During the 1930s and '40s as part of the Holocaust, the Nazi regime in Germany attempted to round up any and all Jewish cultural artifacts including artwork, books, and other documents.  Prof. David Fishman, a professor of modern Jewish history at the Jewish Theological Seminary, shares with us the heroic efforts of a group of authors and poets in Vilna, Lithuania who fought these efforts and managed to smuggle hundreds of thousands of pages of documents out of a prison camp for safe keeping. ...

Keep on reading: David Fishman on Saving Jewish Documents during World War II

While Tony is taking an extended sabbatical and trying to update some technical issues with the audio, we encourage you to enjoy this annual favorite of his.

What events led up to the “First” Thanksgiving and what was life like for the Pilgrims who celebrated it? Prof. Tracy McKenzie, a professor in the Department of History at Wheaton College, takes up this topic from the vantage point of a Christian historian. He challenges some of our “grade school” understandings of what that even...

Keep on reading: Tracy McKenzie on the First Thanksgiving (Annual Encore)

In celebration of the release of Prof. Rubin's new book, Rulers, Religion, and Riches: Why the West Got Rich and the Middle East Did Not, we offer up this oldie but goldie from our archives.  We expect to be hearing more from Jared in the coming months, so stay tuned!

 

When it comes to wielding economic power in society, and getting the best interest rates on loans, most people would expect that the wealthy and politically connected would be in a better position than others.  While...

Keep on reading: Jared Rubin on Religion & Credit Risk in the Ottoman Empire (Encore Presentation)

It is the end of the world as we know it!  Actually, when hasn't it been the end of the world as we know it?!  That is the question that motivates a fascinating new book looking at the world going to hell.  Dr. Robert Joustra, an associate professor of international relations at Redeemer University College (Canada), calls in to talk about the book he co-authored with Prof. Alissa Wilkinson (King's College) entitled How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse: Zombies, Cylons, Faith, and Politics at...

Keep on reading: Robert Joustra on Zombies, Cylons, Charles Taylor, and the Apocalypse

As we wind down our seven-episode series on the Protestant Reformation, we give the "other side" a chance to make their historical case.  Prof. James Felak, a professor of history at the University of Washington (and frequent RoR guest), sits down with Tony to discuss the Catholic response to Luther's protest.  Known popularly as the "Counter-Reformation," Dr. Felak notes that it really should be termed the Catholic Reformation as we note how Luther, Calvin, Zwingli and others broke with the...

Keep on reading: James Felak on the Counter-Reformation

How do we instill a sense of purpose in young adults who are attending college?  Do we attempt this at all, or is it merely four years of simply checking boxes and earning a degree?  Prof. Tim Clydesdale, a professor of sociology at The College of New Jersey, answers these questions in light of his evaluation of several private college programs funded by the Lilly Endowment Programs for the Theological Exploration of Vocation Initiative.  We tap into Prof. Clydesdale's earlier work on ...

Keep on reading: Tim Clydesdale on College and Vocation

The Nordic nations of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden have long been known for maintaining quality governance, high levels of socio-economic equality, and high levels of happiness amongst the population.  While political economists have been pressed to explain the success of these countries, Prof. Robert Nelson, a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland, suggests that it may have something to do with its "Lutheran Ethic."  We begin this discussion with a...

Keep on reading: Robert Nelson on Lutheranism and Nordic Social Democracy

While congregations may pray for manna from heaven, financing a religious institution often relies upon hard work, creativity, and direct appeals to parishioners to contribute to the provision of the clergy and the buildings.  Prof. James Hudnut-Beumler, the Anne Potter Wilson Distinguished Professor of Religious History at Vanderbilt University, discusses his historical studies of how American Protestant churches changed their funding models over the past two and a half centuries.  We begin...

Keep on reading: James Hudnut-Beumler on the History of Church Financing in the US

Due to a series of technical difficulties with our studio line, we are rebroadcasting an interview that friend and colleague Steven Pfaff (UW Sociology) did with me nearly 5 years ago.  Given that I am teaching a course on religion and politics this term, I am floating this one up to the top of the feed as an encore presentation for the students and for you.  Please enjoy, and once we get the phone lines reconnected we will bring you some crescent fresh episodes.

Religious liberty has not b...

Keep on reading: Anthony Gill on the Political Origins of Religious Liberty (Encore Presentation)

Everybody knows that the Protestant Reformation ushered in what eventually became an era of scientific enlightenment, economic development, and secularization to Europe.  Or did it?  Prof. Rodney Stark, co-founder of Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion, says "Nonsense!" to many of these so-called historical truths as we walk through some common myths and misconceptions of the famous religious movement that Martin Luther set rolling.  We begin first by noting that there...

Keep on reading: Rodney Stark on Myths of the Reformation