Multifaith Matters

The Nones, that large demographic of those who have given up on institutional religion, have been the focus of a lot of scholarship and discussion. In this episode we have a conversation with Stephen Bradford Long, a friend and previous guest, who has shared his journey into The Satanic Temple. In this new conversation he discusses his ongoing journey, moving beyond TST to other areas of spirituality. Stephen's links: https://stephenbradfordlong.com/ https://substack.com/@stephenbradfordlong   Previous episodes on The Nones: https://youtu.be/pFF8W_yvw1k?si=BN-D8FQWBaNGV_Ut https://youtu.be/gbynKIV6KOA?si=y5KfJPmx8ub0fg0J You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #Nones #StephenBradfordLong

R. Alan Streett returns as our guest in this episode discussing his book Exploring the Paranormal: Miracles, Magic, and the Mysterious (Eerdmans, 2024). Streett is senior research professor emeritus of biblical theology at Criswell College in Dallas, TX.  The book's website description: A personal exploration of questions surrounding psychic healing, séances, astral projection, and more. After an injury threatened his chances of signing a professional baseball contract, R. Alan Streett sought help from Olga Worrall, a world-famous psychic healer. This encounter set in motion his lifelong search for the origin and nature of psychic phenomena. Were they natural or supernatural? From God, or from the devil? Were they mentalists' tricks, or feats of the subconscious mind? Streett invites us to join him in real time as he explores the fascinating world of the paranormal, offering insights into healing, magic, trance channeling, yogic meditation, alternative medicine, astral projection, and the brain's ability to produce spiritual and mystical experiences. Ultimately Streett enables readers to draw some time-tested and cutting-edge conclusions. Exploring the Paranormal is a helpful guide for all who wish to understand the varied forms of spirituality that are so popular today. R. Alan Streett: https://www.criswell.edu/directory/r-alan-streett/   Exploring the Paranormal: https://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Paranormal-Miracles-Magic-Mysterious/dp/0802884539/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #paranormal #AlanStreett

In this episode Andrew DeCort discusses his new book Blessed Are the Others: Jesus' Way in a Violent World (BitterSweet Collective). Andrew has been called a dissident theologian by his friends. His work is deeply inspired by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, his writing by James Baldwin, his spirituality by Etty Hillesum. He received his PhD in religious and political ethics from the University of Chicago, and his work through the Neighbor-Love Movement has invited over 20 million people into nonviolent spirituality. He's the author of Flourishing on the Edge of Faith (also through BitterSweet Collective) and writes the newsletter Stop & Think. Andrew DeCort: https://andrew-decort.com/ Blessed Are The Others: https://www.bittersweetcollective.com/blessed-are-the-others You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #AndrewDeCort #Beatittudes #nonviolence

Reid B. Locklin is Associate Professor of Christianity and the Intellectual Tradition at the University of Toronto, a joint appointment with St Michael's College and the Department for the Study of Religion. His research focuses on a range of issues in Comparative Theology and Hindu-Christian Studies, particularly the engagement between Christian thought and the Hindu tradition of Advaita Vedanta. He also writes on the scholarship of teaching and learning in theology and religion. In this podcast we will be discussing his book Hindu Mission, Christian Mission: Soundings in Comparative Theology (State University of New York, 2024). Fred Stella is an accomplished lecturer on many aspects of Hinduism, and has presented at conferences across the United States, and internationally. He has completed extensive lecture tours in India and Guyana. Mr. Stella is a product of 16 years (including college) of Roman Catholic education. He is uniquely qualified to explain the Dharma to those in Abrahamic traditions in a most understandable way. Fred is ordained as a Pracharak (Outreach Minister) by his local temple. Also, he serves as a member of the National Leadership Council of the Hindu American Foundation, an advocacy organization based in Washington, DC. Currently he lives in Grand Rapids, MI, USA. Reid Locklin: https://www.religion.utoronto.ca/people/directories/all-faculty/reid-locklin Hindu Mission, Christian Mission: Soundings in Comparative Theology https://www.amazon.com/Hindu-Mission-Christian-Soundings-Comparative/dp/1438497407 Fred Stella: https://www.hinduspeakers.org/fred-stella/ See at our prior conversation with Fred Stella at https://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/fred-stella-on-hinduism-in-america/ https://youtu.be/EM3dutJT5VQ?si=x8eroVZExaqzPl_x A conversation with Anuttama Dasa of ISKCON at https://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/anuttama-dasa-and-the-international-societ-of-krishna-consciousness/ https://youtu.be/yywoMyb97ks?si=7I1Jk2Azyo9ZRmlW You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #Hinduism #mission #theology #ReidLocklin #FredStella

In this podcast Kelly James Clark discusses his book Raging Fire of Love, a book on Muslim, Christian and Jewish love, and shares what he learned about how love of neighbor and even enemy. He discusses compassion in the Abrahamic traditions and what he learned from Christians (his spiritual home), second, Jews, and third, Muslims.  Kelly James Clark, Ph.D. (University of Notre Dame), is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul. Kelly has held previous positions at Grand Valley State University, Calvin University and Gordon College and visiting appointments at Oxford University, the University of St. Andrews, Peking University, and the University of Notre Dame. He is the author, editor, or co-author of more than Thirty books including Raging Fire of Love: what I've learned from Jesus, the Jews, and the Prophet (the subject of this podcast), Strangers, Neighbors, Friends: Muslim-Christian-Jewish Reflections on Compassion and Peace, Written to Be Heard: Recovering the Messages of the Gospels, God and the Brain, Abraham's Children: Liberty and Tolerance in an Age of Religious Conflict, Religion and the Sciences of Origins, Return to Reason, The Story of Ethics, When Faith Is Not Enough, and 101 Key Philosophical Terms of Their Importance for Theology. Philosophers Who Believe won third place in Christianity Today's books of the year (which may not sound like much, but the Pope's book was eighth). He writes broadly and speaks widely on compassion, tolerance and peace. Kelly James Clark: https://kellyjamesclark.wixsite.com/kellyjamesclark Raging Fire of Love: https://www.amazon.com/Raging-Fire-Love-Learned-Prophet/dp/B0D2YF47K5/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead    

Christians tend to develop their understanding of other religions, especially new religious movements or "cults," by way of comparison of sacred texts with concerns for orthodoxy and heresy. But other approaches to study add new facets of understanding such as fieldwork. In this podcast George Chryssides discusses his new book Fieldwork in New Religious Movements. In this conversation we discuss not only the academic use of fieldwork, but what "lay fieldwork" might look like as well. From the publisher's website: "New religious movements are often described as bizarre and sinister. Direct acquaintance, however, often gives a different impression from media portrayals and even from some academic writing. After decades of undertaking fieldwork, the author George Chryssides discusses his experiences, as well as studies by other scholars, and the issues that fieldwork involves. How do one's personal beliefs and lifestyle impinge on field research? How involved should a participant–observer become? How should we assess what we are told by insiders and ex-members? What ethical problems does field research create? How should we engage in online fieldwork, arising from the increasing use of the Internet, accelerated by the Covid pandemic? These are among the issues which this Element explores, and which will be of interest both to field researchers and to those who read about the fieldwork of others." George D. Chryssides is Honorary Research Fellow at York St John University, UK, and was formerly Head of Religious Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. His website can be found at http://www.religion21.com/. You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead

Erin Stiles is the author of The Devil Sat on My Bed: Encounters with the Spirit World in Mormon Utah. As the back cover describes: "In the mountains of beautiful, bucolic northern Utah, many Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are visited by spirits. Local folklore is filled with stories of uncanny encounters of all kinds, and Latter-day Saint scripture and prophetic teachings emphasize the reality and the importance of the spirit world. Spirit encounters are common in this community. People report visits from the benevolent spirits of kin offering aid and also from evil spirits who tempt and harass. Combining folklore research with ethnography, the book examines many types of spirit encounters and shows that such experiences must be understood as particularly Latter-day Saint phenomena. "Spirit encounters take place within a larger cultural and religious framework that emphasizes the important relationships between living and non-living beings. For Mormons in northern Utah, spirit lore and experiences are interpreted and understood with reference to Latter-day Saint cosmology and particularly Mormon conceptions of the nature of the person, the spirit, and the family, and the nature of righteousness, evil, and spiritual power. The book also explores how people in Utah differentiate between "Mormon culture," the institutional church, and how they understand the "true" meaning of the religion, which has relevance far beyond understanding of people's relationship to the spirit realm and spirit power, and speaks to key issues of concern―and polarization―among Latter-day Saints today." Erin E. Stiles is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her primary interests are in the anthropology of religion and law, and she has worked in East Africa and in the western United States. She has conducted extensive ethnographic research on the everyday workings of Islamic courts in Zanzibar, Tanzania, with a particular focus on marital disputes. Her more recent work focuses on Latter-day Saint experiences of the spirit realm in northern Utah, where she grew up. The Devil Sat on My Bed: https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Sat-My-Bed-Encounters/dp/0197763758/ Erin Stiles: https://www.unr.edu/anthropology/people/erin-stiles You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #Mormonism #Spirits #anthropology

