Religion and Public Life Program 2018-2019 Biannual Report

BIANNUAL REPORT 2018-2019

Using Research on Religion to Build Common Ground for the Common Good

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR I am writing to update you about the work of the Religion and Public Life Program (RPLP) at Rice University. Over the past year I have become even more convinced than ever before that we need to see our vision to use research on religion to build common ground for the common good realized. This vision compels the RPLP to raise $600,000 per year in current-use funding to keep this important effort going.

Here is why I am so passionate about the significance of our work. In Houston and around the globe, religion is a central way people make meaning of their experiences of the world. Over 85 percent of the world population is religiously affiliated. Religion is deeply related to other important social identities. And you only have to turn on the news to find numerous examples of religion both unifying and dividing people.

Whether or not you are personally religious, it is impossible to ignore religion’s importance in the world today.

At a time when polarization is high, we at the Religion and Public Life Program are harnessing the power of the social sciences to do the very best research that we can, research that will help people understand each other, foster dialogue, break down stereotypes, and—even more important—learn how to work together more effectively for the common good.

We start with top-notch research. The RPLP conducts impartial social science research on religion that has public relevance.

We tackle controversial topics—some of the most pressing issues of our time—and address them with nuanced understanding based on empirical studies. Recent work has explored the relationship between religion and its impact on things like science, poverty, race, immigration, and politics. For example, our work on religion and science has shown that there are more religious people in science than we might think and that scientists are not generally hostile to religious people. Our research has shown that such myths may have been part of keeping blacks and Latinos out of science.

We then move to translate that research to relevant communities. It is a central goal to extend the impact of our work beyond Rice University. We are building a bridge to people the academy would otherwise not reach, bringing together academic experts, faith leaders, and other kinds of leaders and constituents for conversations based on our studies and findings. We also hold public events designed to advance dialogue about religion in public life within local, national, and global communities. Our research and outreach efforts have helped religious organizations working to boost interest in science in kids and religious leaders working together to combat poverty in our city.

Born out of and situated on a premier university campus, the pedagogical imperative of Rice University informs the core of our vision. Universities are special spaces that allow for the exchange of ideas and affect change in society. They allow for intellectual freedom and in-depth exploration. Thus, we are training the next generation of thought leaders to do the highest quality research and to learn how to translate that research.

The impact of what we are doing at the RPLP was made clear to me again this year through several one-on-one meetings.

A Houston religious leader who provides help to those suffering from addiction said that “the work the Religion and Public Life Program is doing undergirds the work I am doing.” And a Rice University student described working with the RPLP as the “single most important thing I did while at Rice.”

Through our research, and the way we translate our research into societal benefits, the RPLP is making a real difference. We hope you will join us in building common ground for the common good. Please consider supporting our: 1) 2) 3)

Research to respond quickly, effectively, and impartially to current events happening in our city, nation, and world Community partnerships and outreach, so that we can bring our research to the people who need it most Efforts to bring new intellectual energy to Rice University and to Houston that will expand our teaching and research initiatives

I am grateful to be part of this important work and grateful for your support.

Elaine Howard Ecklund, Founding Director, Religion and Public Life Program, Rice University

CONDUCTING TOP-NOTCH RESEARCH The RPLP benefits immensely from being situated at Rice University, and we take our place in a premier university seriously. We are located in the fourth largest and the most ethnically diverse U.S. city, within a unique region of the country. As such, we are able to do cutting-edge research and outreach that engages diverse local and regional faith communities. Producing the highest quality empirical research is the beginning of everything we do.

Our research output is unparalleled for an entity of our size.

In the past two years, we have surveyed more than 18,000 people and interviewed in depth nearly 250 individuals.

We have given more than 30 conference presentations and published nearly 20 articles in prestigious academic journals.

Our research addresses some of the most pressing and important issues of the day. Currently, we are undertaking major research initiatives on religion at work, religion and science, religiously motivated hate crimes, and religion and gender.

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RPLP RESEARCH BY THE NUMBERS, 2018 AND 2019:

3

books published

18

articles in academic journals

31

conference presentations

32

TRANSLATING RESEARCH FOR RELEVANT COMMUNITIES The RPLP was founded in order to take social science research on religion to the streets, to build common ground and work together for the common good.

lectures

Reaching 50,000 Houstonians Through 150 Leaders Via Our Religious and Civic Leader Gatherings The purpose of the RPLP’s Religious and Civic Leader Gatherings is to bring together faith and community leaders in an intimate setting to talk about timely issues, engage with our research, and share resources. These gatherings have addressed some of the most contentious topics of our time, including religiously based hate crimes and how religious convictions shape Americans’ views on racial inequality. Our 15 invitation-only gatherings during 2018 and 2019 drew more than 150 civic and religious leaders, along with an additional 200 faculty, students, and community members from in and around Houston. We estimate that these leaders, who include religious leaders, nonprofit directors, academics, and politicians, reach more than 50,000 Houstonians.

