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Spiritualism Today with Jules Evans | On Opinion Feb 02, 2022

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“A lot of those who’ve left the church tend to be younger people, who nonetheless still consider themselves spiritual. They’ve been turned off by churches, but they haven’t necessarily gone full atheist, materialist…”

Religion is declining around the world. Even in America, the great outlier of the post-Christian West, half the population doesn’t believe in organised religion any more.

But the loss of our traditional beliefs has given rise to a growing number of ‘spiritualist’ alternatives. They range from mainstream ‘Wellness’ culture, through eco-spiritualism, occultism, witch culture on Instagram and astrology on TikTok, through to the darker visions of QAnon and Millenarianism.

What defines Spiritualist thinking? What are its roots? Why is it flowering now? And why does it bleed so easily into Conspiracy?

“In the last two years, spiritual culture has curdled - from positive and optimistic to a much more fearful and paranoid kind of message…”

Listen to Jules and Turi discuss:

The history of spiritualism, from the 16th century to today
The cornerstones of spiritualist thinking: from myths and monsters through to harmony and health
The ‘Meaning Gap’
‘Conspirituality’: why conspiracy theories and spirituality so easily bleed into each other.
Intuition (over Reason) as a path to knowledge
What Rationalists have lost
How Spiritualists have reacted to Covid

Jules Evans

Jules Evans is a writer and practical philosopher interested in emotions, well-being, transcendence and flourishing. He is the author of Philosophy for Life: And Other Dangerous Situations, and The Art of Losing Control: A Guide to Ecstatic Experience.

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When religion and democracy collide | Democracy Works Jan 31, 2022

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Around the world, religion is being used to fuel "us vs. them" narratives and undermine the foundations of democracy. This week, we dive into what this means and how people of faith can chart a different path forward.

Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy highlights the use of religious identity to fuel the rise of illiberal, nationalist, and populist democracy. It examines the ways religious identity is weaponized to fuel populist revolts against a political, social, and economic order that values democracy in a global and strikingly diverse world.

The book is intended for readers who value democracy and are concerned about growing threats to it, and especially for people of faith and religious leaders, which is why we're excited to have author David M. Elcott on the show this week. Elcott is the Taub Professor of Practice in Public Service and Leadership at the Wagner School of Public Service at NYU and director of the Advocacy and Political Action specialization.

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Faith, Nationalism, and the Future of Liberal Democracy

Democracy and the language of faith - article in Democracy Journal

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What will American politics look like in 2022? | Politics in Question Jan 26, 2022

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In this week’s episode of Politics In Question, Julia, Lee, and James consider what American politics will look like in 2022. Is American democracy in decline? What do we mean by democracy? Do Americans focus too much on elections and not enough on what happens in-between elections? What will come out of Congress over the coming year? Do Americans want major policy change to happen? And what will happen in the 2022 midterm elections? These are some of the questions Julia, Lee, and James ask in this week’s episode.

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U.S. Democratic Decline in Comparative Perspective | Science of Politics Jan 24, 2022

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The anniversary of January 6th recentered concerns about U.S. democratic backsliding. Talk of election-related violence, insurrection, civil unrest, and irregular transitions has Americans asking where their democracy stands relative to those of other nations. Comparative political science has long seen U.S. trends as part of liberal democracy’s global problems. Pippa Norris joins the Science of Politics for a special wide-ranging conversation with Matt Grossmann about where America stands out from and reflects international trends. They discuss January 6th but move to consider the American party system, election integrity, populism, trust, and the possibility of electoral reforms.

Guest: Pippa Norris, Harvard University

Studies: Cultural Backlash; In Praise of Skepticism

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The State of Polarization: 2022. Christa Case Bryant and Story Hinckley | Let's Find Common Ground Jan 21, 2022

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One year after the January 6th assault on the U.S. Capitol, we take a close look at America's political divide with two journalists who covered the calamitous events on that day and the responses to them.

Our guests are Christa Case Bryant, Congressional correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor, and Story Hinckley, the Monitor's National political correspondent. We discuss whether America is more polarized than it was one year ago and the prospects for finding common ground in Congress and across the country.