Much of the discussion of UFOs is focused around the two poles of extraterrestrial spaceships or skeptical debunking. In this podcast David J. Halperin provides another perspective, that of myth, to help shed light on UFOs as meaning-making things. We do this by unpacking his book Intimate Alien: The Hidden Story of the UFO (Stanford University Press, 2020). David Halperin taught Judaic studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, until his retirement in 2000. He has published five nonfiction books on Jewish mysticism and messianism, as well as the coming-of-age novel Journal of a UFO Investigator (2011). He blogs about UFOs, religion, and related subjects at www.davidhalperin.net. Intimate Alien: https://www.amazon.com/Intimate-Alien-Hidden-Spiritual-Phenomena/dp/1503607089/ Be sure to check the other episodes in our Paranormal Playlist. You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #UFOs #myth #DavidHalperin

Rabbi Leon Ariel Mellul of the International Raëlian Movement is the guest who discusses the group's origins in a meeting with extraterrestrials called the Elohim, their work in the creation of humanity, the place of their founder Raël in a long line of prophets from the world's religions, their millenarian philosophy of the return of the Elohim, and responses to various aspects of their religion that has received critical reporting in the media over the years. Rabbi Mellul was born in a traditional Jewish family until November 1987 when he discovered the book Intelligent Design by Raël. He came to understand that the Elohim were an extraterrestrial civilization who had been mistaken for gods by our primitive ancestors. Since then has has been a part of the Raëlian Movement with a special connection to the Israeli Raëlian Movement. Links to the Raëlian Movement: www.rael.org www.Alliance4ET.org www.1min4peace.org www.isralestinian-gandhis.org Scholarly discussions of the Raëlian Movement: Aliens Adored: Raël's UFO Religion by Susan J. Palmer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0813534763/ UFO Religions by Christopher Partridge: https://www.amazon.com/UFO-Religions-Christopher-Partridge/dp/0415263247/ Handbook of UFO Religions edited by Benjamin Zeller: https://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Religions-Handbooks-Contemporary-Religion/dp/9004434372/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #RaelianMovement #UFOReligions #UFOs

Elias D'eis, Executive Director of the Holy Land Trust, shares about his life as a Palestinian Christian in the West Bank, life under the Israeli military occupation, the role of a Christian in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the work of The Holy Land Trust. Elias D'eis was born into a Christian family with a long history of nonviolent resistance in Beit Sahour. His life was shaped during the First Intifada, watching his father and his community find the path towards justice through peaceful resistance. It was through his Christian upbringing, holding onto Jesus's sacred words of "loving thy neighbor," that led Elias into a life journey of engaging his community in transformation. Joining Holy Land Trust in 2007 as a travel coordinator, Elias has grown the Travel & Encounter program. His department now facilitates tours and educational packages to some 1,500 peacemakers and sojourners a year. In June 2019, Elias got promoted to the Executive Director of Holy Land Trust after he spent the last decade investing his life into the mission and vision because it is something that he truly believes in: "Building communities of trust and respect." Holy Land Trust: https://www.holylandtrust.org/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #HolyLandTrust #IsraeliPalestinianConflict #GazaWar

J. Gordon Melton, the noted scholar of new religions, joins us in this episode to discuss the Church of Scientology. Dr. J. Gordon Melton, became Distinguished Professor of American Religious History of Baylor University's Institute for Studies in Religion in March of 2011. He also serves as the director of the Institute for the Study of American Religion in Woodway, Texas. Since joining ISR, he has been developing a set of joint projects between ISR and the Woodway-based Institute, the initial project being a comprehensive census of the American Buddhist and Hindu communities completed in 2010 (with and updated census having been launched in 2019). In addition, he has for the last two decades been monitoring the changing state of the church in China. In 1968 he founded the Institute for the Study of American Religion and has remained it's director for the last 49 years. The institute is devoted to organizing, motivating, and producing research-based studies and educational material on North American Religion. It has been responsible for the publication of more than 400 reference and scholarly texts since its founding, including multiple editions of Melton's Encyclopedia of American Religions (9th edition, 2016). Dr. Melton is a pioneering scholar in the field of New Religions Studies and helped to create the sub-discipline. He sits on the international board of the Center for Studies in New Religions (CESNUR) based in Turin, Italy, the primary academic association focusing studies of new and minority religions. J. Gordon Melton at Baylor: https://www.baylorisr.org/about-baylorisr/distinguished-professors/j-gordon-melton/ Melton's book on Scientology: https://www.amazon.com/Church-Scientology-Studies-Contemporary-Religions/dp/1560851392 You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #GordonMelton #Scientology

Matthew Bowman discusses the first American UFO abduction account detailed in his new book The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill: Alien Encounters, Civil Rights, and the New Age in America (Yale University Press, 2023). From the book's dust cover: "Bowman tells the fascinating story of the Hills as an account of the shifting winds in American politics and culture in the second half of the twentieth century. He exposes the promise and fallout of the idealistic reforms of the 1960s and how the myth of political consensus has given way to the cynicism and conspiratorialism of American life today." Matthew Bowman is associate professor of religion and history and Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University. His books include The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith. Matthew Bowman: https://www.cgu.edu/people/matthew-bowman/ The Abduction of Betty and Barney Hill: Alien Encounters, Civil Rights, and the New Age in America: https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300251388/the-abduction-of-betty-and-barney-hill/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead  

On July 25 The Satanic Temple (TST) celebrated one of their holidays, Unveiling Day. Their website describes this as a time to commemorate the unveiling of their Baphomet with Children statue in 2015. This holiday includes a "celebration of religious plurality and shedding archaic superstition." In this collaborative podcast episode with Sacred Tension,  TST minister Stephen Bradford Long, and progressive Christian Randal Rauser, discuss perspectives on these aspects of the holiday. Stephen Bradford Long is a nontheistic minister with TST, and host of the Sacred Tension podcast. He also recently started writing for Substack. Randal Rauser is a Christian who has written several books on a neighborly engagement with atheism, including Conversations with My Inner Atheist, An Atheist and a Christian Walk Into a Bar, and Is the Atheist My Neighbor?. Stephen Bradford Long: https://stephenbradfordlong.com/ Randal Rauser: https://randalrauser.com/ Holidays of The Satanic Temple: https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/holidays Stephen's Substack article mentioned in the program: https://sacredtension.substack.com/p/i-left-christianity-because-i-stopped Sacred Tension's episode of this conversation: https://sacredtension.substack.com/p/pluralism-and-archaic-superstition For more on The Satanic Temple see Joseph Laycock's book Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion (Oxford University Press, 2020): https://global.oup.com/academic/product/speak-of-the-devil-9780190948498 You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate  Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #Satanism #TheSatanicTemple #atheism #Christianity

George Chryssides discusses the book The Covid Pandemic and the World's Religions (Bloomsbury, 2023), which he co-edited with Dan Cohn-Sherbok. In the book, believers from a variety of faith communities were asked to assess how the Covid pandemic has affected their faith. Two exponents of each major religion and a number of minority faiths comment on these issues, combined with a concluding essay by the editors assessing the overall impact of the pandemic on religion worldwide. Faiths explored include Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Shinto, Sikh, Baha'i, Jain, African Traditional Religion, Zoroastrian, Unitarian, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Science. Chryssides is Honorary Research Fellow at York St. John's University, UK and was formerly Head of Religious Studies at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. George Chryssides: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/author/george-d-chryssides/ The Covid Pandemic and the World's Religions: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/covid-pandemic-and-the-worlds-religions-9781350349643/ If ordering online from Bloomsbury, a 20% discount is available by quoting the relevant code below: UK, Europe and rest of world: GLR TT9UK United States: GLR TT9US Canada: GLR TT9CA Australia and New Zealand: GLR TT9AU You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead   #covid

