Intersectional Analysis
Asynchronous Session
Religious and Spiritual Parenting of Teens: Findings from the American Families of Faith Project
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session David Dollahite
We present findings from our 25-year national qualitative study centered on how exemplary Christian, Jewish, and Muslim parents center spiritual and religious meanings in their religious and spiritual socialization efforts. We highlight several "best practices" found in dozens of studies based in in-depth interviews with 300 American families, more than half of which come from various racial and ethnic minorities. Findings pertain (a) the ways that parents and youth talk with each other about religious and spiritual matters and how this dialogue influences positive religious/spiritual development, (b) the kinds of religious sacrifices that youth are asked to make and the reasons they are willing (or unwilling) to make such sacrifices and how these sacrifices influence positive religious/spiritual development, (c) the anchors of religious and spiritual commitment present in the lives of religious youth and how those anchors influence positive religious/spiritual development, (d) the catalysts of religious exploration in the lives of religious youth, the strategies they use in religious exploration, and how those relate to positive religious/spiritual development, (e) what religious parents believe are the most important things they can do to support and facilitate their adolescent children’s positive religious/spiritual development, and (f) how religious parents can balance religious firmness with religious flexibility in ways that are more likely to promote positive religious/spiritual development in their adolescent children. These findings suggest that positive religious/spiritual development involves a set of complex and dynamic processes that deserve careful study by scholars. Findings are illustrated with first-person quotes from parents and youth.
Featured The Expanding Category of Religion and Spirituality : A Transdisciplinary Perspective on the Confluence of Science, Religion, and the Theology of the "Nones"
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Therasa Topete
Notions of religion and spirituality are shifting in the ever-expanding secular, pluralistic, and global world. Some worldviews fail to conform to familiar definitions of religion and are therefore excluded from the category altogether. When asked for religious identification, many declare atheist, agnostic, or “none” even though this fails to capture their often unique or complex belief systems. Currently, rapid and unprecedented advances in science and technology, along with increased focus on inter-, multi-, and transdisciplinary methodologies, are translating into innovative philosophical and metaphysical systems that challenge the definition of what we call religion. Among these scientific and spiritual innovators, scientific progress and spiritual growth are one and the same. How are these emerging spiritualities similar to or different from traditional theologies? What are the connections being made between religious and scientific belief? How do these new systems of belief constitute new religions or spiritualities? This paper explores cutting edge research at the confluence of science, religion, and spirituality through the methodological lens of Transdisciplinarity. The goal is to nuance dominant perceptions and definitions of science, religion, and spirituality, reveal the fragility and vulnerability of these categories, and recognize the theology of the “nones.”
Embodied Argumentation in Action: St. Francis of Assisi and Theological Persuasion
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Loris Isabettini
This paper explores the role of St. Francis of Assisi in embodied argumentation through action and its implications for contemporary Catholic practice. Examining his theological approach within the framework of visceral argumentation, a concept developed by Michael Gilbert, and narrative engagement, this study investigates how The Little Flowers of St. Francis function as a mode of theological persuasion beyond conventional textual argumentation. Analyzing key narratives from The Little Flowers, the research identifies how St. Francis’s lived example served as a form of theological discourse, embodying a persuasive model rooted in humility, service, and radical faith. Furthermore, the study evaluates the impact of Franciscan spirituality on broader Catholic traditions, emphasizing its enduring influence on environmental stewardship, social justice, and modern ecclesial movements. Utilizing a mixed-method approach that incorporates historical, hermeneutical, and rhetorical analysis, this study situates Francis’s life and teachings within the discourse of embodied theology and performative argumentation. Framing St. Francis as both a historical and contemporary figure of spiritual persuasion, this research contributes to ongoing discussions on the intersection of religious narrative, embodiment, and theological praxis, shedding light on the ways in which lived action continues to shape theological and spiritual discourse in the Catholic tradition.
Featured Ye Shall Know Them by Their Fruits: A Mixed Methods Study on Corruption, Competitiveness, and Christianity in Europe and the Americas
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Jason Garcia Portilla
This paper summarises my recent monograph, based on my doctoral dissertation findings. A seminal contribution of my work is that the historical institutional influence of religion has been a crucial factor in sustainable development, surpassing the current proportion of adherents. In contrast to common views in economics and sociology on how religion impacts prosperity/transparency via its cultural influence (i.e. à la Weber), my research demonstrates that, instead, the core variable influencing prosperity is the institutional influence of religion. This finding shifts how the relationship between religion and development should be viewed. Several pieces of evidence corroborate this finding: 1) the abundant historical, theological, and theoretical information; 2) the empirical results on State religion, Concordats, and Legal origin; 3) the analysis of specific cases. A comprehensive methodological framework has been developed in this research, consisting of different epistemological approaches (mixed methods). The quantitative (regressions) part establishes the interrelations between the investigated variables (i.e., corruption, competitiveness, environment, and institutional religion), while QCA further infers causal relations for 65 countries in Europe and the Americas. The qualitative part uses critical discourse analysis (CDA) to examine four case studies (Switzerland, Uruguay, Cuba, and Colombia). Combining the following three main factors accounts for uneven sustainable development performance in Europe and the Americas: (1) Religion: (1.1) Historical Protestantism and its positive influence on law, institutions, and language (highest performance); (1.2) anti-clericalism (medium-high performance); (1.3) Roman Catholicism or Orthodoxy (medium-low performance); (1.4) Syncretism (low performance). (2) Political non-religious influences: (2.1) Communism (low performance). (3) Geography and environment.
