Interfaith Voices audio files

A Silent Tsunami: The Global Food Crisis

Thu, 3 Jul 2008 18:43:55 -0400

A Moral Emergency

Every major faith tradition in the world tells its followers they have a moral obligation to "feed the hungry." But with food prices continuing to skyrocket, that imperative has been tough to follow. The spikes have set off protests from Haiti to Indonesia, and the poorest of the poor –those billion or so people who have trouble filling their stomachs even in normal times – are getting desperate.

David Beckman and Marie Dennis tell us what people of faith need to do to combat this crisis that the UN has called a “silent tsunami.”

David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World

Marie Dennis, director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Commentary: I Can Eat Chocolate For Breakfast

Begins at 22:50

Jessica Swift reflects on the sacredness of food and her privilege as someone who isn't hungry.

Jessica Swift, Vermont-based writer and editor

I Can Eat Chocolate For Breakfast appears in a new collection of essays on food and spirituality, Bread Body Spirit: Finding the Sacred in Food, edited by Alice Peck.

God in the White House

Begins at 25:37

From John F. Kennedy's declaration that a President's religion is "his own private affair" to George W. Bush's remark that "God wants me to be president," Presidents have long made pronouncements about personal faith. Randall Balmer explains why voters expect their commander-in-chiefs to wear their religion on their sleeves.

Randall Balmer, author of God in the White House: A History, and professor of religious history at Barnard College

It All Started With An Apple...

Begins at 40:03

Perhaps no Christian doctrine is more contentious than original sin. The idea that humans are fundamentally awry has been questioned by theologians for centuries, and some Christian groups deny it altogether. Alan Jacobs traces the history of the so-called "inherited curse" and finds that it has shaped the politics and culture of the last two thousand years.

Alan Jacobs, professor of English at Wheaton College, and author of Original Sin: A Cultural History.

Bishop Gene Robinson, 'In the Eye of the Storm'

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:17:48 -0400

The Soft Spoken Iconoclast

Just two weeks after his civil union with his partner of 20 years, Bishop Gene Robinson remains a lightning rod of controversy. As the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, he has polarized parishes throughout the country, prompting several to leave the church altogether. But as Robinson tells us this week, his quest for equality in his church is a faith-filled mission - and is worth the hardship. "God," he says, "calls us to do the hard things."

Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, author of In the Eye of the Storm: Swept to the Center by God

For Americans, Eternal Life Is Open To All

Begins at 22:50

A new survey by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows that for most Americans, heaven has a kind of open door policy. Of the more than 35,000 people polled, a full 70 percent say that many religions – not just theirs – can lead to eternal life.

Dr. Diana Eck, Director of the Pluralism Project, Harvard University

Want to Improve Elections? Watch the Baha'is

Begins at 33:30

If it seems like there ought to be a more civil way to run democratic elections, members of the Baha’i Faith say, that’s because there is. The Baha’i election process involves no campaigning, no baby-kissing, and most surprising of all—no money. This year Baha'is held their 100th National Convention in suburban Chicago, and Jennifer Brandel was there to watch the action.

Jennifer Brandel, Chicago-based radio producer

This piece originally aired on NPR affiliate Chicago Public Radio

Beach Reads 2008

Begins at 40:49

Break out the sunscreen—it’s time for this summer’s round up of sizzling beach reads…on religion, of course. From an uncensored version of the Bible to the Jewish take on tattoos and body piercings, these reads will definitely pass the time as you’re worshiping that summer sun god.

Jana Riess, Religion Book Review Editor, Publisher’s Weekly

Jana's Picks (in no particular order):

1.The Uncensored Bible: The Bawdy and Naughty Bits of the Good Book by John Kaltner, Steven Mckenzie and Joel Kilpatrick

2.Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance, and Religion on America's College Campuses by Donna Freitas

3.Christ the Lord: The Road To Cana by Anne Rice

4.The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier by Tony Jones

5.Jewish Choices, Jewish Voice:Body edited by Elliot N. Dorff and Louis E. Newman

6.Sexless in the City: A Memoir of Reluctant Chastity by Anna Broadway

7.The Gospel According to Harry Potter, Revised and Expanded Edition by Connie Neal

This week's Interfaith Calendar

June 29 – Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (Christian)

Catholics, Episcopalians and some Lutherans remember the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul, the two best known apostles of Jesus. As the story goes, the two were killed on the same day, at the hands of the Roman emperor Nero – Paul by beheading, and Peter by upside-down crucifixion.

