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How often has a pope willingly resigned from his position? In our interview with Jon Sweeney, we get insight into the life and times of Peter Morrone (a.k.a., Pope Celestine V) who reigned for 15 weeks in 1294 before quitting his post just before Christmas. This fascinating tale of a spiritual hermit who lived a humble life, yet ascended to the papacy in one of the more incredible tales of the Church’s history, reveals the 13th century struggles between the ecclesia spiritualis (spiritual Church) and the ecclesia carnalis (the worldly church of power). It also tells us a great deal about our contemporary religious life.

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What does religious faith have to do with environmental stewardship? Rev. Fletcher Harper of GreenFaith joins us to discuss the history and work of his ecumenical environmental advocacy organization. We cover the biblical basis for environmental stewardship and explore why religious groups have been relative latecomers to the “green movement.” Rev. Harper also discusses the various projects GreenFaith has been involved in and how his group has been received by members of other religious communities and the secular environmental movement. Our podcast also explores the relationship between religious individuals and the government when it comes to improving environmental quality. Rev. Harper makes the case that it is important not only to change the culture, but to get the incentives right if Christians and other faith traditions want to make a positive impact on society.

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Rod Stark rejoins our podcast to discuss the second portion of his book, “The Triumph of Christianity.” We survey the epoch from the Edict of Milan up until the start of the Protestant Reformation, covering topics such as the relationship between Christianity and economic growth, the Church’s role in promoting science, religious opposition to slavery, the supposed demise of paganism, the religiosity of the common folk, and the various “reformations” that were taking place within the Christian Church throughout this era, eventually leading to Luther’s Reformation.

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How does a small group of invididuals in a religiously-hostile environment build a sectarian movement of Judaism into the world’s largest faith tradition? Prof. Rodney Stark (Baylor) discusses the important sociological ingredients for Christianity’s success in the first three centuries of its existence. We examine the religious landscape at the time of Jesus’s birth (including both paganism and Judaism), as well as the sometimes surprising role of that mercy, persecution, wealthy individuals, and gender played in the growth of Christianity.

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Prof. Sabine Hyland of St. Norbert College reveals what happens when Jesuits meet Incans in the Peruvian highlands during the 16th century, with a particular focus on the mestizo priest Blas Valera. Our conversation corrects some of the longstanding misconceptions of the role of religion during the Spanish Conquest, as well as misunderstandings about Incan religions. We also chat about how scholars and religious organizations deal with different cultures they encounter.

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Prof. Kevin Cooney of Northwest University joins us to discuss his recent trip to the People’s Republic of China where he visited with numerous Chinese scholars to discuss the role of religion and the rule of law in that country. He shares his insights from that trip, including his experiences in touring different parts of the country and learning about the religious landscape. Prof. Cooney contrasts the scene in China today with what he experienced back in the mid-1980s when he was teaching English in that country.

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Is the Catholic Church likely to be a force for political liberalization in Vietnam? Prof. Lan Chu takes up this question and also talks about the history of Catholicism in that country with special attention on how the Church has survived under a communist regime. Our discussion also includes various comparisons with Eastern Europe and Cuba, and Prof. Chu provides some speculation about what the future of Vietnam might look like.

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To what extent can religious organizations assist immigrants adopting to a new country? Prof. Margarita Mooney (UNC) explores the role of the Catholic Church in assisting individuals of the Haitian diaspora in three communities — Miami, Montreal, and Paris. She discusses the role of personal faith and religious institutions in helping immigrants make the often difficult transition to living in a new environment, and notes that the efforts of Notre Dame d’Haiti in Miami were much more successful than similar efforts in Canada and France. She explains why this is the case and what importance that has for society at large. Our interview also digs into various methodological concerns of doing direct participant observation, a great discussion for students and non-academics who want to understand how social scientific research is conducted.

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Is the global resurgence in public religiosity over the past 40 years linked in any way to the increase in democratic governance over the same period of time? Prof. Dan Philpott (Notre Dame) covers the historical trends of church-state relations and discusses how changes in political theologies and the increasing independence of religious organizations have provided a fertile ground for political democratization in some corners of the world. We examine how and why some religious traditions have been involved in promoting democracy under authoritarian conditions. Our discussion turns toward some speculation about the future of the “Arab Spring” at the end of our interview. This is the first part of a discussion of the book “God’s Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics.”

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Noted Catholic theologian Brant Pitre examines the roots of the Eucharist, taking us back to the time of Exodus and revealing how various Jewish rituals played an important role in the Last Supper. This podcast offers an interesting blend of Jewish & Christian theology with lush historical description regarding what religious rituals looked like at the time of Christ.

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