O foco desta pesquisa está em observar a influência social do catolicismo conservador no interior da Igreja no Brasil e, para além dos limites clericais, também no que diz respeito ao âmbito jurídico-político nacional. A ideia é analisar o possível prestígio daquelas alas católicas marcadamente ortodoxas e o seu potencial de persuasão, tanto no que se refere às fileiras institucionais eclesiásticas, quanto no que concerne às esferas propriamente estatais. Toma-se como ponto de partida a observação dos embates múltiplos do clero em reação à divulgação oficial do 3º Programa Nacional de Direitos Humanos (PNDH-3), em finais de 2009. Esse é o material específico da investigação. A escolha desse conjunto bem delimitado de acontecimentos tensos de produção de discursos não menos tensos baseia-se na constatação de uma certa singularidade histórica sua, na qual esses processos aparecem como que revestidos de características novas, para não dizer de um novo caráter, quando comparados com outras conjunturas nada remotas de relações Igreja- Estado em nosso país. / The subject of the forthcoming research is the social influence of conservative Catholicism within the Church in Brazil and, beyond clerical limits, also in the national legal and political system. The idea is to analyze Catholic conservatisms prestige and its potential ability to persuade, both with regard to institutional ecclesiastical ranks, as well as the state sectors. As a starting point, the research observes several of the clergys resistances that occur in reaction to the official release of the 3rd National Human Rights Program in late 2009. The research specifically focuses on these resistances. The observation of a unique history, in which these processes appear coated with new features, not to mention a new character when compared with other situations of church-state relations in our country, is the basis for the choice of this well-defined series of tense events, events that produce speeches equally tense.

A rapidly growing number of Americans are embracing life outside the bounds of organized religion. Although America has long been viewed as a fervently religious Christian nation, survey data shows that more and more Americans are identifying as “not religious.” There are more non-religious Americans than ever before, yet social scientists have not adequately studied or typologized secularities, and the lived reality of secular individuals in America has not been astutely analyzed. American Secularism documents how changes to American society have fueled these shifts in the non-religious landscape and examines the diverse and dynamic world of secular Americans. This volume offers a theoretical framework for understanding secularisms. It explores secular Americans’ thought and practice to understand secularisms as worldviews in their own right, not just as negations of religion. Drawing on empirical data, the authors examine how people live secular lives and make meaning outside of organized religion. Joseph O. Baker and Buster G. Smith link secularities to broader issues of social power and organization, providing an empirical and cultural perspective on the secular landscape. In so doing, they demonstrate that shifts in American secularism are reflective of changes in the political meanings of “religion” in American culture. American Secularism addresses the contemporary lived reality of secular individuals, outlining forms of secular identity and showing their connection to patterns of family formation, sexuality, and politics, providing scholars of religion with a more comprehensive understanding of worldviews that do not include traditional religion. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/1028/thumbnail.jpg

The untold account of the countless Americans who believe in, or personally experience, paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, Bigfoot, UFOs and psychics Given the popularity of television shows such as Finding Bigfoot, Ghost Hunters, Supernatural, and American Horror Story, there seems to be an insatiable public hunger for mystical happenings. But who believes in the paranormal? Based on extensive research and their own unique personal experiences, Christopher Bader, Joseph Baker and Carson Mencken reveal that a significant number of Americans hold these beliefs, and that for better or worse, we undoubtedly live in a paranormal America. Readers will join the authors as they participate in psychic and palm readings, and have their auras photographed, join a Bigfoot hunt, follow a group of celebrity ghost hunters as they investigate claims of a haunted classroom, and visit a support group for alien abductees. The second edition includes new and updated research based on findings from the Baylor Religion survey regarding America’s relationship with the paranormal. Drawing on these diverse and compelling sources of data, the book offers an engaging account of the social, personal, and statistical stories of American paranormal beliefs and experiences. It examines topics such as the popularity of paranormal beliefs in the United States, the ways in which these beliefs relate to each other, whether paranormal beliefs will give rise to a new religion, and how believers in the paranormal differ from “average” Americans. Brimming with fascinating anecdotes and provocative new findings, Paranormal America offers an entertaining yet authoritative examination of a growing segment of American religious culture. / https://dc.etsu.edu/etsu_books/1125/thumbnail.jpg

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We outline a theory of bounded affinity between religious experiences and beliefs and paranormalism, which emphasizes that religious and paranormal experiences and beliefs share inherent physiological, psychological, and ontological similarities. Despite these parallels, organized religious groups typically delineate a narrow subset of experiences and explanatory frames as acceptable and True, banishing others as either false or demonic. Accordingly, the theory provides a revised definition of the “paranormal” as beliefs and experiences explicitly rejected by science and organized religions. To demonstrate the utility of the theory, we show that, after controlling for levels of conventional religious practice, there is a strong, positive relationship between claiming Christian-based religious experiences and believing in, pursuing, and experiencing the paranormal, particularly among individuals not strongly tethered to organized religion. Bounded affinity theory makes sense of recent non-linear and complex moderation findings in the empirical literature and reiterates the importance of the paranormal for studies of religion.

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Dr. Joseph Baker, Assistant Professor of Sociology at East Tennessee State University, was a guest speaker for the ETSU Natural History Museum's Darwin Day celebration on February 9, 2013.

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