Rooting Out Prejudice, One Story At a Time

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 16:32:33 -0400

Confronting Religious Bias On Campus

What do evangelical Christians, atheists, Muslims, and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright have in common? The tendency to be misunderstood and stereotyped by outsiders. It's a big-scale problem, and the National Coalition Building Institute, or NCBI, is offering a powerful solution that changes hearts and instutions: start with your own prejudice, and then confront others'.

The non-profit creates what it calls “prejudice reduction workshops”— seminars where people reveal the painful biases and attitudes that hurt them most. About half of their some-700 programs each year take place on college campuses, where NCBI works to alter the entire campus climate, from individual students to high level administators.

This week, Interfaith Voices sits in on an NCBI workshop at George Mason University, where a group of students and administrators get candid about the ways discrimination has touched their lives – and learn tools to speak up.

Cherie Brown, Executive Director of the National Coalition Building Institute

Dr. Renee Scales, Director of Multicultural Research, George Mason University

Produced by Laura Kwerel and Katie Jones

Commentary: A Road to Faith, Lined With Questions

Begins at 16:18

As a young child, writer Tom Lange felt secure in his salvation. But by the time he hit middle school, his deep belief had turned into an aching doubt.

Tom Lange, reporter for The Truth in Elkhart, Ind.

This commentary originally appeared in the Washington Post, Dec. 24, 2007

Blacks in the Mormon Church, 30 Years Later

Begins at 22:50

Until 1978, African Americans were barred from entering the priesthood in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, better known as the Mormon Church. Mormons and non-Mormons alike have been puzzled by the policy, which is nowhere to be found in the early teachings of church founder Joseph Smith (pictured.)

Dr. Newell Bringhurst, co-editor of Black and Mormon

Marvin Perkins, a black member of the Mormon Church, co-producer of the DVD series Blacks in the Scriptures

Lebanon's Disappearing Jews

Begins at 38:33

Synagogues across Lebanon have closed their doors, evidence of the disappearance of a once-thriving Jewish community from the country. Indeed, between 1948 and the present, the Jewish population has dwindled from 17,000 to a mere 300. Ronnie Chatah tells us why they left – and why they didn't move to Israel.

Ronnie Chatah, graduate student in Middle East Studies at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Commentary: A Godly Hour

Begins at 49:18

Karen Anderson wakes up at "some ungodly hour" to catch a flight – only to realize that the view from her window is decidedly holy.

Karen Anderson, writer from Traverse City, Mich.

This week's Interfaith Calendar

June 19th – New Church Day (Swedenborgian Christian)

On this day in 1770, Emmanuel Swedenborg published “The True Christian Religion,” a document explaining the tenants of Swedenborgian Christianity. Today, Swedenborgian Christians, also called New Christians, celebrate the day as the birthday of their church. Swedenborgians believe that all people who lead good lives, no matter what their religion, have a place in heaven.

June 20th – Litha (Wiccan/Pagan)

Litha, or the summer solstice, is, the longest day of the year. For pagans, it is a day to honor the sun – which is recognized for its power to give life and warmth. It's a festive day to eat food at the peak of the harvest, and enjoy the long days while we can.

June 22 – All Saints Day (Orthodox Christian)

This is a day for honoring all saints, known and unknown. In the Christian tradition, saints are persons known for lives of holiness and devotion to God, or who were martyred for their faith. Catholics celebrate All Saints Day on November 1st.

Our Live Public Forum on Religion in the 2008 Election

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 15:20:08 -0400

From Mitt Romney's Mormon faith to John McCain and Barack Obama's preacher problems, religion has played an outsized - and surprising - role in this year's campaigns. This week we devote our entire show to our live public forum on faith in Election 2008, taped at the All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, DC, on June 4th. What an exciting night it was!