A Washington Post - University of Maryland opinion poll published on New Year's Day confirmed that Americans have totally different views of the 2020 election results. While large majorities of Democrats and independent voters say there was no evidence of widespread fraud, more than 60% of Republicans say there was.

In their reporting throughout the year, both of our guests sought answers to complex questions about what caused people to storm the Capitol, and why Democrats and Republicans have opposing views about voter access and election laws. In this episode, we also examine the role of the media and individual reporters in covering the state of polarization in America today.

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Saving Democracy | Democracy Matters Jan 19, 2022

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In this episode, we talk with Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, JMU Health Sciences '05, about his experiences fighting for democracy on January 6, 2021. "These people were minutes, seconds, feet away from hanging the Vice President. Just sit with that," says Officer Dunn. He is speaking out for justice and accountability because, "People are trying to rewrite history right in front of us...Terrorism is what they did that day. In my mind, they're coming back. We have to hold them accountable."

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Insurrection Reflection | Democracy in Danger Jan 17, 2022

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Jamelle Bouie and Nicole Hemmer return to the show this week for a special conversation looking back on the siege of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — and looking forward at the prospects for democracy in the post-Trump era. Both the country’s political leaders and the media, our guests say, have been reluctant to embrace a rhetoric of emergency to define the moment. And as lawmakers investigate the attack, the window is closing on enacting genuine reforms to ensure voting rights and fair elections.

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Dialogue, Polarization, & the Future of the American Experiment | TDG Event Series Jan 14, 2022

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For nearly 250 years, America has served as a test case for a social experiment that few could have ever conceived of — a constitutional federal republic. However, when one considers our history of massacres, slavery, civil war, and battles waged over voting rights, among other injustices, one can easily find reason to be doubtful of this experiment’s success. Given current levels of political polarization, it can seem naïve to think of America as a “done deal”. But, before we acquiesce to a failed experiment, let’s consider the role of dialogue in shaping our American experiment and how it might be able to help this experiment succeed.

The Democracy Group and Ideos Institute present a panel discussion with Kamy Akhavan, Executive Director of USC’s Center for the Political Future; Richard Davies, renowned journalist; John Gamba, technology entrepreneur, and a participant in the Ideos led dialogue that inspired the documentary, Dialogue Lab: America; and Dr. Carah Ong Whaley, Associate Director for the James Madison Center for Civic Engagement.

A recording and transcripts of this event are available at democracygroup.org.

Host

Through a coalition of organizations, led by Ideos Institute, the National Day of Dialogue is a series of virtual events, social media campaigns, and bridging resources on January 5, 2022. It is also the premiere date for the documentary film, Dialogue Lab: America, launching a powerful movement of empathy and action in pursuit of a better future for our nation.

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Trading the Public's Trust | Swamp Stories Jan 12, 2022

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In 2012, President Barack Obama signed into law the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, otherwise known as the STOCK Act. The intent was to ban insider trading from members of Congress — a subject that gained national media attention on both sides of the aisle in the months and years after the financial crisis.

But the law did not do what it was supposed to.

Weston unpacks the STOCK Act and where it falls short and talks with one of the members of Congress who’s leading a bipartisan effort to fix the law and put an end to insider trading by members of Congress.

Guests:

Kedric Payne, Senior Director of Ethics and the General Counsel of the Campaign Legal Center
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX)

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Robert Lieberman, Kenneth Roberts, and David Bateman on Democratic Resilience and Political Polarization in the United States | Democracy Paradox Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

Robert C. Lieberman is the Krieger-Eisenhower Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University. Kenneth M. Roberts is the Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government and Binenkorb Director of Latin American Studies at Cornell University. David A. Bateman is an associate professor in the Government Department at Cornell University. Robert and Kenneth (along with Suzanne Mettler) coedited the book Democratic Resilience: Can the United States Withstand Rising Polarization? David is a contributor to the volume. His chapter is "Elections, Polarization, and Democratic Resilience."
Key Highlights

Why did polarization become so severe in the United States?
When did pernicious polarization start in America?
Is polarization the fault of just one party or both?
Discussion on possible judicial reforms as a solution
Can America overcome this episode of severe polarization?

A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com or a short review of Democratic Resilience: Can the United States Withstand Rising Polarization? here.