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We are now in the midst of celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Second Vatican Council, which began in the fall of 1962 and lasted three years. Why was Vatican II called? What happened during this monumental gathering of Catholic prelates? And what impact has VCII had on the contemporary Church? Prof. James Felak, a popular guest on the show, returns to answer all of these questions and more. We explore the historical nature of Church councils and where Vatican II sits in the list of important councils.

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One year ago, we interviewed Pastor Matt Boswell who was part of a small team that created a church in one week’s time. We return to the scene of our initial interview to see what has changed over the course of the year. This is a fascinating interview that provides insights into how churches grow and change. We tackle a wide range of topics including how church’s maintain attendance and enthusiasm, why more people are getting married on water skis, what pastors learn from visiting other churches, why popcorn buckets may or may not be a good thing for collecting tithes, and Matt’s theory of pacifism. Plus, Tony reveals his biggest fear in church. Interested in how church’s operate? This podcast is for you!

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What role have Mormons played in shaping America’s national heritage? We examine that question in light of the increased scrutiny that the Latter Day Saints have come under with one of their members in contention for the US presidency. Lynita Newswander discusses her book “LDS in the USA” (co-authored with Lee Trepanier), talking about the difficulties Mormons have had in terms of social acceptance. Our conversation takes us through a range of topics including how Mitt Romney’s Mormon faith may affect his chances at being elected president.

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What happens when a congregation or a denomination finds itself beset with conflict? Who you gonna call? Tony invites Gary Friesen, executive vice-president of Peacemaker Ministries, to explore the world of Christian reconciliation services. Peacemaker Ministries is a non-profit organization that has been at the forefront of providing third-party conflict resolution services for religious groups and also provide training services for clergy and laity to avoid or de-escalate conflict on their own using biblical principles. This is a fascinating look at what happens when things don’t always go smoothly in church.

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Research on Religion checks in with journalist/blogger extraordinaire Jeremy Lott to discuss a couple big stories in the world of religion. We examine what happened at the recent Episcopal Church General Convention and speculate as to why Episcopalians and other mainline churches are losing members. Then we turn our attention to other recent news events including the conversion of former atheists, and religious liberty issues concerning the US health care mandate and circumcision in Germany.

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In March of 1939, Eugenio María Giuseppe Pacelli became Pope Pius XII just days before the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia and months before Germany continued their march into Poland. Prof. James Felak (University of Washington) examines the life and times of Pope Pius XII and explores the controversy surrounding his papacy. Interestingly, we learn that criticism of Pope Pius XII’s actions only emerged two decades after World War II. Prof. Felak discusses the difficult diplomatic and moral situation that Pius XII found himself in during the war, lays out the logic of his actions, and then assesses the overall impact (including his post-war proclamations) of Pius XII’s papacy on the contemporary Church Church.

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Did Protestant missionaries help plant the seeds of democracy throughout the world? Prof. Robert Woodberry takes us on a historical tour-de-force around the globe showing how “conversionary Protestants” helped to promote literacy, spread printing technology, facilitate civic organization, defend religious and civil liberties, and protest the abuses of slavery and colonialism. We discuss how this happened and why Protestants were uniquely situated to do this, although we look at similar Catholic efforts in recent decades. We conclude with speculative thoughts about the Arab Spring.

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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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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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Why do people bother to go to church when a recent Barna Group survey revealed that 60% of all regular attendees could not recall any new insight from their most recent church service? Prof. Richard Flory discusses this finding and several others and speculates on the role the churches play in our lives, arguing that the communal aspect of gathering may be highly underrated when compared with the spiritual education aspect of churches. We also discuss the role that churches can play in the community and whether or not such engagement will help to make church more relevant for youth.

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