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More God, Less Crime: Why Faith Matters and How It Could Matter More

Objective Religion: Freedom, Politics, Secularization

The Quest for Purpose: The Collegiate Search for a Meaningful Life

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Byron Johnson is Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University where he is the founding director of the Institute for Studies of Religion as well as the founding director of the Institute for Global Human Flourishing.  Johnson is a faculty affiliate of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University, a senior scientist at the Gallup Organization, and co-founder of the Religious Freedom Institute.

Johnson’s work examines the ways in which religion impacts key behaviors like volunteerism, generosity, and purpose. These topics are covered in four books, The Angola Prison Seminary (2016), which evaluates the influence of a Bible College and inmate-led congregations on prisoners serving life sentences; The Quest for Purpose: The Collegiate Search for a Meaningful Life (2017), which examines the link between religion and finding purpose and meaning, and the subsequent link to academic integrity; The Restorative Prison: Essays on Inmate Peer Ministry and Prosocial Corrections (2021), which looks at the empirical evidence in support of the link between religion and the emerging subfield of positive criminology; and Objective Religion Volume 1,2, 3 (2023, 2024, 2025), which examine factors related to the importance and resilience of religion. A Compendium of Global Flourishing Study Translations (2025), provides details on the elaborate process of translating the questionnaire from the Global Flourishing Study into approximately 40 different languages. His new book The Faith Factor and Social Welfare: Rethinking Evidence, Practice, and Polity (2026), examines evidence for the important role of religion and faith-based organizations in addressing social problems including drug/alcohol addiction, crime and delinquency, homelessness, offender rehabilitation, prison reform, and prisoner reentry. His new book The Death of Religion?: Nones, Others, and the Global Renaissance of Faith (2026), provides an empirical as well as historical argument countering the claim that religion is in decline.

He is the project co-director (with Tyler J. VanderWeele) of the Global Flourishing Study (GFS) a five-year longitudinal data collection and research collaboration between researchers at Baylor University  and Harvard University, in partnership with Gallup and the Center for Open Science (COS). This initiative includes data collection for approximately 200,000 participants from 22 geographically and culturally diverse countries.

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Distinguished Professor of Social Sciences | Founding Director, Institute for Global Human Flourishing

Blackballed for his faith early in his academic career, Dr. Byron Johnson, author of "More God, Less Crime," did not shy away or stand down from his outspoken Christian worldview. On today’s edition of Family Talk, the Hon. Michele Bachmann talks with Dr. Johnson about his time as a university professor on secular campuses. Even in the face of such discrimination against people of faith, God blessed Dr. Johnson’s earnest research which culminated in his meteoric rise in the world of academia. The words of the Bible will not be silenced!

About Today's Guest: Dr. Byron Johnson
Dr. Byron Johnson serves as distinguished professor of the social sciences at Baylor University. In addition, he is the founding director of the Institute for Studies of Religion. Dr. Johnson is recognized as a leading authority on the scientific study of religion, as well as the efficacy of faith-based organizations, domestic violence, and criminal justice. His publications have examined the impact of faith-based programs on recidivism reduction and prisoner reentry. Dr. Johnson’s research has been used in consultation with the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, Department of Labor, and the National Institutes of Health. He is the author of several books, including "More God, Less Crime," and "The Quest for Purpose." 


Resources Mentioned:
Baylor University: Institute for Studies of Religion - https://www.baylorisr.org/about-baylorisr/distinguished-professors/byron-r-johnson/ 
Books by Dr. Byron Johnson:
"More God, Less Crime: Why Faith Matters and How it Could Matter More"
"The Angola Prison Seminary: Effects of Faith-Based Ministry on Identity Transformation, Desistance, and Rehabilitation (Innovations in Corrections)"
"Objective Religion: Freedom, Politics, Secularization"
"The Quest for Purpose: The Collegiate Search for a Meaningful Life"


Family Talk Station Finder –  http://drjamesdobson.org/broadcast/2024-05-29

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More God, Less Crime - Part 1 with Guest Dr. Byron Johnson

What does it really mean to flourish — not just as individuals, but as communities, cultures and societies? In this episode of Today’s Conversation, Byron Johnson, distinguished professor of social sciences at Baylor University and codirector of the Global Flourishing Study, expands our vision of human flourishing to a global scale.   

Bryon Johnson joins NAE President Walter Kim to unpack surprising and hopeful findings emerging from the Global Flourishing Study, a groundbreaking international research project he leads in collaboration with Harvard University and others. Together, they explore how flourishing is being measured across the world and why it matters now more than ever — for people of faith, for the Church and for the future of society. 

In their conversation, they explore: 

*What makes the Global Flourishing Study a truly unprecedented effort;  
*Why flourishing is about more than just health and wealth — it’s also about purpose, relationships and faith;  
*How the Church plays a vital role in shaping holistic well-being; and 
*How the Bible offers a compelling vision of what it means to thrive. 

Today’s Conversation is a podcast of the National Association of Evangelicals. Listen on your favorite podcast app. 

Show notes here: http://www.nae.org/bjohnsonpodcast

This episode was sponsored by Talbot School of Theology: https://www.biola.edu/talbot

#HumanFlourishing #GlobalFlourishingStudy #Evangelicals #NAE

What Data Tells Us About LIVING WELL

Many people think flourishing means living without pain or struggle, but true flourishing is far deeper than that. In this episode, Pastor Allen meets with Byron Johnson, director of the Institute for Studies of Religion at Baylor University in Texas, to explore what it really means to live an abundant life—and whether faith is thriving or fading in our culture. They discuss why so many young people are struggling, the role faith plays in addressing social challenges, and how we can cultivate resilience, purpose, and hope in the midst of tragedy.

More Resources:

Baylor University | Institute for Studies of Religion: https://www.baylorisr.org/ 

Global Flourishing Study: https://globalflourishingstudy.com/

#pastorallenjackson #allenjacksonnow #news #standfortruth #leadwithfaith #tvshow

Pastor Allen’s new prime time show premieres weeknights at 8pm ET / 7pm CT on YouTube. We created the show to provide hope and guidance to our struggling nation, helping viewers navigate our challenging times through the wisdom of a biblical worldview.

Allen Jackson Now is a lifeline for a struggling and anxious nation. No matter what challenges we face, there will always be more reasons for hope than despair.

Ask questions and share your thoughts on current issues with Pastor Allen at comments@allenjacksonnow.com.

Follow Allen Jackson Now: 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allenjacksonnow
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allenjacksonnow/?hl=en

Why Flourishing Isn’t the Absence of Suffering [Special Guest Byron Johnson]

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