In this podcast Celucien Joseph discusses Christianity and Haitian Vodou in dialgoue, including stereotypes of the tradition, Afrophobia and Vodouphobia, Protestant and Catholic responses to Haitian Vodou, suggestions for productive theological exchanges and dialogue, and the need for greater familiarity with the Caribbean theological tradition and its theologians and biblical scholars. Dr. Joseph (affectionately called "Doctor Lou") is an award-winning author and a well-regarded Haitian-American author, scholar, and researcher. By training, he is an intellectual historian, literary scholar, and a theologian. Currently, he serves as Professor and Chair of the English Department at San Jacinto College. Celucien Joseph: https://drcelucienjoseph.com/bio/ "Refining cultural, national, and religious identity: The Christian-Vodouist dialogue?": https://www.academia.edu/28160823/_Redefining_Cultural_National_and_Religious_Identity_The_Christian_Vodouist_dialogue Revolutionary Change and Democratic Religion: Christianity, Vodou, and Secularism: https://www.amazon.com/Revolutionary-Change-Democratic-Religion-Christianity-ebook/dp/B087TKVT1J Vodou in the Haitian Experience: A Black Atlantic Perspective: https://www.amazon.com/Vodou-Haitian-Experience-Atlantic-Perspective-ebook/dp/B01EO0PEP2 Vodou in Haitian Memory: The Idea and Representation of Vodou in Haitian Imagination; https://www.amazon.com/Vodou-Haitian-Memory-Representation-Imagination-ebook/dp/B01EVZ3RA4 "Revising Caribbean Theological Tradition: 20 Haitian Theologians and Biblical Scholars You Should Know": https://theglobalchurchproject.com/haitian-theologians/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead   #vodou #voodoo #haiti 

Christians are fascinated by conversion stories of ex-occultists, particularly Witches and Satanists. From Mike Warnke and Bill Schnoebelen in the past, to contemporary figures like John Ramirez, these stories help confirm the faith identities and worldview of Christians in a battle of good vs. evil. Douglas Cowan and Joseph Laycock unpack various aspects of this phenomenon, and how they fit into contemporary satanic panic. Doug Cowan is a professor of Religious Studies and Social Development Studies at Renison University College at the University of Waterloo. For many years he was a co-general editor of the premier journal of new religions study, Nova Religio, and chair of the New Religious Movements Group of the American Academy of Religion. Joseph Laycock is an assistant professor of religious studies at Texas State University. He has written several books on new religious movements and American religious history. He is also a co-editor for the journal Nova Religio. Douglas Dowan: https://uwaterloo.ca/renison/about/people/douglas-e-cowan Joseph Laycock: https://faculty.txst.edu/profile/1922193   Related resources: Selling Satan: The Evangelical Media and the Mike Warnke Scandal by Mike Hertenstein and Jon Trott https://www.amazon.com/Selling-Satan-Evangelical-Warnke-Scandal/dp/0940895072 Evil Incarnate: Rumors of Demonic Conspiracy and Satanic Abuse in History by David Frankfurter https://www.amazon.com/Evil-Incarnate-Demonic-Conspiracy-Satanic/dp/0691136297/ Raising the Devil: Satanism, New Religions, and the Media by Bill Ellis https://www.amazon.com/Raising-Devil-Satanism-Religions-Media/dp/0813121701/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead  #occult #apostatetestimony #Satanist #witch

Psychedelics have long been connected to religion, including the Jewish and Christian traditions. In addition, there are now psychedelic chaplains, psychedelic churches, and people seeking out psychedelics not only for spiritual reasons but also to treat conditions like PTSD and anxiety. Yet like with many other aspects of culture, the church is ill prepared to address psychedelics. Kaleb Graves is our guest as we explore questions related to psychedelic theology. Graves is a Cooperative Baptist Fellowship minister and educator living in North Carolina. He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Duke Divinity School and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in psychology. He is focusing his efforts on Psychedelic Theology. Kaleb's website: https://www.psychedelictheology.com/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/psychedelic_theology?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA “Is your church ready for the spiritual revolution of LDS, DMT and magic mushrooms? By Kaleb Graves at Baptist News Global: https://baptistnews.com/article/is-your-church-ready-for-the-spiritual-revolution-of-lsd-dmt-and-magic-mushrooms/ Items referenced in this podcast: “Caves all the way down: Do psychedelics give access to a universal, mystical experience of reality, or is that just a culture-bound illusion?” By Jules Evans. Aeon. https://aeon.co/essays/is-psychedelics-research-closer-to-theology-than-to-science “Marijuana Found at Ancient Temple in Israel.” Biblical Archaeological Society. https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/marijuana-found-at-ancient-temple-in-israel/ Philosophy and Psychedelics: Frameworks for Exceptional Experience https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/philosophy-and-psychedelics-9781350231610/ “Christianity and Psychedelic Medicine: A Pastoral Approach.” By Bryan McCarthy. Christian Bioethics 29, no. 1 (March 2023): 31-57. https://academic.oup.com/cb/article-abstract/29/1/31/6705514 DMT and the Soul of Prophecy: A New Science of Spiritual Revelation in the Hebrew Bible by Rich Strassman, M.D. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594773424 DMT The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences https://www.amazon.com/dp/0892819278 Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences by William Richards https://www.amazon.com/dp/0231174063 #psychedelics #theology

Greater attention is needed to various concepts in the study of religion that may be assumed to be settled, but in reality need to be contested. George Chryssides discusses this in this episode, including concepts like “religion,” “world religion,” “cult,” and “new religious movement.” Chryssides is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at York St. John University, UK. His books include The Bloomsbury Handbook to Studying Christians, Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses second edition, Jehovah's Witnesses: Continuity and Change, The Bloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements, and he is co-editor with Amy R. Whitehead of Contested Concepts in the Study of Religion. Contested Concepts in the Study of Religion: A Critical Exploration (Bloomsbury Academic, 2023) https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/contested-concepts-in-the-study-of-religion-9781350243804/ George D. Chryssides: https://yorksj.academia.edu/GeorgeChryssides Amy R. Whitehead: https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/expertise/profile.cfm?stref=950550 Book launch Contested Concepts contributor discussion hosted by INFORM: https://youtu.be/U3QcYvuFknY You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #religion #religiousstudies #GeorgeChryssides

How might a member of a minority religion feel about aggressive Christian preaching at their sacred venues? Can such evangelistic efforts function in ways that restrict the religious freedoms of others? Heron Michelle, a Pagan, shares her perspective resulting from interactions with a street preacher outsider her business. Heron (Greenville, NC) is a witch, priestess, artist, and mom. She is the founding high priestess of the Sojo Circle Coven, and she created a training program in modern witchcraft, which she's taught year-round since 2010. Heron is the owner of the Sojourner Whole Earth Provisions metaphysical shop, and she's a Reiki master, tarot reader, and clairvoyant. She writes the blog Witch on Fire at Patheos Pagan, and she regularly lectures at local universities, festivals, and conferences. Heron Michelle's website Witch on Fire blog Video of Heron talking to EC Street Preacher “Pagan ‘metaphysical shops navigate threats from Christian critics” at RN “Christian groups step up harassment of pagan festivals” at RNS For more on a respectful and informed Pagan-Christian dialogue see the book Beyond the Burning Times: A Pagan and Christian in Dialogue by Philip Johnson and Gus diZerega (Lion, 2008). You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #Paganism #religiousfreedom #evangelism

