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Are faith-based efforts to transform an impoverished community in Texas effective? William Wubbenhorst, co-president of Social Capital Valuations, discusses this unique collaborative program to reduce social ills in West Dallas and how he has measured the program’s effectiveness. We cover the various component parts of Serve and discuss the various difficulties in evaluating programs such as this one.

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Did you know there are private services that help congregations find pastors during times of transition? Neither did Tony until he found William Vanderbloemen of the Vanderbloemen Search Group. We discuss how he came to create such a business and some of the major things to think about when it comes to planning for a leadership succession in a church.

Click “read more” to link to the writings and websites of our guests.

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Why do large institutions that begin as federated organizations tend to centralize authority in executive power? Prof. Ken Kollman (University of Michigan) explains his theory of executive centralization and applies it to the Roman Catholic Church. We discuss how the Church has centralized power in the Curia over the past 150 years and whether there are any counter-tendencies to such concentration of authority.

Please tell a friend about our weekly podcast. We’d enjoy the company.

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We kick off the new year with a look at Pope Francis and why he has been so enormously popular. Dr. Rusty Reno, editor of “First Things,” provides his impression of the first two years of the Jesuit from Argentina and the way he resembles his namesake, Francis of Assisi. Rusty points out the “way of poverty” and “the way of literalism” are important aspects of this pontiff’s style, as well as a penchant for provocative comments. We also chat about the challenging task of reforming the Curia and why an outsider is important.

Make a new year’s resolution to listen to Research on Religion weekly via iTunes or another RSS feed. Thanks!

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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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Just in time for the April 15th holiday, we take up the topic of administrative pitfalls for churches and clergy, including the complexity of taxation, charitable giving, and a variety of liability issues. Richard Hammar, a lawyer and accountant who specializes in church law and taxation, helps explain a number of these complex issues. A great podcast for clergy and members of congregations who might not know all the legal complexities facing religious organizations.

Please forgive the slight audio distortion occurring mostly when the guest begins a segment.

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While the staff at RoR takes a short break to catch up with other work, we run this “Best of…” show with Michael McBride on how religious organizations attempt to counter the inherent problem of “free-riding” in any voluntary group. Joiin us on our Facebook Fan Page for updates on what is happening in the coming weeks. Search Facebook using “Research on Religion with Anthony Gill.”

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Picking up on an earlier theme from two other interviews we’ve conducted over the past several months, Prof. Chris Gehrz of Bethel University (MN) shares his thoughts on the financial problems facing many small Christian colleges and universities, and how the changing pedagogical landscape may affect these institutions as well. Chiming a more pessimistic note than some of our previous guests, though echoing many similar points, we discuss what role the Christian university has to play in higher education and how these schools can continue to influence students and the mission of their denominations.

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Our favorite religious journalist, Jeremy Lott of RealClearReligion.org (and more), joins us to talk about his experience attending a religious service of the Latter Day Saints prior to the November 2012 election. Given that so many pundits were talking about Mitt Romney and the “Mormon moment,” Jeremy thought it would be useful to observe what life is really like within a Mormon ward. We also talk about Jeremy’s impressions of Pope Francis and share some of our insights about the world’s ugliest churches.

Join us on Facebook for frequent updates and a chance to see the world’s ugliest churches.

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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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