylending role that Jews played in the English economy and how expulsion represented a credible signal to the ever-rebellious lower nobility. He generalizes this explanation to help us understand why further expulsions of Jews occured in continental Europe in the subsequent centuries.

Use this podcast as a basis for book club discussions with your friends. A great podcast for understanding medieval history!

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Thom S. Rainer on Baptist Conventions & Church Health

Tags: Baptists, Battle for the Bible, Boy Scouts, breakout churches, church health, Conservative Resurgence, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, debt, LifeWay Christian Resources, megachurches, mental health, messengers, Millennials, multi-site churches, nones, parking, Rick Warren, Southern Baptist Convention, Westboro Baptist Church

Have you ever wondered what goes on at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting? Dr. Thom S. Rainer, prodigous author and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, gives us some background on the SBC’s convention and what issues were raised in during the June 2013 meeting, including mental health and chartering the Boy Scouts. We also discuss various trends affecting America’s religious landscape, including the growth in large churches at the possible expense of smaller congregations and the faith of the Millenials (individuals born between 1980 and 2000). Dr. Rainer also talks about what leads to church stagnation, what it takes to turn those churches around, and a few not-so-obvious pointers on how to guarantee a vibrant church.

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Joseph Castleberry on Religious-Based Higher Education

Tags: Assemblies of God, college, Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, distance education, Emory University, faculty, James Laney, missionary work, Northwest University, online learning, Pentecostalism, Princeton University, recruiting students, student life, tuition costs, University of Washington

President Joseph Castleberry of Northwest University (NU) in Kirkland, WA discusses what it is like to run a religiously-based institution of higher education. We discuss the change NU recently made from college to university, Dr. Castleberry’s pathway to his position as president as well as the various challenges a small religious university faces in recruiting students and faculty, and maintaining a high level of scholarship while staying true to one’s religious mission. This is an excellent podcast for parents and high school students thinking about where to attend college.

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