April 19, 2023 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the fire which ended the standoff between federal agents and members of the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas. Much has been learned about this tragedy over the last few decades, and it continues to be relevant to events in politics and religion. Catherine Wessinger is our guest sharing her expertise in this area. Catherine Wessinger is the Rev. H. James Yamauchi, S.J. Professor of the History of Religions at Loyola University New Orleans. She is the author of How the Millennium Comes Violently: From Jonestown to Heaven's Gate (2000); editor of Millennialism, Persecution, and Violence: Historical Cases (2000); editor of The Oxford Handbook of Millennialism (2011); editor of three Branch Davidian survivor autobiographies for Bonnie Haldeman (David Koresh's mother), Sheila Martin, and Clive Doyle. She has served as a co-general editor of Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions since 2000.   She has written a number of book chapters and a journal article on the Branch Davidians-federal agents conflict outside Waco, Texas. Among the most significant is the 2009 journal article, “Deaths in the Fire at the Branch Davidians' Mount Carmel: Who Bears Responsibility?” in Nova Religio; and a chapter titled, “The FBI's ‘Cult War' against the Branch Davidians,” in the 2017 edited volume,The FBI and Religion.   Her YouTube channel—https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead

Ida Glaser leads the Reading the Bible in the Context of Islam project at the Center for Muslim-Christian Studies, Oxford, UK, and is the Director of Center for Muslim and Christian Studies, Houston, TX. She also overseas the International Partnership and the Langham Bible Commentaries from Muslim Contexts project on behalf of the Solomon Academic Trust. Previously she taught in the areas of Qur'an and Bible and History of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue at the University of Edinburgh. Center for Muslim-Christian Studies, UK: https://www.cmcsoxford.org.uk/about-us/our-team/publications-ida-glaser Center for Muslim-Christian Studies, Houston: https://www.cmcshouston.org/ Thinking Biblically about Islam: Genesis, Transfiguration, Transformation (London: Langham, 2016) (With Hannah Kay): https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Biblically-about-Islam-Transfiguration/dp/1839731915/ Routledge Reading the Bible in Islamic Context Series: https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-Biblical-Interpretation-in-Islamic-Context-Series/book-series/RBIIC The Bible and Other Faiths: what does the Lord require of us? (Leicester: IVP, 2005): https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Other-Faiths-Require-Christian/dp/1907713050/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #IdaGlaser #Islam #Quran #Bible

Today's cosmopolitan, multicultural, and multifaith environments call for new approaches to apologetics. In order to free Christian apologetics from dominant Western habits of mind ill-suited to interreligious dialogue, we must listen and speak with both humility and confidence. In their book Humble Confidence: A Model for Interfaith Apologetics, Benno van den Toren and Kang-San Tan provide a global, intercultural introduction to Christian apologetics. Building on recent developments in apologetics and missiology, as well as their experience teaching internationally in Europe, Asia, and Africa, Van den Toren and Tan offer an approach that is conversational, patient, holistic, and embodied. Benno van den Toren unpacks this in our conversation. Benno van den Toren (PhD, Theological University in Kampen) is professor of intercultural theology at the Protestant Theological University in Groningen, the Netherlands. He has taught in French-speaking Africa and at Wycliffe Hall at Oxford University, and his books include Christian Apologetics as Cross-Cultural Dialogue and Reasons for My Hope: Responding to Non-Christian Friends. Benno van den Toren: https://www.pthu.nl/en/about-us/people/b.vandentoren/ Humble Confidence: A Model for Interfaith Apologetics: https://www.amazon.com/Humble-Confidence-Model-Interfaith-Apologetics/dp/0830852948/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #BennovandenTorren #KangsanTan #interfaith #apologetics

Dr. Jack Hunter provides an anthropological perspective on the paranormal. Hunter is an anthropologist exploring the borderlands of ecology, religion and the paranormal. He lives in the hills of Mid-Wales with his family. He is an Honorary Research Fellow with the Alister Hardy Religious Experience Research Centre, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and a Research Fellow with the Parapsychology Foundation, New York. He is the founder and editor of Paranthropology: Journal of Anthropological Approaches to the Paranormal, the author of Spirits, Gods and Magic: An Introduction to the Anthropology of the Supernatural (2019) and Engaging the Anomalous (2018). He is the editor of Strange Dimensions: A Paranthropology Anthology (2015), Damned Facts: Fortean Essays on Religion, Folklore and the Paranormal (2016), and is co-editor with Dr. David Luke of Talking With the Spirits: Ethnographies from Between the Worlds (2014). To find out more about his work visit www.jack-hunter.webstarts.com. Deep Weird: The Varieties of High Strangeness Experience: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Weird-Varieties-Strangeness-Experience/dp/1786772248/ Damned Facts: Fortean Essays on Religion, Folklore, and the Paranormal: https://www.amazon.com/Damned-Facts-Religion-Folklore-Paranormal-ebook/dp/B01BRL7UUS/ Jack Hunter's Deep Weird Dialogues: https://www.youtube.com/@Discarnates You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead  #paranormal #JackHunter

Moral theology provides a helpful but often neglected avenue for multifaith engagement beyond Christian emphasis upon evangelism and apologetics. James Keenan discusses the New Testament's teaching on virtue ethics, particularly humility and love, and how these can be practiced in multifaith contexts. Keenan is Vice Provost for Global Engagement and Canisius Professor, Director of The Jesuit Institute at Boston College. He is the author of several books, including one related to this conversation, Jesus and Virtue Ethics: Building Bridges Between New Testament Studies and Moral Theology, which he co-authored with Daniel Harrington.  James Keenan: https://www.bc.edu/bc-web/schools/mcas/departments/theology/people/faculty-directory/james-keenan-sj.html Jesus and Virtue Ethics: https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Virtue-Ethics-Building-Testament/dp/0742549941/ You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead  #moraltheology #virtueethics #NewTestamentStudies #JamesKeenan #multifaith

One of world's leading experts on contemporary atheism and nonreligiosity, sociologist and theologian Stephen Bullivant draws on dozens of interviews, original analysis of high-quality survey data, and a wealth of cutting-edge studies, to present an entertaining and insightful exploration of America's ex-religious landscape. Bullivant holds professorial positions at St. Mary's University, London, and the University of Notre Dame, Sydney. He has doctorates in theology and sociology. His studies of contemporary nonreligiosity have received wide international coverage, including from the BBC, New York Times, Economist, Financial Times and Der Speigel. In this episode we are discussing his book Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America (OUP, 2022). Stephen Bullivant: https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/staff-directory/stephen-bullivant Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America:  https://www.amazon.com/Nonverts-Ex-Christian-America-Stephen-Bullivant/dp/0197587445/   You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #Nones #Nonverts #StephenBullivant #atheism

What fresh possibilities open up with a narrative-historical approach to the Bible? Andrew Perriman discusses this in light of the gospel, salvation, hell, and then connecting dots to multifaith encounters. Perriman lives in London, UK. He is the author of several books, including Re: Mission: A Vision of Hope for a Post-Eschatological Church; The Future of the People of God: Reading Romans Before and After Western Christendom; End of Story: Same-Sex Relationships and the Narratives of Evangelical Mission; and his latest volume In the Form of a God: The Pre-existence of the Exalted Christ in Paul. He also published a collection of blog posts on hell and heaven called Hell and Heaven in Narrative Perspective. Andrew Perriman's blog P.OST: https://www.postost.net/2008/10/about-me You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #AndrewPerriman #narrativehistorical #gospel #soteriology #hell #multifaith

Mohammed Dajani addresses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Dajani is a Jerusalem-born scholar and peace activist who holds two doctorate degrees. He is Founder of the Wasatia Islamic moderate movement in Palestine which he created in 2007 to promote moderation and reconciliation, peace, tolerance, and justice. He is Founder and Director of Wasatia Graduate Academic Institute. Wasatia: http://www.wasatiamovement.com/ Our prior podcasts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Daniel Bar-Tal on the psychology of the conflict: https://youtu.be/wXf3itk4fSo Munther Isaac and a Palestinian Christian perspective: https://youtu.be/RGxM2yegaHk You can listen to Multifaith Matters on your favorite podcast platform, including Podbean, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, and iHeart Radio. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead  #MohammedDajani #WasatiaMovement #IsraeliPalestinianConflict

