Many people are familiar with the Virgin of Guadalupe and an object of faithful devotion within Mexico, but fewer folks know about Santa Muerte, the "skeleton saint," which has witnessed a growing devotion within the past two decades.  Prof. Andrew Chesnut, a professor of religious studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, is one of the very few scholars to write about this fascinating folk saint and he joins us to talk about his book Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint (being...

Keep on reading: Andrew Chesnut on Santa Muerte

Martin Luther's theological challenge to the Catholic Church that began with an inauspicious posting of 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral set off a major schismatic movement within Christianity that still reverberates to this day.  And yet, there were many "reformers" who had come before Luther that didn't have the same impact as he did in the early decades of the 16th century.  Dr. Steven Pfaff, professor of sociology at the University of Washington, joins us for the second...

Keep on reading: Steven Pfaff on the World of 1517

Prior to the 1980s, conservative evangelical Christians were skeptical of the US federal court system, having suffered a number of setbacks within the Supreme Court involving issues such as education and abortion.  This begins to change in the 1980s as the now organizationally-consolidated Religious Right began a new legal strategy of embracing judicial review and positioning themselves as an aggrieved minority.  Dr. Robert D. Rubin, an independent scholar who earned his Ph.D. at Indiana...

Keep on reading: Robert D. Rubin on Judicial Review & the Religious Right

In a very personal and fascinating interview, we are joined by Frank Selden, an estate & retirement attorney and former member of the Washington State Army National Guard, who talks about his career in the military, his two tours of duty in Iraq, his struggles with suicide, and how his religious faith worked through all of this.  We begin with Mr. Selden's personal history beginning with his time growing up on a dairy farm.  He then leads us on a tour of his time studying to be a pastor...

Keep on reading: Frank Selden on the Military, Suicide, and Faith

In recent years, movement towards progressive policies and values on gender and sexuality have caused cultural rifts within the Anglican (Episcopalian) Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA).  Such tension is most apparent among their affiliated churches in the Global South, most notably Africa, with some African clergy becoming very outspoken against the policies adopted by Anglicans and Lutherans in Europe and the United States.  Sarah K. Dreier, a Ph.D. candidate in...

Keep on reading: Sarah Dreier on Anglicans, Lutherans, and African Churches

Woodrow Wilson served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913-21 and was deeply influenced by two important streams of American Christian faith -- southern Calvinist Presbyterianism and the social gospel movement.  In this fascinating interview, Prof. Cara Lea Burnidge, assistant professor of philosophy & world religions at the University of Northern Iowa, explains how this spiritual upbringing shaped Wilson's vision that ultimately led to his promotion of the League of Nations...

Keep on reading: Cara Lea Burnidge on Religion and Woodrow Wilson

What made Martin Luther such a critical figure in Christian (and world) history?  Prof. Marion Goldman, a professor emeritus of sociology at the University of Oregon and scholar-in-residence at Portland State University, explains that Luther was a unique "spiritual virtuoso."  Reviewing her book The Spiritual Virtuoso (co-authored with Steven Pfaff), she defines a "spiritual virtuoso" as an individual who is intensely focused on sanctification, a reluctant leaders, and yet someone who still...

Keep on reading: Marion Goldman on Martin Luther and Spiritual Virtuosity

Indonesia currently represents the largest Muslim-majority democratic country in the world, successfully balancing a plethora of ethnic, religious, and geographic divisions.  Jeremy Menchik, an assistant professor in the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University, explains how the Indonesian state is able to promote "Godly nationalism" while promoting tolerance towards religious minorities including Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, and even various sects of Islam (e.g., the Ahmadiyah).�...

Keep on reading: Jeremy Menchik on Islam, Tolerance, Democracy, & Indonesia

While we take a break for the Easter holiday, what better way to celebrate than to talk about religion and martial arts.  The following is an encore presentation of our discussion with Christian Novetzke from back in 2012.

Get into the octagon with Prof. Christian Novetzke, associate professor  at the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies, as we spar intellectually about the relationship between the martial arts and Eastern religions.  We walk through Prof. N...

Keep on reading: Christian Novetzke on Kung Fu Fighting and Eastern Religions (Encore Presentation)

How do various democratic nations manage increasing religious pluralism around the world?  Prof. Christopher Soper, a distinguished political scientist at Pepperdine University, answers this question and talks about the third edition of his book The Challenge of Pluralism, co-authored with Kevin den Dulk and the late Stephen Monsma.  After Chris provides a few reflections on the scholarly influence of Prof. Monsma, we discuss how a third edition of this popular text suggested itself with a...

Keep on reading: Chris Soper on the Challenge of Religious Pluralism