Thinking Religion 168: Tribalism and Identity with Matthew Klippenstein

Sam Harrelson on July 29, 2024

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Episode Summary

In this episode of “Thinking Religion,” Sam is joined by Matthew Klippenstein to discuss a wide range of topics, including cultural differences, the development of early Christianities, political dynamics in the USA and Canada, and the philosophical and historical context of monotheism.

Topics Discussed

  1. Cultural Differences and Regional Dialects:
    • Sam and Matthew explore regional cultural differences within the United States, particularly focusing on dialects and food traditions.
    • The significance of regional barbecue styles in South Carolina.
    • Comparison to regional differences in Japan, such as variations in soy sauce.
  2. Early Christianities and Monotheism:
    • Discussion on the origins and development of monotheism in ancient Israel and the influence of early Desert Fathers and Mothers.
    • The role of Josiah’s reforms and the discovery of Deuteronomy in shaping Jewish religious practices.
    • Influence of Platonic philosophy on early Christian thought and the transition from henotheism to monotheism.
  3. Political Dynamics in the USA and Canada:
    • Current political climate in the USA, including the pressures within the Democratic Party for President Biden to step down​ (Politico)​.
    • The complexities of the two-party system in the US and the potential for future changes.
    • Comparison with Canadian politics and the challenges of maintaining political coalitions over long periods.
  4. Philosophical and Sociological Reflections:
    • The concept of tribalism in modern politics and social media’s impact on political identities.
    • Dunbar’s number and its implications for social networks and community sizes.
    • Reflections on the interconnectedness of humanity and the natural world.

Relevant Links

Contact Information

Listener Q&A

  • Have questions or comments about this episode? Leave them in the comments section or reach out to Sam and Matthew directly through their social media profiles.

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Basecamp’s New Politics Policy

Sam Harrelson on April 26, 2021

Basecamp (and Jason) has been a bellwether for how companies operate for almost 20 years now. Here’s an interesting memo for the company that I can only imagine more organizations will be implementing in the coming months / years…

With that, we wanted to put these directional changes on the public record. Historically we’ve tried to share as much as we can — for us, and for you — so this transmission continues the tradition.

1. No more societal and political discussions on our company Basecamp account. Today’s social and political waters are especially choppy. Sensitivities are at 11, and every discussion remotely related to politics, advocacy, or society at large quickly spins away from pleasant. You shouldn’t have to wonder if staying out of it means you’re complicit, or wading into it means you’re a target. These are difficult enough waters to navigate in life, but significantly more so at work. It’s become too much. It’s a major distraction. It saps our energy, and redirects our dialog towards dark places. It’s not healthy, it hasn’t served us well. And we’re done with it on our company Basecamp account where the work happens. People can take the conversations with willing co-workers to Signal, Whatsapp, or even a personal Basecamp account, but it can’t happen where the work happens anymore.

Source: Changes at Basecamp

“Reopen” Domain Surge

Sam Harrelson on April 25, 2020

Propaganda and misinformation are easy to propagate on the web as one of my mentors, Wayne Porter, would frequently show me. Now is not the time to let our guard down.

That lookup returned approximately 150 domains; in addition to those named after the individual 50 states, some of the domains refer to large American cities or counties, and others to more general concepts, such as “reopeningchurch.com” or “reopenamericanbusiness.com.”

Source: Who’s Behind the “Reopen” Domain Surge? — Krebs on Security

YouTube and “Reinforcing” Psychologies

Sam Harrelson on June 8, 2019

“The new A.I., known as Reinforce, was a kind of long-term addiction machine. It was designed to maximize users’ engagement over time by predicting which recommendations would expand their tastes and get them to watch not just one more video but many more.

Reinforce was a huge success. In a talk at an A.I. conference in February, Minmin Chen, a Google Brain researcher, said it was YouTube’s most successful launch in two years. Sitewide views increased by nearly 1 percent, she said — a gain that, at YouTube’s scale, could amount to millions more hours of daily watch time and millions more dollars in advertising revenue per year. She added that the new algorithm was already starting to alter users’ behavior.

“We can really lead the users toward a different state, versus recommending content that is familiar,” Ms. Chen said.”

via “The Making of a YouTube Radical” by Kevin Roose in the New York Times

“Invisible Wire Pullers”

Sam Harrelson on July 6, 2018

Eerily familiar to the American left…

Prideful of their own higher learning and cultivation, the intellectual classes could not absorb the idea that, thanks to “invisible wire-pullers”—the self-interested groups and individuals who believed they could manipulate the charismatic maverick for their own gain—this uneducated “beer-hall agitator” had already amassed vast support. After all, Germany was a state where the law rested on a firm foundation, where a majority in parliament was opposed to Hitler, and where every citizen believed that “his liberty and equal rights were secured by the solemnly affirmed constitution.”

— Read on www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/when-its-too-late-to-stop-fascism-according-to-stefan-zweig

Defending the Liberal Arts

Sam Harrelson on June 2, 2018

Long overdue…

The new statement offers a counterargument to the notion that the liberal arts are impractical, and perhaps unnecessary. The disciplines, it argues, increase students’ curiosity, prepare them to be lifelong learners, and offer a foundation for academic freedom. As a result, the associations argue, the benefits of the liberal arts should be available to “all college students and not solely a privileged few.”

— Read on www.chronicle.com/article/2-Associations-Forcefully/243544

By eating less meat and more fruit and…

Sam Harrelson on March 21, 2016

By eating less meat and more fruit and vegetables, the world could prevent several million deaths per year by 2050, cut planet-warming emissions substantially, and save billions of dollars annually in healthcare costs and climate damage, researchers said.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/diet-fitness/vegan-eating-would-slash-cut-food-s-global-warming-emissions-n542886

The era of the fact is coming to…

Sam Harrelson on March 21, 2016

The era of the fact is coming to an end: the place once held by “facts” is being taken over by “data.”

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/03/21/the-internet-of-us-and-the-end-of-facts

Sam Harrelson on May 4, 2010

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Hi Sam, and all. My name is to be unable to chat with Ted, Citibank, I was calling to remind few ec event. Going to the polls to call Follett and, when you go to Naples. Thank you, the boat. It’s Akiva she’s a wonderful pistons representative of education, environment and hey i was kidding. Hi Florence, at 4:25. C is. That’s why I’m volunteer alright. Thank you. Goodbye. I hope you listen to my message.

I’ve listened to this voicemail three times and have no idea who she’s polling for on her message. 

Whoever it is, I wish them well in our local primaries. 

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