Sen. Joe Lieberman has been known to work 18 hour days, six days a week. But when the sun sets on Friday night, the senator closes his laptop, opens his prayer book and welcomes the Sabbath, Shabbat, the day of rest. It’s the most sacred observance on the Jewish calendar, and Sen. Lieberman says it’s played a key role in his political career.
Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, author of “The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath”
Religion's Role in a New Constitution
Begins at 22 min 30 sec
On paper, Turkey is a secular state. Its constitution doesn’t recognize, or promote, any state religion. So you’d be forgiven if you were a little confused by the government’s Religious Affairs Department, which calculates Muslim prayer times, writes mosque sermons, and organizes the Hajj. Mustafa Akyol explains why all this may change in the next year, now that Turkey is writing a new civil constitution.
Mustafa Akyol, author of “Islam without Extremes: The Muslim Case for Liberty”
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It's…God?
Begins at 48 min 45 sec
In a comic book, God can be the classic bearded man in long robes. Or God can be the white space between panels, a point of light, a stick figure, or a superhero in spandex. David Lewis says comic books and graphic novels are perfectly suited for telling the stories of religion, where ‘characters’ (think Muhammad) are often difficult – or sacrilegious – to visually depict. Interview by Ellen Rolfes.
A. David Lewis, co-editor of “Graven Images: Religion in Comic Books and Graphic Novels”
