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FALL 2023 EVENTS

  • Nov 16, 2023, 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
    Rowling Hall (Room 4.314), 300 W Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    Among the Catholic political thinkers of the 20th century, Augusto Del Noce stood out for his ability to trace the deep theological and philosophical roots of modern politics. In this talk, his English translator will discuss Del Noce's analysis of the rise of modern totalitarian movements...
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  • Oct 19, 2023, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
    Texas Public Policy Foundation, 901 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701, USA
    For the past 10 years, the Austin institute and its fellows have answered the same questions and relentlessly and bravely defended the eternal truths of human nature and of the family from the attacks of modern culture. Join us and our fellows in discussing the next 10 years!
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  • Oct 09, 2023, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
    Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    What's the big deal about divorce? Why should we read and talk about it when everyone around us seems to be fine with it? The truth is: no matter what our family background, our age, or our state in life is, we all need to rediscover the immense impact that family life has on us and on our culture.
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  • Oct 04, 2023, 7:00 AM – 9:00 AM
    Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    Bagels, coffee, and male-only discussions on what matters most. Once a month, attendees will have the chance to read and talk about issues and challenges that the men of today are facing and that too often remain undisclosed: for fear of judgment or misunderstanding.
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  • Sep 27, 2023, 7:00 PM – Dec 31, 2023, 9:00 PM
    Stumberg Hall, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    This program is reserved for UT graduate students (and spouses) and is structured as a series of conversations around a dinner table. Dinner is provided, but prior registration is required. One or two short articles --our conversations starters--will be sent beforehand.
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  • Sep 21, 2023, 7:00 PM
    Stumberg Hall or Zoom, 3206 Fairfax Walk, Austin, TX 78705, USA
    This coming fall, we are starting a new Good Life Reading Group + (Level 2). It will be open to all individuals above forty --or younger, but who do not feel they are "young professionals" anymore. Our first meeting will be in September and then continue every other week.
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Wed, Jan 30

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The Clay Pit

Table Talk: "Religion Behind Bars: Transformation, Rehabilitation, and Criminal Justice Reform" with Dr. Byron Johnson

What does it mean to "reform" the the prisoner? What effects does this endeavor have on our culture? Join us for an enlightening dinner and conversation with Dr. Byron Johnson (Criminology and Sociology, Baylor) to unpack this issue. Please RSVP soon, as seating is limited to 20 persons!

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Table Talk: "Religion Behind Bars: Transformation, Rehabilitation, and Criminal Justice Reform" with Dr. Byron Johnson
Table Talk: "Religion Behind Bars: Transformation, Rehabilitation, and Criminal Justice Reform" with Dr. Byron Johnson

Time & Location

Jan 30, 2019, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

The Clay Pit, 1601 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78701, USA

About The Event

What does it mean to "reform" the the prisoner? What effects does this endeavor have on our culture? Join us for an enlightening dinner and conversation with Dr. Byron Johnson (Criminology and Sociology, Baylor) to unpack this issue. Please RSVP soon, as seating is limited to 20 persons!

Prisons are known for many things but far less understood is the fact that correctional facilities tend to be intensely religious places. To date, research on religion within prisons has focused largely on faith-based programs administered by faith-motivated volunteers and generally confirms that these programs can increase prosocial behavior inside of prison and even reduce recidivism following release from prison. However, very little is known about what happens when inmates form and lead their own religious groups, interpret theology from inside of prison and practice their faith communally inside the cellblocks.

A new line of research suggests religious groups indigenous to the cellblocks -- what I am calling Offender-Led Religious Movements – may have the capacity to provide participants a strong identity, an alternative moral framework and a set of embodied practices that emphasize virtue and character development. Though nearly invisible to scholars and co-religionists outside of prisons, this innovative approach to rehabilitation and reform holds significant potential to transform the character of not only individual prisoners, but particular cellblocks or housing units, and possibly entire correctional facilities.

Byron Johnson is Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University. He is the founding director of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR) as well as director of the Program on Prosocial Behavior, and previously directed research centers at Vanderbilt University and the University of Pennsylvania. He is a leading authority on the scientific study of religion, the efficacy of faith-based organizations, and criminal justice. Recent publications have examined the impact of faith-based programs on recidivism reduction and prisoner reentry. Professor Johnson recently completed a series of studies for the Department of Justice on the role of religion in prosocial youth behavior and has served as a member of the Coordinating Council for Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (Presidential Appointment). He is currently working on a longitudinal study of court-referred adolescents and 12-Step recovery (www.helpingotherslivesober.org). He has been project director/PI on many grants from private foundations as well as federal agencies including the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, U. S. Institute of Peace, Department of Labor, and the National Institutes of Health. His newest books are The Angola Prison Seminary: Effects of Faith-Based Ministry on Identity Transformation, Desistance, and Rehabilitation (Routledge, 2016) and The Quest for Purpose: The Collegiate Search for a Meaningful Life (SUNY Press, 2017). Johnson was the 2013 Lone Star Big Brother of the year for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Texas.

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