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Interfaith Voices (Public)

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Religion's Role in the Climate Solution

Wed, Nov 18 Listen
Becoming a Steward of the Earth From ending slavery to launching civil rights, religion has long been a powerhouse behind major social change. This week, a Jew, a Muslim and a Christian explain why faith is the missing link in solving the climate crisis.Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, consulting Imam for DC Green MuslimsReverend Canon Sally Bingham, President and founder of Interfaith Power and LightEvonne Marzouk, coordinator of Canfei Nesharim Blessing of the Solar Panels Begins at 22 min 40 sec...

Extremism at Both Ends of the God Spectrum

Wed, Nov 11 Listen
Evangelicals and Atheists...Strange Bedfellows?Frank Schaeffer helped build the Evangelical movement -- that is until he decided it was full of crazy people. He left the movement and went on to write a book called Crazy for God. Schaeffer's new book suggests that those on the other end of extremism, the so-called New Atheists, are just as crazy. He joins us to explain why Evangelical fundamentalists and Atheists are more similar than you might think.Frank Schaeffer, author of Patience With...

When Religion Kills

Wed, Nov 4 Listen
A Korean Exorcism...Or Something Else? What happens when religion goes horribly, fatally, wrong? Take, for instance, the case of Rayoung Kim. Last summer, the 18-year-old was found unconscious in her home in suburban Washington, DC. She later died, the victim of blunt force and asphyxiation. Police suspect she was the subject of an ancient Korean ritual that resembles an exorcism. But what really happened to the Virginia teen? First we hear Kims story from Tom Jackman, the Washington Post...

Cracking Open the World's Best-Selling Book

Thu, Oct 29 Listen
Reading the Bible: Why and How Prof. Timothy Beal has a term for the weird feeling some of his students have about studying scripture: Bible Baggage. He says the anxiety comes from all sorts of places-- bad memories of Sunday school, brushes with Bible thumpers, and simply feeling unauthorized to read it. But whether you're religious or not, he says, this much is true: the Bible's stories form the core of Western civilization. In his new book, Beal makes a case for reading, and yes,...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Judaism and Sex (*But Were Afrai

Thu, Oct 22 Listen
Heavenly Sex Shes Jewish, shes 4-foot-7, and she likes to see the Torah as an ancient sex manual. The one and only Dr. Ruth explains the sanctity of sex - good sex - in Jewish law. Dr. Ruth Westheimer, sex therapist and author of Heavenly Sex: Sexuality in the Jewish Tradition The Scalpel and the Soul Begins at 22 min 40 sec How should surgeons, trained so carefully to rely on hard facts, explain miraculous recoveries, out-of-body experiences and other-worldly visions in the operating room?...

Reclaiming a Misunderstood Apostle

Thu, Oct 15 Listen
Paul the Radical The apostle Paul has a mixed reputation. On the one hand hes known as the quintessential Christian, the man who wrote almost half of the New Testament. On the other, hes long been read as a misogynistic boor, urging slaves to obey their masters and wives to obey their husbands. Marcus Borg says weve got it all wrong, and reveals the crucial fact scholars have known for decades: many of Pauls letters were written by somebody else. Pictured: Saint Paul Writing His Epistles,...

Answering the ‘God Question’

Thu, Oct 8 Listen
It's Not Just For Theologians That brooding, looming question, What is God? has long been a favorite thought experiment for philosophers. The man known as The Genius on the David Letterman Show traces the concept of the divine over the past 2,500 years, and finds that its not God that evolvesits us. Pictured: Creation of the Sun and Moon by Michelangelo, c. 1511 Andrew Pessin, author of The God Question: What From Plato to Dawkins Have Said About the Divine The Cross That Went To Court...

A Quiet Faith

Wed, Sep 30 Listen
Kennedy's 'True Compass'For four decades, Senator Ted Kennedy was Americas most influential Catholic politician. But he kept his personal faith quiet, hidden. Jonathan Karp, editor of his new memoir, reveals the senator you dont knowa man who loved the Gospel of Matthew, looked forward to the Resurrection, and spent only one day in bed at the end of his life. Jonathan Karp, publisher and editor-in-chief of Twelve Books Leprosy, Stigma and the BibleBegins at 22 min 29 secWhen Jose Ramirez,...

Unlocking the Mason Mystique

Thu, Sep 24 Listen
The Not-So-Secret World of the Freemasons Dan Brown clearly loves religion really mysterious religion, like his portrayal of the Catholic group Opus Dei in The Da Vinci Code. But then, groups accused of being religious will do just as well. His new novel, The Lost Symbol, offers a semi-truthful peek inside the fraternity, which has been accused of everything from conspiring with extra-terrestrials to placing secret symbols on dollar bills. Though the reality is a lot less strange, some faith...

The Monk Behind the Myth

Wed, Sep 16 Listen
An Intimate Portrait of the 14th Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama is a complex figure- at once a Buddhist monk, the leader of the Tibetan community in exile and a spiritual celebrity. He is also a man whose human side few people know. We talk with Pico Iyer, a friend of the Dalai Lama for over thirty years, about the man behind the image. Pico Iyer, author of The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama Joy Ladin, Finding Her True Self Begins at 23 min 36 sec Joy Ladin is an...

