research

Have you ever wondered why American religion seems so caustic and polarized? Using five decades of social science survey data, Dr. Ryan Burge charts how and why the American religious landscape has changed. The discussion will focus on the collapse of the mainline, the perpetual strength of American evangelicalism, and the dramatic rise of the nones. Additionally, Dr. Burge will help attendees think about ways to make their own congregations less polarized and homogeneous as a means to transform not only their congregation but also their community. Dr. Ryan Burge is an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University. He is the author…

David Wahlberg – Wisconsin State Journal – The Israel-Hamas war. Polarizing politics in Madison and Washington, D.C. Mass shootings. Nasty social media posts. It’s not hard to find situations in which forgiveness might make the world better. For Robert Enright, a professor of educational psychology at UW-Madison and pioneer of the scientific study of forgiveness, the first step starts at home. Only by forgiving those close to us who have harmed us can we become strong enough to think about forgiving more distant enemies, Enright said. Read more of this story.

Touting economic benefits reduces embryos to products, they sayBy PATRICK MARLEY and STEVEN WALTERSMadison – Two Catholic bishops are asking Gov. Jim Doyle to oppose the use of embryonic stem cells at a time when he is touting the research as a major reason voters should re-elect him in November. Read more.