Featuring:

Imam Mahdi Bray, Executive Director of MAS Freedom, the civic and human rights advocacy entity of the Muslim American Society

Rev. Dr. Welton Gaddy, President of the Interfaith Alliance, Host of State of Belief on Air America radio, and co-author of First Freedom First: A Citizens' Guide to Protecting Religious Liberty and the Separation of Church and State

Dr. Kenyatta Gilbert, Assistant Professor of Homiletics at Howard University Divinity School, and associate faculty member, College of Preachers, Washington National Cathedral

Dr. Richard Land, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, and author of the Divided States of America?: What Liberals AND Conservatives are missing in the God-and-country shouting match!

Dr. Keith Pavlischek, Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and author of John Courtney Murray and the Dilemma of Religious Toleration

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, former Lt. Governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003, and author of Failing America's Faithful: How Today's Churches are Mixing God with Politics and Losing Their Way

This event was co-sponsored by WAMU-88.5 FM in Washington, DC; All Souls Church, Unitarian and Interfaith Voices.

Want more? Listen to the entire, unedited show

Our Live Public Forum, Unedited

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:39:58 -0400

Listen in on the entire night's discussion--totally unedited.

Turkey's Champion of Interfaith Dialogue

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 17:26:13 -0400

Fethullah Gulen, Turkey's Most Famous Preacher

Meet the man who’s in a category with the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Mother Teresa… but is almost unknown in the West. This highly influential Muslim writer and preacher has inspired people across Turkey – and now the world – to build top-notch schools, engage in interfaith dialogue and champion religious freedom.

Dr. B. Jill Carroll, Executive Director of the Boniuk Center for the Study and Advancement of Religious Tolerance at Rice University in Houston, Tex., author of A Dialogue of Civilizations: Gulen’s Islamic Ideals and Humanistic Discourse

Commentary: Peace in Lebanon

Begins at 18:34

When Maureen left for Turkey and Lebanon last month, it seemed unlikely she would be able to enter Lebanon. Tensions between Sunni and Shia Muslims were at a boiling point, and gunfire had broken out in the streets of the capitol. But during her stay in Turkey, it happened—a compromise was finally reached. Maureen reflects on being among the Lebanese people when their prayers for peace were finally answered.

Maureen Fiedler, Host

Commentary: Wright and the White Gaze

Begins at 22:52

Two months after Rev. Jeremiah Wright first made headlines, Rev. Rob Hardies reflects on the ongoing hailstorm. Hardies, a white Unitarian pastor, traces suspicion of the Black Church back to slave times, calling on his white peers to step out of the "master's house.”

Rev. Rob Hardies, Senior Pastor, All Souls Church, Unitarian, Washington, DC

Einstein's God

Begins at 27:21

Most people have assumed that Albert Einstein, the enigmatic genius of modern science, was an atheist. But according to Einstein biographer Walter Isaacson, Einstein was something of a man of faith—a faith stemming from his awe at the great order of the cosmos. For Einstein, the face of God was revealed in the smallest details of the universe, like the curve of a cosine and the absoluteness of a prime number. As he wrote in the summer of 1930,

"The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mysterious… To sense that, behind anything that can be experienced, there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity teaches us only indirectly: this is religiousness."

Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and Universe

Gay and Lesbian Muslims, On a "Jihad" For Love

Begins at 39:31

A short passage in the Koran, along with a handful of quotes attributed to the prophet Muhammed, condemn homosexuality as a crime in the eyes of many Islamic scholars. A new documentary called "A Jihad for Love" tells the stories of more than a dozen gay and lesbian Muslims from around the world—all of whom stay devoted to a faith that sometimes doesn't seem to want them. The film is playing in select theaters now. Laura Kwerel explains.

Parvez Sharma, director of "A Jihad for Love" and Muhsin Hendricks, a subject of the documentary and founder of Al Fitrah, the first queer Muslim organization in South Africa

A.J. Jacobs: God's Overacheiver

Thu, 29 May 2008 13:39:29 -0400

How to Follow the Bible As Literally as Possible

Millions of Americans say they take the rules of the Bible literally. So one man tried--all 700 something of them. Turns out, there's quite a mixed bag of divine do's and don'ts: everything from growing out a full beard and turning the other cheek to stoning adulterers (he did--with a pebble). We caught up with AJ Jacobs, a Jewish agnostic best known for having read all 32 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, to find out what it really takes to become God's overachiever.

Guest: A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

Christianity's Image Problem?