IMPACTS | Doing Impartial Research on Relevant Issues Faith at Work: An Empirical Study The RPLP, with partner Denise Daniels of Seattle Pacific University, is exploring how people of faith understand the integration of their faith with work as well as religious discrimination in the workplace. To date, we have conducted focus groups, surveyed over 13,000 people, and interviewed nearly 200 people to get a clearer picture of how Americans understand the intersection of faith and work in their lives.

Religion-Related Bias Victimization: Addressing a Blind Spot With a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), we are partnering with RPLP research fellow Christopher P. Scheitle of West Virginia University to lead a nearly 5,000-person survey of Americans about their experiences and perceptions of religious discrimination and religion-related hate crimes. We will publish articles and policy reports based on our findings in an effort to serve the victims of such crimes. There is no other comprehensive dataset on this topic.

Turning the Tables on Gender and Religion The RPLP has received three years of funding from the Henry Luce Foundation for an outreach and engagement project to be led by RPLP director Elaine Howard Ecklund and RPLP research fellow Pamela Prickett of the University of Amsterdam. Through this project, we are creating a dialogue between religious leaders, activists, and thought leaders that will include women’s voices more intentionally in discussion of religion and public life.

Secularity and Science: What Scientists Around the World Really Think About Religion RPLP director Elaine Howard Ecklund and five RPLP colleagues completed the most comprehensive international study of scientists’ attitudes toward religion ever undertaken, surveying more than 20,000 scientists and conducting more than 600 in-depth interviews. The book uses this wealth of data and stories to offer a new, more nuanced understanding of how science and religion interact and how they can be integrated for the common good.

In summer 2019, the RPLP issued a survey to regular attendees of these gatherings. We asked participants to “tell us a story of how these gatherings have been useful to you.”

“The [RPLP] gatherings give me an opportunity to visit with partner organizations and individuals while also getting access to new information. The meetings gather a group of people that doesn’t gather in any other venue that I know of. These meetings are a real asset.” – Pastor and nonprofit staff member “I have been particularly impressed by the wide range of perspectives on the study of religion that are offered by attendees. … I value how these gatherings bring together people under the same roof who might not engage in constructive conversations in any other setting.” – University staff member Public Events Addressing the Most Important Issues of Our Time We invite academic, civic, and religious leaders to discuss RPLP research at our public events, which address some of the most significant and timely issues related to religion. Over the past two years, panels have explored: • • •

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the role of faith in natural disaster resilience how minority religious communities are responding to hate crimes how religious communities engage with science

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RPLP ENGAGEMENT BY THE NUMBERS, 2018 AND 2010:

25

panel events and gatherings

959

Twitter followers

1,263

people reached through in-person programing

1,475

mentions in national and international media

IMPACTS | Engaging Local, National, and Global Communities Exploring Religious Change in Asia Our public events bring our research to the broader Houston community. In February 2018, the RPLP hosted “Public Religion from West to East,” a panel on the growth of Christianity and its effect on religions in China and other Asian countries. A few days following the event, the Houston Chronicle ran a story called “China, Officially Atheist, Could Have More Christians Than the U.S. by 2030.” In addition to highlighting the RPLP event, the article included quotes from panelists Michael Emerson and Fenggang Yang about Christianity’s growth in China.

Religion at the University During spring 2019, the RPLP co-hosted a panel event on the current state of religion on university campuses. In advance of the event, RPLP fellows were interviewed on the radio show “Houston Matters” (Houston Public Media) about how religion affects relationships between students and faculty, the classroom environment, and the climate of the university.

Course on Religion and Public Life We also bring our research to continuing education students. In 2018, the RPLP pioneered a new course through Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, “Religion and Public Life: Navigating Work, Politics, and Science,” taught by RPLP director Elaine Howard Ecklund and then RPLP postdoctoral fellow Bob Thomson. One student said in an evaluation: “The scientific orientation of normally emotional topics enlarged my perspective.”

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TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF THOUGHT LEADERS Our goals are long-term. To give our work lasting impact, we develop scholarly leaders who will help grow the social scientific study of religion and learn to carry our mission beyond their time at Rice University. We want to ensure the next generation of students and junior scholars are trained in the very best way to do cutting-edge, impartial research on religion in the public square.

To that end, we have trained students to conduct empirical research and to engage with high-level leaders on controversial topics. We have also trained students to effectively translate their research for a broad audience.

They have participated in radio interviews and writing press releases.

This past year, we welcomed a postdoctoral fellow from a department of religion, our first outside of sociology, whose core area of research is examining the intersection between religion and racism in different national contexts.