The Unlikely Disciple

Wed, Sep 9 Listen
'Studying Abroad' at Liberty University When Kevin Roose was a sophomore at Brown University, he decided to try a domestic study abroad program-- at Rev. Jerry Falwell's Liberty University. Based in Lynchburg, Virgina, Liberty is an institution Falwell himself described as a Bible Boot Camp. Roose went undercover and did his best to blend in; he joined the school choir, he wrote for the student newspaper, he spent his spring break proselytizing to hung-over college kids. We talk to both...

Health Care as a 'Moral Obligation'

Wed, Sep 2 Listen
The Gospel of Reform In the debate over health care, President Obama is going biblical. On August 18th, the President convened a phone conference with more than 1,000 leaders of different faiths, mainly religious progressives. Obamas courting of spiritual leaders comes as some religious groups, especially conservative Catholics and evangelical Christians, are raising concerns about what will and wont be covered under Obamas plan. Kevin Eckstrom explains why many faith traditions have a real...

The American Nun Probes: Two Views

Thu, Aug 27 Listen
Checking In or Reining In? Late in 2008, the Vatican quietly announced a two-part visitation of American nuns. On paper, the probes are supposed to examine the sisters' quality of life and adherence to church doctrine. But the real purpose of the investigation is fuzzy, depending on whom you ask. Some conservative nuns see the probes as friendly and unremarkable-- a routine attempt by the church to address declining membership. And many liberal nuns worry it's an attempt to rein in their...

Rainn Wilson, a Baha'i in Hollywood

Wed, Aug 19 Listen
Nerdy, Bright and Baha'iActor Rainn Wilson is best known for playing loners, oddballs and weirdos. Exhibit A: Dwight Schrute, the abrasive nerd-in-residence on NBCs The Office. Dwights interests include beet farming, science fiction movies and violent weaponry of all kinds. In real life, Rainn is a devout Baha'i, and this week he lets us in on how he balances his 'Office' life with his faith life. Our interview originally aired in November 2008.Rainn Wilson, star of The Office Peacemaking...

The 'Secret Fundamentalism' Behind America's Public Policy

Tue, Aug 4 Listen
Blood Runs Thick in 'The Family' A little-known Christian network that takes leadership cues from Hitler and Mao may seem like the stuff of conspiracy theories, but our guest Jeff Sharlet insists that the Family's political clout is real. Best known for sponsoring the annual high-profile National Prayer Breakfast, this secretive, close-knit group has impacted public policy since it sponsored anti-New Deal legislation in the 1930s and gives all the credit to God. This week, we re-visit our...

Where Do We Go When We Die?

Thu, Jul 30 Listen
Beyond Heaven and Hell Bishop John Shelby Spong grew up with an angry, judgmental God. For him, God--and the Christian church--exerted authority through fear, threatening non-believers with the fiery pits of Hell. Now 78, Bishop Spong imagines the afterlife without a Heaven or Hell, and says the task of religion is not to guide us to eternity but to help us live now, and love wastefully.Bishop John Shelby Spong, retired Episcopal Bishop of New Jersey, author of Eternal Life: A New Vision:...

The Battle Over Gay Rights in the Episcopal Church

Thu, Jul 23 Listen
The Episcopal Church Welcomes You Earlier this month, the Episcopal Church did what many clergy thought impossible just three years ago. The church's national convention voted to ordain gay and lesbian bishops, beginning what some have called the church's 'coming out' process. The outcome rocked the delegates, who sat in stunned silence after the result was announced. Frank Kirkpatick explains why the decision is widening the rift with the church's larger fellowship, the Anglican...

Pope Benedict, the Radical Liberal

Thu, Jul 16 Listen
A Holy (and Liberal) Blueprint for the World Economy Think Pope Benedict XVI is an uncompromising, unwavering conservative? Think again. In his first official statement on the worldwide economic meltdown, he calls for deep cuts in consumer spending, government regulation and even redistributing wealth around the world. Rev. Thomas Reese, SJ, senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University Commentary: To Cover or Not to Cover? Begins at 24 min 12 sec If you watched...

Five Hundred Years of John Calvin

Thu, Jul 9 Listen
John Calvin, Not So Calvinist This week, its the life and legacy of John Calvin, the father of Presbyterianism, born 500 years ago this month. He's often remembered as a moralistic party pooper, wagging his finger at graceless Christians. In a new biography, Bruce Gordon paints the Protestant reformer as more complex, at once shy, hot-headed, intolerant and brilliant. Calvin is best known for adding a controversial twist to the idea of predestination, the belief that God has already decided...

The Strange Appeal of Sacred Body Parts

Wed, Jul 1 Listen
Whiskers, Bones, Toes and Teeth In Rag and Bone, author Peter Manseau explores the macabre world of religious relicsthe bodily odds and ends of saints, gurus and prophets, scattered all around the world. From Muhammeds beard whisker to the Buddhas tooth, he explains why we save and celebrate pieces of the dead. Peter Manseau, author of Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World's Holy Dead, founding editor of killingthebuddha.com Commentary: Health Care For the Common Good Begins at 22 min 30...

