In this episode, religious studies scholars Matt Sheedy and Tyler Tully, along with host Candace Mixon, discuss the ramifications of the in-progress Supreme Court case Groff vs. Dejoy, the Catholic Church’s decision to rescind the Doctrine of Discovery, and a recent controversial tweet by the conservative media pundit, Ann Coulter. In threading these discussions together, they consider religion as negotiated in the public sphere and the limits of accommodations across religious boundaries.
In Groff vs. Dejoy, one issue at play is the interpretation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, directly related to workplace accommodations, including for religious reasons. Current precedent reflects on the issue of hardship for the employer in accommodating the request, and that hardship must only be minimal for the employer to find it unable to be accommodated. As the court may widely expand the grounds through which employees may seek religious accommodations, our guests consider the ramifications of this (especially for non-Christian practices and on non-linear framings of time) and connect to broader impacts of religion in recent Supreme Court decisions, such as overturning Roe vs. Wade.
Tully and Sheedy respond to the Catholic Church’s rescinding of the Doctrine of Discovery, demonstrating the Vatican’s “doublespeak” as it downplays the interconnection between “religion” and “politics.” Finally, Sheedy introduces listeners to the incendiary tweet by Ann Coulter that abortion should be banned “for registered republicans only.” The guests consider what happens when legal debates become part of public rhetoric and who is left out when it goes mainstream.
Reflections on REF 2021
Presentism and Politics | Discourse! August 2022 (with video)
Unruly Women: Neocolonialism, Race, and Discrimination
Authorities and the Past | Discourse! June 2022 (with video)
Abortion, Climate Change Protests, & Ukraine Invasion | Discourse! May 2022 (with video)
Cults and NRMs: An RSP Remix, Part I
Curanderismo Roundtable
Semana Santa, Diversifying the Seder, Prayer in High School Football, and… Derry Girls? | Discourse! April 2022
Sunday in the Park with Theory
Obeah and Experiments with Power
How “Woke” Is Your Textbook?: Introducing Religious Studies in the 2020s
Ukraine Invasion, Philippine Elections, and Misinformation | Discourse! March 2022 (with video)
Religious Legal Activism: Abortion Rhetoric Among British Evangelicals
The Wilderness of Mirrors: Nationalism, Religion, and Secret Intelligence
The Devil is in the Details! | Discourse! February 2022 (with video)
The Insider/Outsider Problem: An RSP Remix
Spiritual Abuse Roundtable
The Critical Humanist Study of Islam
When Religion Doesn’t Behave | Discourse! January 2022 (with video)
Questioning the Silver Bullet: Critical Approaches for the Study of Ayahuasca
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Hello Heaven Podcast
Devoted To Prayer
Cast The Word
Let Me Be Frank | Bishop Frank Caggiano’s Podcast | Diocese of Bridgeport, CT
The Exorcist Files
The Ancient Tradition