June Everett is Campaign Director for the After School Club, and an ordained minister of The Satanic Temple. In this conversation she shares her personal journey, discusses the After School Satan Clubs, and responds to our prior podcast with Lydia Kaiser of Child Evangelism Fellowship and their Good News Clubs. After School Satan Club: https://thesatanictemple.com/pages/after-school-satan Lydia Kaiser of Child Evangelism Fellowship on the Good News Club: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-jh7nd-13725eb Lucien Greaves on the After School Satan Club: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-zj835-11b1fe6 Stephen Bradford Long on The Satanic Temple: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-cv29w-fa8d1c For a good academic discussion of TST see Joseph Laycock's "Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion" (Oxford University Press, 2020). https://www.amazon.com/Speak-Devil-Satanic-Changing-Religion/dp/0190948493 Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org.  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate  Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #AfterSchoolSatan #TheSatanicTemple #Satanism #ChildEvangelismFellowship

Lydia Kaiser, Corporate Communications Specialist for Child Evangelism Fellowship talks about the Good News Clubs in schools, and also responds to the controversy raised by the response of The Satanic Temple to the Clubs and their efforts at putting After School Satan Clubs in schools where the Clubs are present. Good News Club at Child Evangelism Fellowship: https://www.cefonline.com/ministries/goodnewsclub/ Podcast with Lucien Greaves on After School Satan Clubs: https://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/lucien-greaves-of-the-satanic-temple-on-after-school-satan-clubs/ For a further exploration of these topics: Stephen Bradford Long on The Satanic Temple: https://youtu.be/bg7TalPZ_Rs For a good academic discussion of TST see Joseph Laycock's Speak of the Devil: How The Satanic Temple is Changing the Way We Talk About Religion (Oxford University Press, 2020) https://www.amazon.com/Speak-Devil-Satanic-Changing-Religion/dp/0190948493 Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org.  Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate  Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #GoodNewsClub #ChildEvangelismFellowship #AfterSchoolSatanClub

In recent decades many people have begun following Christ while remaining a part of their non-Christian religious communities. These "insider" Muslims, Hindu, Buddhist, Native American, and other followers of Christ have generated much interest and controversy, particularly in Western mission agencies and churches. Darren Duerksen is our guest who discusses this topic as part of his new book "Christ-Followers in Other Religions: The Global Witness of Insider Movements." Along the way he defines things like "insider movements" and "contextualization," and "alternative missiological imaginaries," addresses questions about the definitions of "religion" and "culture," and comments on the realities of hybrid religiosity and syncretism. Darren Duerkesen is Associate Professor of Intercultual and Religious Studies at Fresno Pacific University. https://www.fresno.edu/person/001g000000g1rxbiau/darren-duerksen Christ-Followers in Other Religions: The Global Witness of Insider Movements https://www.amazon.com/Christ-Followers-Other-Religions-Witness-Movements/dp/1914454642/ Beyond Contextualization: Rethinking Religious and Cultural Boundaries https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-contextualization-rethinking-religious-and-cultural-boundaries-tickets-409911134237 Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #missiology #interculturalstudies #missiology

Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint, is the heart of the fastest growing new religious movement in the Americas and the West. Andrew Chesnut is our guest who shares his research on the topic. Chesnut is Professor of Religious Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the author of Devoted to Death: Santa Muerte, the Skeleton Saint (Oxford University Press, 2012), the first academic study of this topic in in English. R. Andrew Chesnut: https://vcu.academia.edu/AndrewChesnut Additional resources on Santa Muerte: https://skeletonsaint.com/ Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate  Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead

Massimo Introvigne discusses the Korean cultural context of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, formerly known as the Unification Church, as well as various developments within the church, its mention in the news in connection with the assassination of the former Prime Minister of Japan, as well as questions related to deprogramming and brainwashing. Introvigne is an Italian sociologist, the managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), in Torino, Italy, and the author of some 70 books in the fields of new religious movements and pluralism. “The Unification Church: Studies in Contemporary Religion” by Massimo Introvigne https://www.amazon.com/Unification-Church-Contemporary-Religion-Religions/dp/1560851457/ “'Brainwashing:'” Career of a Myth in the United States and Europe” by Massimo Introvigne https://www.cesnur.org/conferences/BrainWash.htm “The Making of a Moonie: Choice or Brainwashing?” by Eileen Barker https://www.amazon.com/Making-Moonie-Choice-Brainwashing/dp/0631132465 CESNUR: https://www.cesnur.org/ Bitter Winter: https://bitterwinter.org/ Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #MassimoIntrovigne #UnificationChurch #FamilyFederationWorldPeaceUnification #brainwashing #deprogramming

Christians recognize and emphasize monotheism in the Bible, but on closer look at appears to have developed over time. This is important not only for a more careful understanding of the Bible and the Christian faith, but also as we develop arguments and critiques of other religions on their view of God such as the Latter-day Saints. In this episode we discuss the development of monotheism with Kenneth Seeskin, a Jewish scholar. Seeskin is the Philip M. and Ethel Klutznick Professor Emeritus of Jewish Civilization. After receiving his PhD from Yale in 1972, he joined the faculty of Northwestern and has remained there ever since. He served for nearly 20 years as Chair of the Philosophy Department and with the start of the 2010-11 academic year, served as Chair of Religious Studies. He has won several teaching awards since coming to Northwestern and served as the Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence from 1995-1998. Seeskin is best known for his interpretation and defense of the rationalist tradition in Jewish Philosophy, including such figures as Maimonides, Spinoza, and Cohen. His most recent books include the Cambridge Companion to Maimonides (CUP, 2005), Maimonides on the Origin of the World (CUP, 2005), Autonomy in Jewish Philosophy (CUP, 2001), and Searching for a Distant God: The Legacy of Maimonides (OUP, 2000). The latter was awarded the Koret Jewish Book Award in 2001. The Cambridge Guide to Jewish History, Religion, and Culture, co-edited with Judith Baskin, is scheduled to appear in 2010. His published articles dealing with religious themes are wide-ranging including studies on the Book of Job, the meaning of the Holocaust, negative theology, the concept of holiness, and recent studies on the role of reason in Jewish philosophy, the role of miracles in Jewish philosophy, and the Greek background to Jewish Philosophy. He is currently working on a book on messianism that will take up issues pertaining to evil, rationality, and the philosophy of history. Kenneth Seeskin: https://religious-studies.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/emeritus-faculty/kenneth-seeskin.html Related journal article by Dr. Seeskin: "When Did the Bible Become Monotheistic?" at TheTorah.com: https://www.thetorah.com/article/when-did-the-bible-become-monotheistic For a discussion that connects the dots between a careful discussion of monotheism in relation to Mormonism see the chapter by Carl Mosser, "Classifying Mormon Theism:" https://www.academia.edu/219780/_Classifying_Mormon_Theism_ Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #HebrewBible #monotheism #Mormonism #apologetics

Public theology seeks to articulate a theology beyond church and academy for the broader public and the common good. Ted Peters helps us understand how this can be done in light of the credibility challenges the church faces in America and the West. Dr. Peters teaches systematic theology and ethics at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He co-edits the journal, Theology and Science at the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences. He is the author of God-The World's Future: Systematic Theology for New Era, and God in Cosmic History: Where Science and History Meet Religion. He is co-author of Evolution from Creation to New Creation. Along with colleagues he has edited, Astrotheology: Science and Theology Meet Extraterrestrial Life, as well as Astrobiology: Science, Ethics and Public Policy. Ted Peters: https://www.gtu.edu/faculty/ted-f-peters Journal article: "Public Theology: Its Pastoral, Apologetic, Scientific, Political, and Prophetic Tasks": https://brill.com/view/journals/ijpt/12/2/article-p153_2.xml Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #publictheology #TedPeters    

Popular culture and the internet help resource various fiction-based religions. In this episode Zoe Alderton discusses one such religion known as Snapewives or Snapeism, a new religion taking inspiration from the literary work of J.K. Rowling and the book and film franchise of Harry Potter and a character within it, Professor Severus Snape. Zoe Alderton is a trans-disciplinary researcher specializing in academic communications and the promotion of scholarly excellence. She is the creator of Way of the Scholar. She has been employed by a wide range of universities and has helped them in their development of exciting curricula and innovative course design. These include the University of Sydney, Western Sydney University, Australian Catholic University, and the University of New England. Zoe Alderton: https://wayofthescholar.com/about-dr-zoe Alderton's journal article on Snapewives: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/5/1/219 Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #inventedreligion #HarryPotter #Snapewives #ZoeAlderton

