Blog: Party Foul? Talking about Religion and Politics
Chester Ronning Centre, University of Alberta, Augustana Campus - 8 November 2022
The old adage that people should avoid talking about religion and politics during family dinners and parties has, in recent years, been dismissed. There are many groups who simply do not have that privileged silence. And while there are those who continue to suggest staying away from those topics to “keep the peace,” one University of Alberta research centre sees how avoiding these topics actually contributes to social division.
The Chester Ronning Center for the Study of Religion and Public Life has never shied away from both topics. The centre's interim director, Associate Professor Joseph Wiebe, plans to feature them even more. In fact, the Ronning Centre kicked the year off with a panel on Stories about Religion in Public Office on November 1st, which included Agnes Hoveland (Camrose City Councillor), Rod Loyola (Edmonton MLA), and Jonathan Martin (Chief Federal Prosecutor).
"Now, more than ever before, the public needs to engage with topics like religious literacy and how it intersects with politics,” Wiebe says. "There are precious few spaces for critical discussions around religion and public life," he adds, “ and we are continuing to build one of them, based on the work of my predecessors too.”
The panel was held in-person at the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Center on the University of Alberta Augustana campus. Public officials discussed their own religious ways of life and how these traditions have helped navigate their careers. Reflecting on how the event went, Wiebe notes, “It was amazing to see a common theme come up with all of the speakers that each of their religious traditions oblige them to speak out against injustice. It’s contrary to the narratives out there about religion, where their ways of life brought motivation for ethical action, rather than silence.”
Part of the mission of the Ronning Center is to show that the study of religion is an important lens through which to view society. It can reveal layers of understanding that might otherwise be missed, especially in politics. The narrative that public office is a place defined by the separation of religion and politics does not appear to be as accurate as some people may presume.
“It was fascinating how each speaker felt about being public about their religious traditions. Some were apprehensive, others felt empowered by it. Agnes spoke about what it is like belonging to a culturally and politically dominant group,” Wiebe explains. “Rod also talked a lot about how his experience in a public role has enabled him to engage critically with his religious tradition as well. How, for politically minded religious people, the motivation for societal change isn’t just one directional. It actually goes both ways.”
This panel, and the motivations from the centre behind it, are happening at a time when religious studies at academic institutions are colliding with politics across the country. In many of these places, the study of religion has faced budgetary cuts and departmental downsizing.
"It's ironic and kind of tragic that when we most need to understand society and the impact of religious ideas and movements, the lens through which so many folks live their entire lives, these subjects are being sidelined," says Wiebe. “If anything, our conversations around them open up awareness of how people navigate these issues and their identities every day, no matter their social position. They show how important these subjects are and that public spaces are filled with religious ways of being. We gain little by ignoring that.”
In this way, the Ronning Center offers a unique space at the University and in the province itself. To keep up-to-date on upcoming events or to participate in the centre’s religious community outreach, subscribe to their newsletter and visit their website.
The Chester Ronning Center for the Study of Religion and Public Life has never shied away from both topics. The centre's interim director, Associate Professor Joseph Wiebe, plans to feature them even more. In fact, the Ronning Centre kicked the year off with a panel on Stories about Religion in Public Office on November 1st, which included Agnes Hoveland (Camrose City Councillor), Rod Loyola (Edmonton MLA), and Jonathan Martin (Chief Federal Prosecutor).
"Now, more than ever before, the public needs to engage with topics like religious literacy and how it intersects with politics,” Wiebe says. "There are precious few spaces for critical discussions around religion and public life," he adds, “ and we are continuing to build one of them, based on the work of my predecessors too.”
The panel was held in-person at the Jeanne and Peter Lougheed Performing Arts Center on the University of Alberta Augustana campus. Public officials discussed their own religious ways of life and how these traditions have helped navigate their careers. Reflecting on how the event went, Wiebe notes, “It was amazing to see a common theme come up with all of the speakers that each of their religious traditions oblige them to speak out against injustice. It’s contrary to the narratives out there about religion, where their ways of life brought motivation for ethical action, rather than silence.”
Part of the mission of the Ronning Center is to show that the study of religion is an important lens through which to view society. It can reveal layers of understanding that might otherwise be missed, especially in politics. The narrative that public office is a place defined by the separation of religion and politics does not appear to be as accurate as some people may presume.
“It was fascinating how each speaker felt about being public about their religious traditions. Some were apprehensive, others felt empowered by it. Agnes spoke about what it is like belonging to a culturally and politically dominant group,” Wiebe explains. “Rod also talked a lot about how his experience in a public role has enabled him to engage critically with his religious tradition as well. How, for politically minded religious people, the motivation for societal change isn’t just one directional. It actually goes both ways.”
This panel, and the motivations from the centre behind it, are happening at a time when religious studies at academic institutions are colliding with politics across the country. In many of these places, the study of religion has faced budgetary cuts and departmental downsizing.
"It's ironic and kind of tragic that when we most need to understand society and the impact of religious ideas and movements, the lens through which so many folks live their entire lives, these subjects are being sidelined," says Wiebe. “If anything, our conversations around them open up awareness of how people navigate these issues and their identities every day, no matter their social position. They show how important these subjects are and that public spaces are filled with religious ways of being. We gain little by ignoring that.”
In this way, the Ronning Center offers a unique space at the University and in the province itself. To keep up-to-date on upcoming events or to participate in the centre’s religious community outreach, subscribe to their newsletter and visit their website.