Taking the Long View on Democracy in Iran

Thu, Jun 25 Listen
An American Bishop in Tehran Last year, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington visited Iran to discuss the impact of democracy on politics and religion. His audience? The man who is now at the center of Irans disputed elections, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In this special rebroadcast from January, Bishop John Chane recounts his conversation with the Aytaollah, who is that countrys spiritual leader and highest authority.Bishop John Bryson Chane, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D.C. Shalom...

A Mid-Year News Roundup

Thu, Jun 18 Listen
Religion Redux An abortion doctor is murdered in church, Obama addresses the Muslim world, and gay marriage becomes legal in several states. Our regular news commentators discuss the ongoing impact of the most important stories on the religion beat over the last six months. Kevin Eckstrom, editor of Religion News ServiceKim Lawton, reporter and managing editor of Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly KidSpirit Magazine: The World According to Middle Schoolers Begins at 22 min 30 sec KidSpirit...

Margot Adler, Redefining the "Witch Word"

Thu, Jun 11 Listen
Witches, Goddesses and Public Radio This week we're revisiting one of our favorite interviews from last year, with Margot Adler. Radio junkies know her as an NPR reporter whose pieces air regularly on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. And pagans consider her a scholar of earth-based religion. The former Jewish-atheist joins us to talk about the changing perception of the witch word and why if you look far enough back, all of us come from a pagan heritage. Margot Adler, NPR reporter,...

Feminist Theology 101

Thu, Jun 4 Listen
All About Eve We often hear about Abraham, the Biblical father of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, but not so much about his wife, Sarah. We hear God described as a man, a white-bearded disciplinarian in the skybut rarely is God called a mother, a nurturer, a woman. And then theres Eve, who, according to the standard interpretation of the book of Genesis, sprung forth from Adams rib: the original second-class citizen. Feminist theology is trying to change these kinds of views, and this week,...

Searching For 'The Fingerprints of God'

Thu, May 28 Listen
Spirituality and Science National Public Radio's religion correspondent ponders the limits of science, and raises some big questions: Does spirituality run in families? Is there a God gene? And how do we explain near-death experiences? She explains how new technologies are helping scientists study the brain during intense religious experiences, from drug-induced ecstasies to meditation.Barbara Bradley Hagerty, author of Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality The...

The Haggards, Sticking Together For Better...And For Worse

Thu, May 21 Listen
The Reinvention of Ted Haggard Ted Haggard had it all: a devoted wife, five children and a thriving church with more than 10,000 members. As the president of the National Association of Evangelicals, he was the voice for 30 million Christians. It all came crashing down in 2006, when a male prostitute accused Haggard of paying him for sex and crystal meth. Now, after months of silence, Gayle and Ted Haggard open up about how they kept their marriage and faith intact.Ted Haggard, founder of...

Christianity at the Grassroots

Thu, May 14 Listen
Small C Christianity Christian history is often told from the point of view of the winners, as a tale of victory, military force and conquest. Historian Diana Butler Bass calls it Big C Christianity, and she says there's another side to the story. This week, she surveys Christian history from the bottom up, told through the eyes of maverick monks, gutsy women and peace-loving church-goers.Diana Butler Bass, author of A Peoples History of ChristianityWeb extra: Diana Butler Bass, the full...

How To Win a Cosmic War

Wed, May 6 Listen
No Compromise, No Negotiation, No Surrender This week, the anatomy of a cosmic war. Scholar Reza Aslan tells us that terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda are fighting a new kind of battleits about identity, not land; ideas, not armies. And he says the war cant be won.Reza Aslan, author of How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror Obama and the Fightin' Irish Begins at 22 min 30 sec On May 17th, President Obama will deliver the commencement address at Notre...

When Science Sparks Faith

Wed, Apr 29 Listen
Francis Collins, Finding God in the Human Genome This week, we meet Dr. Francis Collins, the scientist who led the team that deciphered our genetic code. When he finally finished mapping all those As, Gs, Cs and Ts, he says he caught a glimpse of our own sacred instruction book. Collins grew up as an agnostic, became an atheist, and then just as his immersion in the scientific world was deepening he became a Christian. His story is the reverse of popular stereotypes: science didn't destroy...

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Judaism and Sex (*But Were Afrai

Thu, Apr 23 Listen
Heavenly Sex Shes Jewish, shes 4-foot-7, and she likes to see the Torah as an ancient sex manual. The one and only Dr. Ruth explains the sanctity of sex - good sex - in Jewish law. Dr. Ruth Westheimer, sex therapist and author of Heavenly Sex: Sexuality in the Jewish Tradition Hollywood and the Holocaust Begins at 23 min 29 sec Barbed wire fences....shiny Nazi lapel pins...trains - if they're all in a movie, it's probably about the Holocaust. Laura Kwerel talks to New York Times film...

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