To maximize our reach and impact, we recognize the importance of bringing together scholars from different disciplines and diverse lines of research, with different areas of expertise. We take great pride in our interdisciplinary approach and the transformative student experiences we create.

2018-2019

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RPLP SCHOLARS BY THE NUMBERS, 2018 AND 2019:

21

scholars trained and mentored

3

scholars from outside the U.S. hosted at the RPLP

IMPACTS | Selected Highlights From Our Scholars Bob Thomson, former RPLP postdoctoral fellow “I see my time with the RPLP as indispensable, both for the development of my research and my formation as a scholar.”

Di Di, former RPLP graduate student fellow “The RPLP provided me with incredible opportunities to develop and challenge myself. … Now, as an assistant professor in sociology, I perceive RPLP as my scholarly home.”

Cleve V. Tinsley IV, RPLP visiting postdoctoral research fellow “RPLP has given me a blueprint for using research to engage contemporary folk.”

Michael McDowell, RPLP undergraduate student fellow “RPLP has provided me the opportunity to interface with civic and religious leaders from around the world at its monthly Religious and Civic Leader Gatherings.”

PARTNER WITH US TO BUILD COMMON GROUND FOR THE COMMON GOOD Since our founding in 2010, the RPLP has been focused on producing the best research on religion in public life and creating opportunities for that research to have the greatest impact. In these contentious times, when religious discrimination and violence are on the rise, the work we do is more important and relevant than ever.

As we go into our tenth anniversary next year, here is what we need for stability and expansion: The RPLP has been very successful in getting grants to conduct research. But, these grants only support research, staff, and programming around designated topics. We want to do more—and this is where we need your help. We need to raise $600,000 per year in current-use funding to achieve our core goals.

We want to expand. We want to reach more people, make a greater impact, and create more significant change—and we have a plan to do this. But to build stability and to expand, we need financial assistance.

What are our needs for expansion?

Increase research and programming to better respond to current events We want to respond more quickly and effectively to events happening in and around our city, nation, and the world through research and programming. We want to harness the objectivity and rigor of academic research to produce new knowledge about—and to generate new solutions for—religion in public life. We want to have the capacity to pursue research initiatives on emerging and shifting topics in a way that traditional grant funding cycles do not allow.

And, we want to provide dynamic and responsive programming that brings research-informed insights to the most urgent conversations of the day. Your gift could allow our team to grow and execute these objectives with excellence.

Increase community partnerships to reach more people Connor Rothschild, RPLP undergraduate student fellow “My work with RPLP has expanded my worldview and exposed me to diverse viewpoints. This is an unforeseen benefit of [working with research interviews]; I feel as if I am present during the interview, and as a result I feel like I have witnessed a variety of stories from a variety of people.”

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We want to increase our community partnerships to reach more people. Our Religious and Civic Leader Gatherings have been extremely successful and popular. Leaders have asked to meet more often and to meet with RPLP team members to find out effective ways to use our research. Yet, we are often forced to turn people and important topics away because we do not have the personnel or financial resources to accommodate them. We want to grow our conversation partners from 150 leaders with a reach of 50,000 to 600 leaders with a reach of 200,000; and we want to fund a part-time community liaison to help us reach more religious and civic leaders. Your gift could allow us to hold 10 large-scale public events alongside 10 intimate religious and civic leader gatherings per year and the staffing resources to fully execute those events and do the outreach necessary to bring more leaders into our resources fold.

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Increase intellectual power We want to expand our roster of scholars and bring new intellectual energy to Rice University and to the RPLP. Scholars from around the city, nation, and world have told us they want to join the RPLP’s team in a formal and long-term capacity. We want to grow and be able to accommodate these scholars as part of our core team. We want to employ non-tenure track faculty who will learn from and contribute to our work, bring new research and scholarly interests to our team, and teach courses on religion and public life at Rice University. Your gift could allow us to support two non-tenure track faculty and expand our teaching and research about the role of religion in public life.

HELP US MAKE A GREATER DIFFERENCE IN THE HOUSTON COMMUNITY AND BEYOND Visionary partner gift: $10,000+ Strategic gift: $5,000 - $9,999 Sustaining gift: $1,000 - $4,999 Supporting gift: $100 - $999 To give online Visit riceconnect.rice.edu/donation/support-social-sciences.

When making a gift, choose the “Religion and Public Life Program” designation in the drop-down menu.

To donate by check You can send a check payable to Rice University and include “Religion and Public Life Program” in the memo line.

Please mail the check to Program Manager Hayley Hemstreet at the address below.

Religion and Public Life Program Rice University 6100 Main Street, MS 28 Houston, TX 77005

STAY CONNECTED @RiceRPLP

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Religion and Public Life Program Rice University 6100 Main Street, MS 28 Houston, TX 77005 /religionandpubliclifeprogram

rplp.rice.edu