Religion and Public Life Center, Boniuk Institute, Rice University

At this morning's Scholars Meeting, Religion and Public Life Center, Boniuk Institute, Rice University scholar and Sociology PhD candidate Bianca Mabute-Louie explored the role that religion plays in the civic participation of Chinese-American evangelical Christians. In her research, respondents describe their church as neutral, or politically ambiguous--not talking politics from the pulpit--although in reality, they do promote traditional conservative social views. Individual respondents run the gamut from ambivalent and apolitical (though not uninformed), to proudly conservative and patriotic (expressed in pro-US attitudes and traditional conservative views on race, social services and work ethic), to quietly progressive (fundamentally disagreeing with what they see as overly conservative messaging in their church, but choosing to remain with the community rather than leave). Overall, Chinese-American evangelical Christians support a neutral church. Individually, they are largely involved in civic life.

A huge thank you to RPLC non-resident research fellow Esther Chan and to Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance Associate Director of Research Kerby Goff for organizing panels. We are so proud to of RPLC graduate scholar Brenton Kalinowski for presenting his research as well! Lots of exciting things happening.

This morning, director Rachel C. Schneider, spoke at the Working Faith Breakfast Series at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Houston about the Faith at Work study (PI Elaine Howard Ecklund and CO-PI) Denise Daniels. Funded by The Lilly Endowment. Participants were enthusiastic about how research conducted by the Religion and Public Life Program can help them better navigate faith and authentically express (and address) their spiritual needs in a diverse workplace! To read more of our reserach from the F@W study, visist https://lnkd.in/dgcRMYPq. And keep your eyes out for the forthcoming book "Religion in a Changing Workplace" by Elaine Howard Ecklund Denise Daniels and Chris Scheitle (Oxford Univeristy Press). Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dGRzbvTv. We will let you know when it drops ??

This morning, director Rachel C. Schneider, spoke at the Working Faith Breakfast Series at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Houston about the Faith at Work study (PI Elaine Howard Ecklund and CO-PI) Denise Daniels. Funded by The Lilly Endowment. Participants were enthusiastic about how research conducted by the Religion and Public Life Program can help them better navigate faith and authentically express (and address) their spiritual needs in a diverse workplace! To read more of our reserach from the F@W study, visist https://lnkd.in/dgcRMYPq. And keep your eyes out for the forthcoming book "Religion in a Changing Workplace" by Elaine Howard Ecklund Denise Daniels and Chris Scheitle (Oxford Univeristy Press). Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dGRzbvTv. We will let you know when it drops ??

RPLP Graduate Scholar Brenton Kalinowski, along with Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance researchers Rachel C. Schneider, PhD and Elaine Howard Ecklund just published a new piece in The Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion examining the ways that Christian religious leaders talk about race in their congregations following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. You can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gNXw8Nz3

On April 30th, Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance's Religion and Public Life Program welcomed Rabbi Oren Hayon and Rice Jewish Studies Director Matthias Henze to a Religious and Civic Leader Gathering to discuss antisemitism in the contemporary US.?They agreed that we must first acknowledge the problem before working to build communities grounded in peace and safety. ? “This is a very bad time,” said Hayon.?Rhetoric has escalated quickly and frighteningly.?It feels like we are always scrambling to catch up to the threat rather than able to get out in front of it.? ? When asked about the line between free speech and antisemitism, Hayon said that it is important that we live in a place that protects political speech and allows for voices to be heard, but criticizing the character of a people/ country rather than policies and practices is crossing the line.? ? When asked by the audience how academic institutions can foster bridges between differences, Henze responded with three steps every academic institution should take: 1) keep everyone safe, 2) guarantee the academic freedom of professors and students, 3) further research to create and protect a marketplace of ideas that offer educational opportunities for all and generate new knowledge. How can Houston organizations combat antisemitism? Hayon remarked that, following the death of George Floyd, people educated themselves about racial injustice; the same should apply in this situation.?Educate yourself, and make it clear that exclusionary postures and language are not welcome. To end the evening, Henze asked Hayon about what gives him hope for the future. Hayon highlighted a Houston community that wants and supports minority populations and pluralism.?A positive relationship between law enforcement and the Jewish community, the protections afforded to all by the US founding documents, and increased state efforts, including THGAAC Communications.

On April 26th, RPLP Director Rachel C. Schneider, PhD participated in a robust panel on "Christian nationalism and the other" at the Zwan Christian Nationalism and Public Policy in the US Conference, co-sponsored with the Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance and Baker Institute's Religion and Public Policy Program. Rice University professor of religion (and director of the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning) Dr. Anthony Pinn led a conversation with Villanova University sociologist Glenn Bracey, Baylor University sociologist Jerry Park, and Rachel C. Schneider, PhD. Panelists discussed the extent to which Christian nationalism is a political vs religious practice, and pointed out the ways in which grievances and fears expressed by the Christian nationalist movement attract people from across social, economic, and even racial boundaries.?Ultimately, though, people of color often become aware of the white-centrist reality of Christian nationalism, and are left with a sense of betrayal, especially when white nationalism and Christian nationalism fuse. If you were unable to attend the conference, you can watch the full remarks online: https://lnkd.in/guAVUzmp.

New research from the Religion and Public Life Program, authored by myself, Bianca Mabute-Louie, Elaine Howard Ecklund, Denise Daniels. From the "Faith at Work" study, funded by The Lilly Endowment.

At a recent Religious and Civic Leader Gathering, hosted by Boniuk Institute for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance's Religion and Public Life Program, BI Director Elaine Howard Ecklund spoke with Waleed Basyouni PhD, director of CLEAR LAKE ISLAMIC CENTER INC and president of Al Maghrib Institute, about addressing Islamophobia in our local and national US context. Ecklund set the stage with some statistics: 40% of Americans agree that Muslims face discrimination, which leads to exclusion, dehumanization and fear. 70% of Muslims express that hostility has increased since the beginning of the Israel/ Hamas war. Ecklund remarked that stigmatization and hostility in the US is counter, not only to Boniuk Institute goals, but to American democracy. In his remarks, Dr. Basyouni said that Islam is a world-wide tradition. Muslims come from every country, and every race. The entire religion of Islam is being painted with the same brush, but like Christians, Jews, Hindus, etc., religion is just one element of who Muslims are as people and community members. Islamophobia puts the Muslim community in a defensive position to tell what they are not, without providing opportunities to tell the world what they are and what they can contribute. Like anyone else, Muslims want to be driven by their dreams and goals, not by problems and fear. Aggression, he said, comes from lack of education and lack of opportunity. Sometimes, people don't know how else to fight for themselves other than to fight against someone else. Islam, like Christianity and Judaism isn't going away, so we need to learn how to talk to each other. This is the crucial role of the university: to combat Islamophobia and other kinds of hate through honest exchange of ideas without threat of retaliation. When asked how religious communities can help combat Islamophobia, Basyouni replied, "Talk to each other. Religion is just one element [of who a person is]. We are human before we are religious. You have to be a good human before you can be a good Muslim/ Christian/ Jew/ etc."