ReligionWise

Dr. Damon Berry, associate professor of religious studies at St. Lawrence University, regularly consults with federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI and FBI’s BAU-1 (Behavioral Analysis Unit One) on cases involving religious extremism and alt-right movements. In this conversation, we explore the challenges of translating academic research into practical guidance for investigators, including the difficult work of understanding belief systems and worldviews that are dangerous and toxic to pluralistic society. Berry discusses what law enforcement agencies understand well about these movements and how empathetic scholarship can inform counter-extremism efforts. Dr. Berry's Books: Blood and Faith: Christianity in American White NationalismChristianity and the Alt-Right: Exploring the RelationshipThe New Apostolic Reformation, Trump, and Evangelical PoliticsShow Notes: Life After HateSend us a text

In this episode, Institute for Religious and Cultural Understanding Director Chip Gruen becomes the guest as producer Christine Flicker poses questions drawn from audience feedback. The conversation explores the methodological approaches, underlying assumptions, and programming decisions that shape the Institute's work in fostering religious understanding and a healthier public conversation on religion. Listeners get an inside look at how the Institute navigates the complexities of religious diversity in public life and the intentional choices behind its programming initiatives. Send us a text

Esoteric elements are present in many religious traditions, where discourses of secrecy help reinforce identity and fulfill important social and cultural roles within religious communities. Our guest, Hartley Lachter, author of "Kabbalah and Catastrophe," explores how Jewish mystical thought developed in response to historical trauma and community crises. We discuss the broader social and cultural functions of secrecy in religious life, examining how discourses of revealed knowledge create power structures, strengthen community bonds, and inspire innovative responses to calamity. Show Notes: Kabbalah and Catastrophe: Historical Memory in Premodern Jewish MysticismKabbalistic Revolution: Reimagining Judaism in Medieval Spain Send us a text

How do religious journalists navigate the intersection of faith values and public issues? Sharlee DiMenichi of Friends Journal discusses her reporting on a variety of contemporary issues, including Quaker responses to immigration policy, climate change, and economic justice. We explore how religious principles translate into political action and humanitarian work across diverse communities, and how faith-based journalism might contribute unique perspectives to public discourse while helping rebuild trust in today's fragmented media environment. Show Notes: Friends JournalQuakers Sue DHS over Immigration Enforcement and Religious FreedomEmblems of ChangeDear God, Help Me HereSend us a text

On this episode of ReligionWise Philosophy Professor Eric Steinhart joins us to discuss how his work on contemporary paganism challenges traditional boundaries in the philosophy of religion. We consider the historical limitations of the field, the value of including minority traditions, and how his eclectic academic interests have shaped his approach to religious diversity and philosophical inquiry. Show Notes: Contemporary Pagan Philosophy Send us a text

In this episode, we explore the remarkable story of the Abayudaya, Uganda's Jewish community, with Chief Rabbi Gershom Sizomu, the first native-born ordained rabbi in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rabbi Sizomu shares the history of his community, from its founding through persecution under Idi Amin's regime to its contemporary revival. Our conversation examines how the Abayudaya navigate their dual identity as both distinctly Jewish and distinctly Ugandan. Show Notes: Abayudaya: Music from the Jewish People of Uganda Send us a text

In this episode we explore the fascinating world of neuroscience with Dr. Jeremy Teissere, Stanley Road Professor of Neuroscience at Muhlenberg College, who introduces us to the discipline's key questions and recent developments. Then, we turn to the enduring legacy of William James, the early 20th century thinker at the intersection of psychology, philosophy, and religion. We consider how James's pioneering insights into mystical states, consciousness, and conversion continue to resonate with modern neuroscientific understanding. Send us a text

In this episode of ReligionWise we sit down with Ulysses Burley, founder of UBtheCure, a consulting company that describes itself as being at the "intersection of Faith, Health, and Human Rights." A trained physician turned social activist, Dr. Burley is interested in the role and responsibility of communities to play a part in public health and our collective response to both wellness and disease, including but not limited to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Black community. Send us a text

This episode features Reverend Frederick Davie, who among other roles, serves as the Senior Advisor on Racial Equity for Interfaith America. In this far ranging discussion, we talk about the role of interfaith dialogue in wider public discourse, the shifting understanding of religious freedom, and the relationship between governmental policy and the priorities of religious communities. Show Notes: Interfaith AmericaUS Commission on International Religious Freedom Send us a text

In today’s conversation, we talk with Susan Pizor Yoder, a researcher and faith leader who wants to understand how and why recent generations are less likely to identify with traditional religious communities. As the lead author of the recent book, Hear Us Out, Dr. Pizor Yoder talks about the process of interviewing over 200 18-40 year olds about how they find meaning, whether that be in a community or not. Show notes: Hear Us Out

On this episode of ReligionWise, scholar Lilianne Lugo Herrera guides us through the vibrant world of Afro-Caribbean religious practice, with a special focus on Cuban traditions. From the intimate spaces of home altars to the dramatic possibilities of theatrical performance, we explore how these sacred traditions continue to pulse through Caribbean cultural life, shaping art, identity, and community across generations.