Begins at 22:50

The Barna Group, an evangelical opinion polling firm, recently asked American teens and twenty-somethings for their perceptions of Christians. The results? Young people see Christians as "insensitive," "hypocritical," and "judgmental," among other unflattering traits. David Kinnaman tells us why the world's largest religion has gotten such a bad rap.

David Kinnaman, co-author of unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity and president of the Barna Group

A Guide For the Perplexed

Begins at 33:31

It's no accident that one of the most important books of Jewish scholarship, from way back in the 12th century, is called A Guide for the Perplexed. Because when it comes to knowing the core beliefs of Judaism, which emphasizes deeds over creeds, Jews have often been kind of…confused. But Rabbi Gilbert Rosenthal says that unless more Jews start understanding the tenets of their religion, the number of Jews who actively worship—which is currently the lowest of all American religions—will drop even lower. Laura Kwerel fills us in.

Rabbi Gilbert Rosenthal, Executive Director of the National Council of Synagogues, author of What Can a Modern Jew Believe?

The Sound of Rumi

Begins at 44:07

The poetry of the mystic Rumi has long been set to music, using traditional instruments like the rubab, an ancient stringed instrument from Afghanistan, and the tabla, an Indian hand drum. Three Afghani musicians stopped by our studios to share their interpretation of “The Song of the Reed Flute,” one of Rumi’s most beloved poems.

Solaiman Daneshjo (vocals and harmonium)

Zee Farzana (on the tabla)

Mohammed Sadeq (on the rubab)

Carolyn Jessop: Spilling the Secrets of a Polygamist Sect

Thu, 22 May 2008 10:49:36 -0400

Escape From Plural Marriage

At 18, Carolyn Jessop was forced to become the fourth wife of a man nearly three times her age. Jessop was born into The Fundamentalist Church of the Latter Day Saints (FLDS), a polygamist sect made infamous by the tyrannical leadership of Warren Jeffs. The group broke away from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, commonly called the Mormon Church.

In 2003, at 35 years old, Jessop fled the sect with her eight children and only $20 in her pocket. She wrote of her almost unbelievable life and flight to freedom in a new book, called simply, Escape.

Carolyn Jessop, author of Escape

The Death Penalty: Religious Arguments Pro and Con

Begins at 22:50

The death penalty has held a pointed place in the Christian imagination since the state execution of Jesus. 2000 years later, the morality of capital punishment is still up for debate. The arguments have heated up since December, when New Jersey became the first state in four decades to abolish capitol punishment with legislative action. Join us as Dr. R. Albert Mohler Jr. (pro) and attorney Dale S. Recinella (con) explore the “ultimate punishment”—often dissecting the very same biblical passages.

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, Jr., President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Dale S. Recinella, Catholic lay chaplain for Florida's death row and solitary confinement

The New Indian Buddhism

Begins at 34:46

Buddhism is the world's fifth largest religion, claiming nearly half a billion adherents. In India, where it originated and flourished for centuries, it was virtually extinct for a millennium. But starting in the 20th century, Buddhism had a sudden revival in the land of its birth. While it has gained some followers in the West among affluent urbanites, this new Indian Buddhism is most known as a a populist movement, appealing to India's vast and impoverished underclass.

Anil Mundra reports from Maharashtra, India

Frank Schaeffer: A Crisis of Faith

Thu, 15 May 2008 13:42:29 -0400

The Religious Right's Wayward Son

Frank Schaeffer spent his early career in the evangelical royalty--as a "700 Club" regular and the son of a famous Christian theologian. Now, in his new memoir, Schaeffer reflects on his bittersweet life inside the movement-- and why he eventually decided he was working with “crazy people.”

Frank Schaeffer, author of Crazy for God: How I Was Born as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All - or Almost All - of it Back

Can God Make You Straight?

Starts at 22:50

...And should you even try? This is the question at the center of the so-called ex-gay movement. While the mainstream scientific community strongly says "no," a growing fringe of religious and secular groups claims that people can change.

This week, Interfaith Voices probes the controversial crusade with sociologist Dr. Michelle Wolkomir, who spent a year studying an ex-gay ministry in the American South. We also hear from two men who attempted to change their orientations because of their Christian beliefs—with very different results.