The Bahá'í Faith teaches that throughout history, God has sent to humanity a series of divine Educators—known as Manifestations of God—whose teachings have provided the basis for the advancement of civilization. These Manifestations have included Abraham, Krishna, Zoroaster, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muḥammad. Bahá'u'lláh, the latest of these Messengers, explained that the religions of the world come from the same Source and are in essence successive chapters of one religion from God. Bahá'í's believe the crucial need facing humanity is to find a unifying vision of the future of society and of the nature and purpose of life. Such a vision unfolds in the writings of Bahá'u'lláh.   Mahrooz Madella and Barbara Lachmar help us understand the Bahá'í Faith. Madella was born in Iran to a Bahá'í family and moved to the US when she was twelve. She is a member of the Bahá'í community in Salt Lake County, Utah. Lachmar is a former Roman Catholic who became a B Bahá'í when she was twenty in Omaha Nebraska. She lives in Cache County, Utah.  The Bahái Faith official website: https://www.bahai.org/  Baháis of the United States: https://www.bahai.us/    Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org.     Support this work:   One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate   Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com    #BahaiFaith #Bahai #Baha'u'llah 

In the 1960s and 1970s the Hare Krishnas were known for wearing saffron robes, chanting in the streets, and raising money at airports. Many people feared them and considered them a cult. A lot has changed in the over fifty years since the founding of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). Anuttama Dasa discusses ISKCON's origins, history, beliefs and practices, lived culture and more. Anuttama Dasa is the Minister of Communications for ISKCON. He has been a member of ISKCON since 1975. He has served as a member of the Governing Body since 1999. Originally from Michigan, he studied political science at Michigan State University and University of Michigan before leaving his studies to pursue a religious and spiritual quest. He lives in Rockville, Maryland. ISKCON website: https://www.iskcon.org/ The Hare Krishnas: Celebrating 50 Years magazine -  https://www.iskconcommunications.org/resources/iskcon-50th-anniversary-magazine/file Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #ISKCON #HareKrishna #AnuttamaDasa

Evangelicals and Humility in Multifaith Engagement American Evangelicals are not known for embracing intellectual humility, but there are notable and promising examples. This podcast series explores the topic through the story of how Evangelical Christians and Zen Buddhists in Portland have been able to engage in an intellectually humble exchange of perspectives without compromising their core convictions. The series also includes analysis and commentary from scholars who specialize in the psychology of intellectual humility. As this is time of extreme national polarization on many fronts, this series is especially relevant as it demonstrates that strong religious convictions are not necessarily incompatible with intellectual humility and do not always lead to antagonism between groups. Our hope is that this series is inspiring, and that it demonstrates the need for additional research exploring how those with strong religious convictions develop humility while doing so across worldview-threatening differences. Episode 4: Peter C. Hill and the context of theistic humility Peter Hill is a social psychologist at the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. His unique contribution to humility research is in exploring considerations related to theistic intellectual humility. He discusses how existing concepts related to intellectual humility have not taken account of the way this is experienced and expressed by theists, the importance of emotions, and how strong religious convictions and exclusivism are not necessarily incompatible with theistic intellectual humility. Video: https://youtu.be/9mTci8CYmek Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-4-peter-c-hill-and-the-context-of-theistic-humility/ Exploring further: https://researchoutreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Peter-C.-Hill.pdf Episode 1: Wes Markofski and the “other evangelicals” Wes Markofski is a sociologist at Carleton College, and author of Multiculural Evangelicalism and Ethical Democracy in America (forthcoming). He discusses his research on “reflexive evangelicals.” Despite popular images of white American Evangelicals as the embodied antithesis of intellectual humility, responsiveness to facts, and openness to the other, Markofski discovered that Evangelicals can and do practice intellectual humility in public life while simultaneously holding fast to particularistic religious convictions. Video: https://youtu.be/ULbFxYiC3qw Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-1-wes-markofski-and-the-other-evangelicals/ Exploring further:  https://tif.ssrc.org/2018/01/11/the-other-evangelicals/ Episode 2: Evangelicals and Zen Buddhists reflect on 20 years of dialogue Members of the Evangelical group New Wine, New Wineskins, and Buddhists from Dharma Rain Zen Center reflect on their twenty years of dialogue and relationships. Two leaders from these religious communities, Paul Louis Metzger and Kyogen Carlson, got together in Portland to discuss religious and political divisions after the 2004 re-election of George W. Bush. The talks then expanded to involve other members of these religious communities through common meals. Video: https://youtu.be/FEBib0emq5k Audio: https://youtu.be/FEBib0emq5k Exploring further: https://tricycle.org/magazine/beloved-community/ Episode 3: Daryl Van Tongeren and the psychology of humility Daryl Van Tongeren is a psychologist at Hope College and a leading researcher on the science of humility. He is the author of Humble: Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World. He defines “intellectual humility,” and discusses the psychological challenges we face in exercising humility, particularly in the context of cultural worldviews where religion is a part of our identity. He also shares his thoughts on how we might develop more empathy and bridge divides. Video: https://youtu.be/tzY-pm8LYkY Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-3-daryl-van-tongeren-and-the-psychology-of-humility/ Exploring further: https://www.workman.com/products/humble/hardback Podcast series produced by the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy/Multifaith Matters. We appreciate the contributions of Wes Markofski, Daryl Van Tongeren, Peter C. Hill, the Dharma Rain Zen Center, and New Wine, New Wineskins. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #humility #intellectualhumility #multifaith #interfaith #dialogue

Evangelicals and Humility in Multifaith Engagement American Evangelicals are not known for embracing intellectual humility, but there are notable and promising examples. This podcast series explores the topic through the story of how Evangelical Christians and Zen Buddhists in Portland have been able to engage in an intellectually humble exchange of perspectives without compromising their core convictions. The series also includes analysis and commentary from scholars who specialize in the psychology of intellectual humility. As this is time of extreme national polarization on many fronts, this series is especially relevant as it demonstrates that strong religious convictions are not necessarily incompatible with intellectual humility and do not always lead to antagonism between groups. Our hope is that this series is inspiring, and that it demonstrates the need for additional research exploring how those with strong religious convictions develop humility while doing so across worldview-threatening differences. Episode 3: Daryl Van Tongeren and the psychology of humility Daryl Van Tongeren is a psychologist at Hope College and a leading researcher on the science of humility. He is the author of Humble: Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World. He defines “intellectual humility,” and discusses the psychological challenges we face in exercising humility, particularly in the context of cultural worldviews where religion is a part of our identity. He also shares his thoughts on how we might develop more empathy and bridge divides. Video: https://youtu.be/tzY-pm8LYkY Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-3-daryl-van-tongeren-and-the-psychology-of-humility/ Exploring further: https://www.workman.com/products/humble/hardback Episode 1: Wes Markofski and the “other evangelicals” Wes Markofski is a sociologist at Carleton College, and author of Multiculural Evangelicalism and Ethical Democracy in America (forthcoming). He discusses his research on “reflexive evangelicals.” Despite popular images of white American Evangelicals as the embodied antithesis of intellectual humility, responsiveness to facts, and openness to the other, Markofski discovered that Evangelicals can and do practice intellectual humility in public life while simultaneously holding fast to particularistic religious convictions. Video: https://youtu.be/ULbFxYiC3qw Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-1-wes-markofski-and-the-other-evangelicals/ Exploring further:  https://tif.ssrc.org/2018/01/11/the-other-evangelicals/ Episode 2: Evangelicals and Zen Buddhists reflect on 20 years of dialogue Members of the Evangelical group New Wine, New Wineskins, and Buddhists from Dharma Rain Zen Center reflect on their twenty years of dialogue and relationships. Two leaders from these religious communities, Paul Louis Metzger and Kyogen Carlson, got together in Portland to discuss religious and political divisions after the 2004 re-election of George W. Bush. The talks then expanded to involve other members of these religious communities through common meals. Video: https://youtu.be/FEBib0emq5k Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-2-evangelicals-and-zen-buddhists-reflect-on-20-years-of-dialogue/  Exploring further: https://tricycle.org/magazine/beloved-community/ Episode 4: Peter C. Hill and the context of theistic humility Peter Hill is a social psychologist at the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. His unique contribution to humility research is in exploring considerations related to theistic intellectual humility. He discusses how existing concepts related to intellectual humility have not taken account of the way this is experienced and expressed by theists, the importance of emotions, and how strong religious convictions and exclusivism are not necessarily incompatible with theistic intellectual humility. Video: https://youtu.be/9mTci8CYmek Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-4-peter-c-hill-and-the-context-of-theistic-humility/ Exploring further: https://researchoutreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Peter-C.-Hill.pdf Podcast series produced by the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy/Multifaith Matters. We appreciate the contributions of Wes Markofski, Daryl Van Tongeren, Peter C. Hill, the Dharma Rain Zen Center, and New Wine, New Wineskins. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #humility #intellectualhumility #multifaith #interfaith #dialogue

