The Fred Phelps Hatred Tour

I learned today that the Fred Phelps / Westboro Baptist Church Hatred Tour will be in Savannah tomorrow, May 22nd, just an hour's drive from me. I may go snap some photos for my class, if Fred and his crew weren't raptured today. If you are near Savannah and want to see the hatred tour for yourself, go to Christ Church on Bull Street, at 10:00 a.m.

Tenure Problems at a Religiously-Affiliated College

As a quick follow-up to interviewing at a religious college, you might find this report of problems at Erskine College interesting. It seems that the denomination may have impacted the outcome of a tenure decision there.

Research position at Catholic University of Louvain

This announcement comes from Vassilis Saroglou:

A research position for a postgraduate/Ph.D. student is open at the Catholic University of Louvain, Centre for Psychology of Religion http://www.uclouvain.be/psyreli . The position is full time (fellowship + social security), lasts two years (1+1), starts September 2011, and implies working in Louvain-la-Neuve (University's town). The research focuses on the understanding of moral and emotional characteristics of ideological (including religious) radicalism and will use methodology from social/moral psychology and psychology of emotions. It is integrated into a broader interdisciplinary project (Research Coordinated Action) on religious fundamentalism and ideological radicalism, a project funded by the Belgian Community of Brussels-Wallonia and the University.

Applications (CV and letter of motivation) are to be sent to Prof. Vassilis Saroglou vassilis.saroglou [at] uclouvain.be by June 15. (Use the same email address for more information).

Interviewing at a Religious College

If you are (or expect to be) searching for an academic job, here is useful advice on interviewing at a religiously-affiliated college. My one experience at this, nearly 20 years ago, would have been enhanced had I given it more thought beforehand. It was at a Catholic college, and the interview seemed to be going well until I was asked to respond to the following situation. Suppose, the interviewer asked, that an unmarried student of mine found herself pregnant, and wanted my advice on what to do. I replied that she should talk to her priest for advice. Follow-up questions came, probing further into what my own personal feelings were on this hot-button issue. I replied that it was between the individual, and God. He apparently wanted me to say that I was personally opposed to abortion. I failed the college's litmus test, and ended up teaching at another college. The ironic thing is that three years earlier my wife and I were faced with the choice of whether to continue a pregnancy with complications, or not, and our choice would have made the interviewer proud. But I objected to his probing on a personal issue, and decided it was none of his business. I have no regrets now, but job-hunting is stressful and I was probably not as prepared as I might have been for such questions.

End of World Predicted. Again.

Yes, another group is waiting for the end of the world. Harold Camping, founder of Family Radio, and his followers expect the world to end May 21st, two weeks from today. This story from NPR notes that Camping predicted the end September 6, 1994, but as you and I can tell, he was mistaken. Camping explains it by saying that he hadn't taken into account the message in the book of Jeremiah. It seems to me, however, that he hasn't taken into account the Book of Festinger, Reicken & Schachter.

Join me with popcorn in hand as we wait two weeks for another demonstration of cognitive dissonance.