Allen Calhoun, who spent one year at Regeneration, a ministry affiliated with Exodus International—an umbrella organization of Christian ex-gay programs

Peterson Toscano, who spent 17 years trying to change his sexual orientation and is now an openly gay Christian performance artist

Dr. Michelle Wolkomir, author of Be Not Deceived: The Sacred and Sexual Struggles of Gay and Ex-Gay Christian Men

Understanding Black Liberation Theology

Wed, 7 May 2008 14:12:25 -0400

Rev. Wright and Black Liberation Theology

For those familiar with black liberation theology--a religious movement whose roots extend back to slave times--Rev. Jeremiah Wright's rabble-rousing comments are hardly a surprise. Liberationist preachers are often intentionally provocative, with a fiery style that speaks truth to power. The philosophy was formed in the 1960s by Dr. James Cone, who read the Bible from a decidedly black point of view.

Rev. Dr. Gail Anderson-Holness, minister and itinerant elder in the AME Church, lawyer, president of the Council of Churches of Greater Washington

Dr. Anthea Butler, Assistant Professor of Religion at the University of Rochester, specializing in the history of Religion in America and African-American religions in particular

Audio of Rev. Wright's complete sermon from which 9/11 sound byte was excerpted

Audio of Rev. Wright's complete sermon from which "God damn America" clip was excerpted

Israel at 60

Starts at 22:52

Sixty years ago this month, a contentious piece of real estate in the Middle East became the official state of Israel. Though mandated by the British government as the Jewish "national home," Israelis have debated the proper role of Judaism in the state since its earliest days. Rabbi James Rudin, author of "Israel for Christians: A Guide to Modern Israel," untangles Israel's complex relationship between faith and government.

Rabbi James Rudin, senior Interreligious Advisor for the American Jewish Committee

Religious Earmarks: A Bridge to Heaven?

Starts at 36:00

Earmarks, those sneaky little additions to Congressional appropriations bills, are members of Congress’ way of funneling cash to pet projects in their districts. The most infamous example? Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere," a nearly Golden Gate-length bridge meant to service two towns then connected by a 10-minute ferry ride. The short paragraphs in a sea of ink may be easy to miss, but Rob Boston says they’re worth looking for--especially since some are channeling federal money to overtly religious programs.

Rob Boston, Assistant Director of Communications, Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Feminism and Faith

Starts at 44:07

Meet the Feminist Spiritual Community-- a group of women in Portland, Maine who have gathered every Monday night for over 26 years to celebrate life's milestones through prayer and music. Women-centered groups like this one can be found nationwide and offer a spiritual, non-denominational solace for women from all walks of life.

Produced by Heather Radke at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

Thu, 1 May 2008 14:19:23 -0400

Suffering: God's Problem

It’s one of the world’s oldest questions: If God is all powerful, and loving and caring, why does God permit suffering? Religious scholar Bart Ehrman reviewed the major biblical answers to this question, and found them all wanting. Among the most famous Biblical passages on the subject is the story of Job, an innocent man inflicted with great misfortune (depicted in a painting by William Blake, left.)

Bart Ehrman, Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, author of God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question: Why We Suffer

Belief in the Face of Grief

Starts at 23:32

As pastor to some 800 Virginia Tech students, Matt Rogers ministered to students in the wake of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, in April 2007. He says that this deep sorrow didn't shake his faith - even when God's presence was hard to discern. In his new book, Rogers reflects on his community's grief and looks for ways to experience God in the hardest of times.

Rev. Matt Rogers, co-pastor of New Life Christian Fellowship at Virginia Tech, author of When Answers Aren’t Enough: Experiencing God as Good When Life Isn’t

The 1936 Berlin Olympics

Starts at 32:28

This year’s Olympic Games, held in a country criticized for its human rights record, has echoes in the games some 70 years ago, when Nazi-controlled Berlin played host to the 1936 Olympics. Then as now, countries were divided over whether participating in the games meant condoning repressive policies.

Susan Bachrach, historian at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and curator of the exhibit, The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936

Funny...AND Christian? Yes!

Starts at 42:48

Don’t be fooled by his last name ---Brad Stine is a Christian comedian, and you won’t find him drinking a latte, ordering vegan, or voting Democrat. We caught up with the saucy southerner to talk about his new DVD, Wussification, and why he thinks evangelicals get a bad rap.