Today's conversation features Dr. Guy Erwin, the President of the United Lutheran Seminary. As a lifelong educator both with roots on a Native American reservation and as an openly gay man, Dr. Erwin shares his perspective on some of the social and cultural challenges faced by the church in the last generation. More generally, our discussion also considers the place of Christianity in public life and the relationship between the church and higher education.

Though the categories we use to describe them can be different, "the Alt-Right", "Christian Nationalists", "White Nationalists," there is no denying the ascendency of a powerful force on the right that has affected the political and religious landscape of the United States over the last generation. Our guest today, Dr. Damon Berry, works to understand these groups from their context and to make their worldview comprehensible to outsiders from the movement. This conversation not only considers some of the political consequences for the 2024 presidential election, but considers the development and organization of these groups over the last few decades. Show Notes: Blood and Faith: Christianity in American White NationalismChristianity and the Alt-Right: Exploring the RelationshipThe New Apostolic Reformation, Trump, and Evangelical PoliticsA Christian Nation? Understanding the Threat of Christian Nationalism to American Democracy and Culture

This episode of ReligionWise features Chris Borick the Director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion. In this conversation, we consider how pollsters try to understand religious identity and sentiment, the limitations of those methods for considering religious minorities, and how the rise of a religiously unaffiliated public has shown up in recent polls.

Religious stories and symbolism very often feature animals of all kinds. Over the last few decades, scholars have taken more notice of these non-human actors that often play an important role in religious belief and practice. Today's conversation features Arthur Walker-Jones and Suzanna Millar, the co-editors of a new book at the intersection of Animal Studies and Biblical Studies entitled Ask the Animals: Developing a Biblical Animal Hermeneutic. Our discussion explores the ways that we think about the appearance of animals in Biblical texts and considers, more generally, new approaches to understand the confluence of animals and religion.

Hindu traditions have been around for an incredibly long time. As with any religious or cultural system, however, the beliefs and practices of Hinduism have developed and adapted to new environments and contexts. In today's conversation, we talk with Dr. Abhishek Ghosh from the Institute for Vaishnava Studies about the translation of Hinduism to the West. From early encounters in the 19th century, to shifts in migration patterns in the 20th century, to contemporary wellness practice and mindfulness, we consider the ways that these ancient traditions have been introduced and understood in these new times and places. Show Notes: https://www.ivs.edu/

We all know the aphorism about the unavoidability of death and taxes. On this episode of ReligionWise, we consider the former with funeral director Dustin Grim. Among other topics, this conversation reflects on changes in religious affiliation in the contemporary world and how these changes affect funerary practice. We also ask what these changes can tell us about shifting perceptions of the body, giving us a window into how people think about death itself.

This episode of ReligionWise features Vicki Garlock, Ph.D., the founder of World Religions for Kids. Trained as a cognitive psychologist, Dr. Garlock's longtime interest in religion and religious diversity has inspired her to produce children's books and train educators on the importance of religious literacy for even the youngest learners. Today's conversation considers the legal and pedagogical issues entailed with religious literacy for students and some of the practical concerns of such a curriculum. Show Notes: World Religions for Kids

Today's conversation features Jane Fitzpatrick, a contributing writer to Religion Matters who covers the intersection of religion and the performing arts, with a particular emphasis on the opera. Conversations about religion in the public square happen in all kinds of contexts. This episode considers the many ways that religion is both represented and critiqued in the high cultural form of the opera. We also consider storytelling within both the performing arts and religion, in particular the interpretation and reinterpretation of narrative that is a hallmark of both. Show Notes: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/religionglobalsociety/2023/10/what-we-can-still-learn-from-dialogues-of-the-carmelites/ http://www.theinterfaithobserver.org/journal-articles/2023/10/2-religious-pluralism-at-the-opera https://www.appreciateopera.org/post/the-show-must-go-on-for-boris-godunov

Religious diversity on college and university campuses can be a complicated subject. Varieties of traditions and worldviews have been present at institutions of higher education for a long time, yet recognizing and welcoming those various religious identities has not always automatically followed. Today's episode of ReligionWise features Adeel Zeb, who has served as a Muslim college chaplain on several campuses over the last decade. Additionally, his work has been profiled in a number of outlets, including the Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, and the Washington Post. This wide ranging conversation considers not only Adeel's work as a Muslim chaplain, but also contemplates the path towards Islamic clerical leadership, pressures towards assimilation among 2nd and 3rd generation college students, and shared characteristics of minority religious identities at majority Christian institutions.