ReligionWise
ReligionWise features educators, researchers, and other professionals discussing their work and the place of religion in the public conversation. Host Chip Gruen, the Director of the Institute for Religious and Cultural Understanding of Muhlenberg College, facilitates conversations that aim to provide better understanding of varieties of religious expression and their impacts on the human experience. For more about the Institute for Religious and Cultural Understanding, visit www.religionandculture.com.
Podcasting since 2021 • 51 episodes
ReligionWise
Latest Episodes
Beyond Belief: Considering the World's Religious "Nones" - Jonathan Evans
The religiously unaffiliated, often called "nones", represent one of the fastest-growing segments of populations across North America, Europe, and beyond. Jonathan Evans, Senior Researcher at Pew Research Center and lead author of a groundbreak...
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Season 5
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Episode 3
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48:28
Breaking Records and Building Bridges: A Tale of Religious Diversity - Vicki Garlock
In September 2025, Vicki Garlock set a Guinness World Record by visiting 185 places of worship in Chicago in just one month. But this wasn't just about breaking a record—it was about experiencing the extraordinary religious diversity of one Ame...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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51:51
From Theory to Practice: Academic Expertise and Counter-Extremism - Damon Berry
Dr. Damon Berry, associate professor of religious studies at St. Lawrence University, regularly consults with federal law enforcement agencies including the FBI and FBI’s BAU-1 (Behavioral Analysis Unit One) on cases involving religious e...
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Season 5
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Episode 1
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51:23
Since You Asked: More on Our Methods and Mission
In this episode, Institute for Religious and Cultural Understanding Director Chip Gruen becomes the guest as producer Christine Flicker poses questions drawn from audience feedback. The conversation explores the methodological approaches, under...
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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51:30
Mysticism and Crisis - Hartley Lachter
Esoteric elements are present in many religious traditions, where discourses of secrecy help reinforce identity and fulfill important social and cultural roles within religious communities. Our guest, Hartley Lachter, author of "Kabbalah and Ca...
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Season 4
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Episode 11
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52:52