Brad Stine, comedian

Brad's cross-country church tour

Hug an Evangelical

Starts at 49:23

Nicholas Kristof wonders why tolerance-preaching liberals seem to have a blind spot about Christian evangelicals.

Nicholas Kristof, columnist for the New York Times

Understanding Sharia Law

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 12:03:03 -0400

Why Sharia?

Sharia law--when the Archbishop of Canterbury proposed using a limited form of it in Britain, the country backlashed. But millions of Muslims worldwide say they want the legal code to govern their lives, and Islamic parties often win elections with sharia as part of their platforms. So if it’s so bad, why do people want it?

Noah Feldman offers his answers in a new book that explores the origins, history and contemporary reality of sharia law.

Noah Feldman, professor of law at Harvard Law School, author of The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State

Read the full speech on sharia by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams

Deep Prayer for Busy People

Starts at 22:49

Many of us have been taught that prayer requires silence, a quiet space away from the bustle of daily life. But, as Rev. Bill Callahan tells us, it doesn’t have to be that way. He takes contemplative life out of the chapel and into the messiness of our lives, and shares how folks of any religious persuasion can be prayerful amidst stress, conflict and noise.

Rev. Bill Callahan, founder and co-director of the Quixote Center, author of Noisy Contemplation: Deep Prayer for Busy People

Being Transgender in the Methodist Church

Starts at 35:36

Among the many topics on the table at this year's Methodist General Conference is the delicate question of transgender clergy—a topic which until now has been largely off the radar. At the center of the debate is Rev. Drew Phoenix, a Methodist pastor who in 2002 transitioned from female to male. He shares what it’s like to feel “homeless” in his own body - and what's at stake at the conference, held this week.

Rev. Drew Phoenix, first transgender clergyperson in the United Methodist Church, pastor of St. John’s United Methodist Church, Baltimore, Md.

Hidden Children of the Holocaust

Starts at 44:30

May 2nd is Holocaust Remembrance Day, or Yom HaShoah, a day created in 1959 to reflect on the victims of the Holocaust. This week, we remember the 1.5 million Jewish children who perished with the story of two survivors, who as children hid their identities to escape the Nazis.

Produced by Vivian Goodman, a reporter/producer at WKSU in Kent, Ohio

Living in Shadows, an exhibit and resource on the hidden children of the Holocaust, at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Passover, the Exodus Story and African American Jews

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:55:47 -0400

The Journey from Slavery to Freedom, Twice Told

For Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, the Passover story resonates racially as well as spiritually. As one the few black rabbis in the United States today, he explains that the ancient Exodus story has captured the imagination of many oppressed peoples over the centuries, including African-Americans.

Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Rabbi of Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, Chicago

Equal Rites for Catholic Women

Begins at 22:50

For decades, Catholics who wanted women priests wrote theological treatises, lobbied bishops and demonstrated outside cathedrals. Now, with the help of Roman Catholic Women Priests, about 50 women have figured out a way to become ordained —and a few have even started parishes.

Rev. Andrea Johnson, Annapolis, Md., liturgy presider, homilist

Rev. Rose Marie Hudson, St. Louis, Mo., liturgy concelebrant

Rev. Elsie McGrath, St. Louis, Mo., liturgy concelebrant

Aisha Taylor, Executive Director, Women’s Ordination Conference

The Theology of Polygamy

Begins at 37:31

It began as a revelation to Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon Church. In his study of the Old Testament, the Mormon prophet noted that all the great Hebrew Patriarchs had more than one wife. Smith sought to restore that ancient order—starting with himself. He was reported to have more than 30 wives, including Emma Hale Smith (pictured.)

Though the Mormon Church officially rejected plural marriage in 1890, it continues to be practiced by fundamentalist sects, not associated with the Church. This week we explore the theology of the practice with the foremost non-Mormon scholar of the Mormon Church.

Dr. Jan Shipps, professor emerita at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis

Oy, the Miracles of Passover Coke

Begins at 48:22

Every spring before Passover, Coca-Cola plants in Chicago, New York, Atlanta and other cities whip up a tiny batch of soda that's Kosher for Passover. The run lasts about two weeks and has been known to sell out in less than 24 hours. But why is this Coke different from all other Cokes? Last year, Laura Kwerel went down to West Rogers Park, in Chicago, to find out.

