Research On Religion | 2014

Archive for September, 2014

Brian Grim on Religious Liberty & Business

Tags: Abercrombie & Fitch, Brazil, business, butter rum toffee, Cadbury, China, Fighting Blue Hens, Ford Motor Company, hijab, Indonesia, interfaith marriage, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, religious freedom, religious liberty, sectarian violence, Uyghurs, Y.W. Junardy

Is religious liberty good for business? Brian Grim, president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, explains why rights of conscience are good for commercial businesses and how individual enterprises can be encouraged to support basic human rights. We discuss the creation and role of his organization as well as some specific instances where businesses around the globe — from Brazil to Indonesia to Europe — have helped create a more peaceful and spiritually pluralistic environment.

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

Tags: Amish, ASREC, Barkington Elementary School kids, club goods, collective action problems, communes, Dean Kelley, Dilbert, economics of religion, environmental groups, free-riders, Mormons, sacrifice, stigma, theory of clubs, ultra-orthodox Jews, voluntary contribution method game

Why do strict churches that demand much of their members, including seemingly irrational sacrifices and stigmatizing behaviors, perform so well in the religious marketplace? Prof. Larry Iannaccone of Chapman University discusses the economic logic behind sacrifice and stigma and what studying the organizational requirements of churches can tell us about society more generally. We also discuss the growing field of “economics of religion.”

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Russell Kleckley on Religion, Science, and Johannes Kepler

Johannes Kepler is perhaps best known for his modifications to the Copernican theory of heliocentrism, but few people remember how his science was guided by his deep personal faith. Prof. Russell Kleckley of Augsburg College discusses the natural philosophy and theology of this gifted mind. Kepler’s story is an interesting encapsulation of the scientific and religious ferment that was occurring in Europe in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Plus, we learn all about “Scuba Jesus.”

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Eric Carter on Religion and the NFL (Encore Presentation)

Tags: Charles Barkley, Chris Carter, Cleveland Browns, domestic violence, drug abuse, Emile Durkheim, football, free agency, Kurt Warner, Michael Vick, NFL, normlessness, religious colleges, role models, social anomie, social deviance, suicide, Super Bowl, Tim Tebow

In an encore presentation, previously broadcast in January 2011, Prof. Eric Carter of Georgetown College joins Tony to discuss the difficulties facing professional athletes in the National Football League (NFL) and what role religion plays in helping stabilize the lives of those lived in the NFL spotlight based on unprecedented access to over 100 pro players. The rapid ascension to fame and fortune often places these young men into situations where they experience severe difficulties in coping and finding stable relationships. Our conversation turns to what role religion helps in overcoming many of these difficulties. As an added bonus, both Eric and Tony reveal their Super Bowl predictions for 2011. See if they were correct!

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