Evangelicals and Humility in Multifaith Engagement American Evangelicals are not known for embracing intellectual humility, but there are notable and promising examples. This podcast series explores the topic through the story of how Evangelical Christians and Zen Buddhists in Portland have been able to engage in an intellectually humble exchange of perspectives without compromising their core convictions. The series also includes analysis and commentary from scholars who specialize in the psychology of intellectual humility. As this is time of extreme national polarization on many fronts, this series is especially relevant as it demonstrates that strong religious convictions are not necessarily incompatible with intellectual humility and do not always lead to antagonism between groups. Our hope is that this series is inspiring, and that it demonstrates the need for additional research exploring how those with strong religious convictions develop humility while doing so across worldview-threatening differences. Episode 2: Evangelicals and Zen Buddhists reflect on 20 years of dialogue Members of the Evangelical group New Wine, New Wineskins, and Buddhists from Dharma Rain Zen Center reflect on their twenty years of dialogue and relationships. Two leaders from these religious communities, Paul Louis Metzger and Kyogen Carlson, got together in Portland to discuss religious and political divisions after the 2004 re-election of George W. Bush. The talks then expanded to involve other members of these religious communities through common meals. Video: https://youtu.be/FEBib0emq5k Audio:  http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-2-evangelicals-and-zen-buddhists-reflect-on-20-years-of-dialogue/ Exploring further: https://tricycle.org/magazine/beloved-community/ Episode 1: Wes Markofski and the “other evangelicals” Wes Markofski is a sociologist at Carleton College, and author of Multiculural Evangelicalism and Ethical Democracy in America (forthcoming). He discusses his research on “reflexive evangelicals.” Despite popular images of white American Evangelicals as the embodied antithesis of intellectual humility, responsiveness to facts, and openness to the other, Markofski discovered that Evangelicals can and do practice intellectual humility in public life while simultaneously holding fast to particularistic religious convictions. Video: https://youtu.be/ULbFxYiC3qw Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-1-wes-markofski-and-the-other-evangelicals/ Exploring further:  https://tif.ssrc.org/2018/01/11/the-other-evangelicals/ Episode 3: Daryl Van Tongeren and the psychology of humility Daryl Van Tongeren is a psychologist at Hope College and a leading researcher on the science of humility. He is the author of Humble: Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World. He defines “intellectual humility,” and discusses the psychological challenges we face in exercising humility, particularly in the context of cultural worldviews where religion is a part of our identity. He also shares his thoughts on how we might develop more empathy and bridge divides. Video: https://youtu.be/tzY-pm8LYkY Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-3-daryl-van-tongeren-and-the-psychology-of-humility/ Exploring further: https://www.workman.com/products/humble/hardback Episode 4: Peter C. Hill and the context of theistic humility Peter Hill is a social psychologist at the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. His unique contribution to humility research is in exploring considerations related to theistic intellectual humility. He discusses how existing concepts related to intellectual humility have not taken account of the way this is experienced and expressed by theists, the importance of emotions, and how strong religious convictions and exclusivism are not necessarily incompatible with theistic intellectual humility. Video: https://youtu.be/9mTci8CYmek Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-4-peter-c-hill-and-the-context-of-theistic-humility/ Exploring further: https://researchoutreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Peter-C.-Hill.pdf Podcast series produced by the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy/Multifaith Matters. We appreciate the contributions of Wes Markofski, Daryl Van Tongeren, Peter C. Hill, the Dharma Rain Zen Center, and New Wine, New Wineskins. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #humility #intellectualhumility #multifaith #interfaith #dialogue

Evangelicals and Humility in Multifaith Engagement American Evangelicals are not known for embracing intellectual humility, but there are notable and promising examples. This podcast series explores the topic through the story of how Evangelical Christians and Zen Buddhists in Portland have been able to engage in an intellectually humble exchange of perspectives without compromising their core convictions. The series also includes analysis and commentary from scholars who specialize in the psychology of intellectual humility. As this is time of extreme national polarization on many fronts, this series is especially relevant as it demonstrates that strong religious convictions are not necessarily incompatible with intellectual humility and do not always lead to antagonism between groups. Our hope is that this series is inspiring, and that it demonstrates the need for additional research exploring how those with strong religious convictions develop humility while doing so across worldview-threatening differences. Episode 1: Wes Markofski and the “other evangelicals” Wes Markofski is a sociologist at Carleton College, and author of Multiculural Evangelicalism and Ethical Democracy in America (forthcoming). He discusses his research on “reflexive evangelicals.” Despite popular images of white American Evangelicals as the embodied antithesis of intellectual humility, responsiveness to facts, and openness to the other, Markofski discovered that Evangelicals can and do practice intellectual humility in public life while simultaneously holding fast to particularistic religious convictions. Video: https://youtu.be/ULbFxYiC3qw Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-1-wes-markofski-and-the-other-evangelicals/ Exploring further:  https://tif.ssrc.org/2018/01/11/the-other-evangelicals/ Episode 2: Evangelicals and Zen Buddhists reflect on 20 years of dialogue Members of the Evangelical group New Wine, New Wineskins, and Buddhists from Dharma Rain Zen Center reflect on their twenty years of dialogue and relationships. Two leaders from these religious communities, Paul Louis Metzger and Kyogen Carlson, got together in Portland to discuss religious and political divisions after the 2004 re-election of George W. Bush. The talks then expanded to involve other members of these religious communities through common meals. Video: https://youtu.be/FEBib0emq5k Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-2-evangelicals-and-zen-buddhists-reflect-on-20-years-of-dialogue/ Exploring further: https://tricycle.org/magazine/beloved-community/ Episode 3: Daryl Van Tongeren and the psychology of humility Daryl Van Tongeren is a psychologist at Hope College and a leading researcher on the science of humility. He is the author of Humble: Free Yourself from the Traps of a Narcissistic World. He defines “intellectual humility,” and discusses the psychological challenges we face in exercising humility, particularly in the context of cultural worldviews where religion is a part of our identity. He also shares his thoughts on how we might develop more empathy and bridge divides. Video: https://youtu.be/tzY-pm8LYkY Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-3-daryl-van-tongeren-and-the-psychology-of-humility/ Exploring further: https://www.workman.com/products/humble/hardback Episode 4: Peter C. Hill and the context of theistic humility Peter Hill is a social psychologist at the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. His unique contribution to humility research is in exploring considerations related to theistic intellectual humility. He discusses how existing concepts related to intellectual humility have not taken account of the way this is experienced and expressed by theists, the importance of emotions, and how strong religious convictions and exclusivism are not necessarily incompatible with theistic intellectual humility. Video: https://youtu.be/9mTci8CYmek Audio: http://johnwmorehead.podbean.com/e/episode-4-peter-c-hill-and-the-context-of-theistic-humility/ Exploring further: https://researchoutreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Peter-C.-Hill.pdf Podcast series produced by the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy/Multifaith Matters. We appreciate the contributions of Wes Markofski, Daryl Van Tongeren, Peter C. Hill, the Dharma Rain Zen Center, and New Wine, New Wineskins. Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #humility #intellectualhumility #multifaith #interfaith #dialogue

How should the horror of the atom bomb be remembered? In what ways might we remember so that the terrible experience of its use might be transformed into hope for a universal community of peace? In a fascinating case study, Yuki Miyamoto compares how Buddhist and Catholic survivors of the 1945 bombings make sense of their experiences through an ethic of "not retaliation, but reconciliation." This study is not only of great historical interest, but also provides help for us as we reflect on the continued threat of nuclear catastrophe. Yuki Miyamoto is Professor of Religious Studies at DePaul University and is an ethicist whose work centers on nuclear discourse and environmental ethics through the framework of comparative ethics. She is the author of various books, including Beyond the Mushroom Cloud: Commemoration, Religion, and Responsibility After Hiroshima. Yuki Miyamoto: https://las.depaul.edu/academics/religious-studies/faculty/Pages/yuki-miyamoto.aspx Beyond the Mushroom Cloud: Commemoration, Religion, and Responsibility After Hiroshima: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Mushroom-Cloud-Commemoration-Responsibility/dp/0823240517 Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #Hiroshima #Nagasaki #nuclearweapons #YukiMiyamto #Catholics #Buddhists