To find your own bottle of Passover Coke, look for two liter bottles with a yellow cap and the OU-P symbol (pictured.) L'Chaim! More tips

Pope Benedict XVI

Wed, 9 Apr 2008 14:37:24 -0400

Getting to Know Joseph Ratzinger

Pope Benedict XVI, aka Joseph Alois Ratzinger, is the spiritual leader of 64 million American Catholics. And when he visits the United States on April 15th, in his first trip to this country as Pope, the vast majority of Americans will barely know who he is.

According to one survey, 17 percent of Americans claim to have never even heard of the 80-year-old pontiff. So today we devote our entire show to getting to know this shy, former theology professor.

David Gibson, author of The Rule of Benedict: Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle with the Modern World

Jews and the Catholic Church

Begins at 13:44

On April 18, the Pope Benedict will visit a modern Orthodox temple in New York—the first time a pope has ever visited an American synagogue. The goodwill gesture comes just two months after the Vatican re-issued a Latin Good Friday prayer calling for the conversion of the Jews. Rabbi James Rudin explains what the visit might accomplish.

Rabbi James Rudin, senior advisor for Interreligious affairs for the American Jewish Committee, regular columnist for Religion News Service

The Changing Face of American Catholics

Begins at 22:49

What will the Pope find in his flock, the American Catholic Church? According to a recent Pew poll, a growing Latino population, a declining Anglo population, and a body of faithful whose political views - even on hot button social issues - look like most Americans.'

Dr. Luis Lugo, Director of the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life

The Pope in the Media

Begins at 35:30

“Pope Is Coming, as Is Clichéd Coverage in the Media.” When we saw that headline in the New York Times a few weeks ago, we paid attention. Peter Steinfels, the author of that article, says that, in the Pope’s eight trips to the US so far, journalists have almost always cast the pontiff in a simple “for or against” framework: for change or against change—end of story.

Peter Steinfels, co-director of the Fordham Center on Religion and Culture, religion columnist for the New York Times

Singing for the Papal Mass

Begins at 43:06

From African American spirituals to Gregorian Chant, the music at the Papal Mass will reflect the diversity of the modern Catholic Church. We dropped by a rehearsal at St. Mark's Parish in Maryland for a sneak peek.

Thomas Stehle, Director of music for the Papal Mass, pastoral associate for liturgy and music at Our Lady of Mercy parish

Michael McMahon, President of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians

Bishop Richard Allen, From Slave to Founder of the AME Church

Thu, 3 Apr 2008 12:09:11 -0400

One of America's Black Founding Fathers

Born a slave in 1760, Bishop Richard Allen went on to inspire nearly every black leader of the nineteenth century. As one of America's strongest early advocates for racial equality, he is often considered an intellectual precursor to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 1816 Allen founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the first African-American-led church denomination in the country. With 2.5 million members, the AME Church is now the largest black denomination in the country.

Dr. Richard S. Newman, Associate Professor of History at Rochester Institute of Technology, author of Freedom's Prophet: Bishop Richard Allen, the AME Church and the Black Founding Fathers

Women, Faith and Abuse

Begins at 22:59

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so this week we take a look at the uneasy intersection between religion and sexual violence. How does faith exploit women...and how can it be a force to heal them? We begin with Dr. Joy Schroeder, author of Dinah's Lament: The Biblical Legacy of Sexual Violence in Christian Interpretation. She says as far back as the third century, Christian scholars--most of whom were men--have interpreted Bible stories about rape to blame the victims.

Nicole Sotelo, author of Women Healing From Abuse: Meditations for Finding Peace, explains how scripture, which has so often been used to harm women, might begin to help them.

And Layli Miller-Muro, a Baha'i woman and founder of the Tahirih Justice Center, shares the lessons she's learned from a religion which regards women and men as equals.

Resources:

The National Domestic Violence Hotline

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center

The Faith and Justice Institute

What Counts As Sexual Violence?

Catholicism, the Movie Version

Begins at 42:29

From the demon-child in the Exorcist to the kindly nuns in The Sound of Music, Hollywood has long used Catholicism as a kind of visual shorthand for faith. Catholicism, well, the movie version at least, has ready-made props: rosary beads, crucifixes and heavy, black and white wardrobes. Add to that its candlelit rituals and sacred mysteries, and you have all the makings of a big-screen spectacle.