Multifaith Matters

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 Maddela and Barbara Lachmar help us understand the Bahá’í Faith. Maddela 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 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