A conversation with three leaders of Summum (a Latin term meaning “the sum total of creation”), a religious group in Salt Lake City, including Su Menu, president of Summum, Bernie Aua, vice president, and Ron Temu, counselor who oversees their mummification practices. Summum began in the fall of 1975 when founder Claude “Corky” Rex Nowell began to have a series of encounters with highly intelligent beings who work the pathways of spiritual evolution. During these encounters he received instructions concerning the underlying principles (Laws of Nature) which establish and maintain the universe. In this podcast we learn how they came to embrace Summum, its Seven Aphorisms or principles, practices like meditation, their book SUMMUM: Sealed Except to the Open Mind, and the significance of its pyramid structure and the process of mummification.   Summum websites:  https://www.summum.us/   http://www.summum.org/   http://www.summum.tv/  http://www.kphi.org/   Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com #Summum

In this conversation, Massimo Introvigne shares the story of The Church of Almighty God, a group in China that has seen rapid growth, dramatic persecution, and the struggle of believers to see asylum in countries around the world. Among the items discussed, Introvigne reconstructs the Church's idiosyncratic theology, centered in the belief that Jesus Christ has returned in our time in the shape of a Chinese woman, worshipped as Almighty God, to eradicate the sinful human nature and that we have entered the third and final time period in the history of humanity: the Age of the Kingdom. Massimo Introvigne is an Italian sociologist, the managing director of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), in Torino, Italy, and the author of some 70 books in the fields of new religious movements and pluralism. Inside the Church of Almighty God: The Most Persecuted Religious Movement in China by Massimo Introvigne: https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Church-Almighty-God-Persecuted/dp/0190089091/ CESNUR: https://www.cesnur.org/ Bitter Winter: https://bitterwinter.org/ Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #MassimoIntrovigne #ChurchofAlmightyGod #ChineseReligion

The Jehovah's Witnesses have been the focus of much evangelical apologetic and secular media critique. In this podcast, new religions scholar George Chryssides presents an overview of the Watch Tower organization's origins, their lived religion, key beliefs and practices, and controversial aspects like disfellowshipping, blood transfusions, and sexual abuse allegations. Chryssides is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at York St. John University, UK. His books include The Bloomsbury Handbook to Studying Christians, Historical Dictionary of Jehovah's Witnesses second edition, Jehovah's Witnesses: Continuity and Change, and The Bloomsbury Companion to New Religious Movements. In this podcast we discuss some of the material from Jehovah's Witnesses: A New Introduction - https://www.amazon.com/Jehovahs-Witnesses-Introduction-George-Chryssides/dp/1350190896/ George D. Chryssides: https://yorksj.academia.edu/GeorgeChryssides Jehovah's Witnesses website: https://www.jw.org/en/ Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead  #JehovahsWitnesses #GeorgeChryssides #newreligions

A discussion of research around demonic and divine attributions surrounding COVID-19 vaccines. Julie Exline discusses a research paper of she and her colleagues which showed that demonic vaccine attributions were linked with more anti-vaccination attitudes, and were also linked with conspiracy beliefs, QAnon, and apocalypticism. Exline is professor of psychology and spirituality at the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Reserve University. A special emphasis of her research includes religious and spiritual struggles, and the causes and consequences of supernatural explanations for events. Julie Exline: https://psychsciences.case.edu/faculty/julie-exline/ Journal article: "Demonic and Divine Attributions around COVID-19 Vaccines: Links with Vaccine Attitudes and Behaviors, QAnon and Conspiracy Beliefs, Anger, Spiritual Struggles, Religious Beliefs and Political Variables, and Supernatural and Apocalyptic Beliefs" Religions 13 (2022) https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/6/519 Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #COVID19 #demonic #divine #conspiracy #QAnon

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints whose members were formerly known as Mormons have been the focus of evangelical critique for many years by way of a doctrinal contrast and a heresy apologetic template. But what might we learn about the LDS by other pathways? In this conversation Charles Randall Paul, founder and president of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, shares aspects of the faith of the LDS as lived religion such as the importance of ritual, ethics, and sacred mythic narrative. Charles Randall Paul: http://religious-diplomacy.org/board-of-directors/ Converting the Saints: A Study of Religious Rivalry by Charles Randall Paul: https://www.amazon.com/Converting-Saints-Religious-Rivalry-America-ebook/dp/B07F458LZM/ The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints official website: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/about-us?lang=eng Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #Mormonism #LatterdaySaints

The COVID-19 pandemic brought lots of surprises, including the political and religious conflicts connected to it. In this podcast we explore one facet of this as Emily Kubin and Frank J. Kachanoff discuss their research published in the paper "Threat Rejection Fuels Political Dehumanization" published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science. Part of their abstract for the paper reads, "Americans disagree about many things, including what threats are most pressing. We suggest people morally condemn and dehumanize opponents when they are perceived as rejecting the existence or severity of important perceived threats." Although not a part of their research project, this dynamic may play a part in conservative Christian reactions to those who take a different stance on COVID-19 vaccines. "Threat Rejection Fuels Dehumanization": https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/19485506211068922 Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #socialpsychology #dehumanization #COVID

Andrew DeCort is a lecturer on religious and political ethics and Ethiopian studies. He's the author of Bonhoeffer's New Beginning: Ethics After Devastation, he founded the Institute for Faith and Flourishing, and co-directs the Neighbor-Love Movement. His forthcoming book is titled Why Pray?: Seven Practices of Flourishing on the Edge of Faith. In this podcast we discuss his article "Christian Nationalism Is Tearing Ethiopia Apart," published at Foreign Policy, and his book Why Pray?. Andrew DeCort: https://andrew-decort.com/ "Christian Nationalism Is Tearing Ethiopia Apart": https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/06/18/ethiopia-pentecostal-evangelical-abiy-ahmed-christian-nationalism/ Neighbor-Love Movement: https://balinjeraye.org/en/ Bonhoeffer's New Beginning: https://www.amazon.com/Bonhoeffers-New-Beginning-Ethics-Devastation-ebook/dp/B07GBJND67/ Why Pray?: https://bittersweetmonthly.com/books/why-pray #Ethiopia #AndrewDeCort #dehumanization #ChristianNationalism

The great book From Bubble to Bridge: Educating Christians for a Multifaith World by Marion H. Larson and Sara L. H. Shady (IVP Academic, 2017) is the focus of a conversation between Charles Randall Paul, founder and president of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy, and John W. Morehead, Director of FRD's Evangelical chapter. From Bubble to Bridge: https://www.amazon.com/Bubble-Bridge-Educating-Christians-Multifaith/dp/0830851569/ John Morehead's review of this book from Cultural Encounters journal: https://www.academia.edu/35625175/From_Bubble_to_Bridge_Educating_Christians_for_a_Multifaith_World Multifaith Matters podcast on harm-based morality with Kurt Gray: https://youtu.be/9mbQ0ul9Jo4 Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead

Why are we so polarized about gay marriage, immigration, gun rights, abortion, not to mention religious beliefs? Kurt Gray helps shed light on this through his use of interdisciplinary methods to study our deepest beliefs and how to bridge moral divides. Dr. Gray is an Associate Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Caroline at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. Website: https://www.kurtgray.com Deepest Beliefs Lab: https://www.deepestbeliefslab.com Center for the Science of Moral Understanding: https://www.moralunderstanding.com/ Book: The Mind Club: Who Thinks, What Feels, and Why It Matters https://www.amazon.com/The-Mind-Club-audiobook/dp/B01C4PMEAM/ Learn more about our work at https://www.multifaithmatters.org. Support this work: One-time donation: https://multifaithmatters.org/donate Become my patron: https://patron.podbean.com/johnwmorehead #KurtGray #harm-basedmorality #socialpsychology #moraltolerance #moralfoundationstheory