Interfaith Voices audio files

Jim McGreevey: From Scandal to Seminary

Thu, 4 Mar 2010 11:30:16 -0500

A Higher Calling

Meet the new Jim McGreevey: proud gay American, volunteer, seminary student. About a year after he stunned the country with the announcement that he had been unfaithful, the ex-New Jersey governor enrolled at one of the country’s most prestigious Episcopalian seminaries. He has now begun a spiritual process, known as discernment, that may lead to his priesthood. McGreevey joins us to reflect on the long journey to finding his true self.

Jim McGreevey, former Governor of New Jersey and author of The Confession

The Soundscapes of Faith: Winner of the Wilbur Award

Begins at 22 min 48 sec

Our series, The Soundscapes of Faith, has won the 2010 Wilbur Award for Radio! The Wilbur was created in 1949 to honor secular media who "promote excellence in the communication of religious faith and values."
The series, produced this fall by our own Laura Kwerel, is based on the idea that every faith tradition has a unique sonic signature.

Listen to the full series

The Mormon Bloggernacle

Begins at 28:35

In a recent speech to Brigham Young University students, 80-year-old Mormon Elder M. Russell Ballard called upon young Mormons to take to the internet, using blogs as a vehicle to share their beliefs with others. And they certainly have. The Mormon blogosphere has grown so rapidly, it has earned its own nickname: the Bloggernacle. Courtney Kendrick tells us about her blog, C Jane Enjoy It, which receives up to 30,000 hits every day.

Courtney Jane Kendrick, author of the blog C Jane Enjoy It

Web Extra: the full interview

The Spiritual Core of Avatar

Begins at 37:45

Ten movies are up for Best Picture at this year's Oscars, but the real buzz centers on just one: Avatar. Much of the film takes place on a distant moon, Pandora, where beautiful, blue aliens live in communion with nature. Avatar’s theology, if you can call it that, has been celebrated and panned by religion trend spotters- even the Vatican weighed in through its official newspaper. It was not impressed. Craig Detweiler explains what religious themes he sees in the Oscar contender.

Craig Detweiler, editor of Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God

Web Extra: the full interview

Web Extra: Is the Twilight Saga a Mormon Story?

Even if you aren't familiar with the Twilight books, you probably know someone who is. The last book in the four-part series, Breaking Dawn, sold 1.3 million copies on its first day alone. The saga, about an ordinary teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire, has inspired fandom bordering on obsessive. One thing even many fans don't know, however, is that the theology of the Mormon Church, officially known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informs the moral core of the series.

Samira Mehta, Doctoral Candidate in American Religious Cultures at Emory University

Hear the full interview

Web Extra: Full Interview with Craig Detweiler

Mon, 1 Mar 2010 12:50:35 -0500

The Spiritual Core of Avatar

Craig Detweiler, editor of Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God

Karen Armstrong and the Power of the Golden Rule

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:47:14 -0500

A Call for Compassion

Karen Armstong really, truly believes in the golden rule. Two years ago, when the best-selling author won the coveted TED prize, she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her $100,000 prize money: urge people around the world to treat each other as they’d like to be treated. With the help of global religious leaders, she created the Charter For Compassion, a 330-word document that calls on everyone to embrace empathy and shun violence. She joins us to answer tough questions about how it will actually work in the real world.

Karen Armstrong, author of The Case for God and founder of the Charter for Compassion

Mormon Beliefs and Misconceptions

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

From the journey of Joseph Smith to the translation of the Book of Mormon, Terryl Givens gives us a vivid snapshot of the Mormon church, officially known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Pictured: A Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City, Utah

Terryl Givens, Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond

Watching, and Liking, Mormons on TV

Begins at 32 min 40 sec

HBO’s series Big Love revolves around a modern Utah family that practices polygamy: one husband, three wives.
They’re not Mormon—they follow an invented faith modeled on the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. But for better or worse, the show, which just began its 4th season, is raising the Mormon profile as never before. Mark Pinksy weighs in on whether the show is good for Mormons, and explains why a presence on TV is the gateway into mainstream America.

Mark Pinsky, expert on religion in popular culture

How Mormonism Built Glenn Beck

Begins at 41 min

Glenn Beck is one of the highest rated talk show hosts on cable TV. He is also one of the most emotional. The Fox host is known for crying, sniffling and gasping his way through segments, a quirk Joanna Brooks cites as having a certain rhetorical power. She says this and other traits may be rooted in his Mormonism, the faith he converted to in 1999. She joins us to explain why Beck’s religion is doing more than you might realize to shape his on-air persona -- and possibly even the future of American conservatism.

Joanna Brooks, author of "How Mormonism Built Glenn Beck" in Religion Dispatches and the blog, Ask Mormon Girl

Web Extra: Full Interview with Samira Mehta

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 14:41:01 -0500

How Mormon is the Twilight Saga?

Even if you aren't familiar with the Twilight books, you probably know someone who is. The last book in the four book series, Breaking Dawn, sold 1.3 million copies on its first day alone. The saga, about an ordinary teenage girl who falls in love with a vampire, has inspired fandom bordering on the obsessive. One thing even many fans don't know, however, is that elements of author Stephanie Meyer's Mormon faith appear in the Twilight story.

Samira Mehta, Doctoral Candidate in American Religious Cultures at Emory University

Web Extra: Full Interview with Courtney Jane Kendrick

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:35:35 -0500

The Mormon Bloggernacle

In a recent speech to Brigham Young University students, 80-year-old Mormon Elder M. Russell Ballard called upon young Mormons to take to the internet, using blogs as a vehicle to share their beliefs with others. And they certainly have. The Mormon blogosphere has grown so rapidly, it has earned its own nickname: the bloggernacle. Courtney Kendrick tells us about her blog, C Jane Enjoy It, which receives about 30 thousand hits every day.

Courtney Jane Kendrick, author of the blog C Jane Enjoy It

Infidelity, Faith, and Forgiveness

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:55:32 -0500

Jenny Sanford, Keeping the Faith

When governor of South Carolina Mark Sanford admitted to an extramarital affair on national television, his wife was noticeably absent from the shot. Unlike many wives of unfaithful politicians, Jenny Sanford stayed at home, praying with her friends and family. Sanford would ultimately forgive her husband...but choose to divorce him. She joins us to explain how her faith provided solace and, ultimately, helped her make the decision to leave.

Jenny Sanford, author of Staying True

Ted Haggard: The Other Side of Infidelity

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

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 massage therapist accused Haggard of paying him for sex and crystal meth. He later admitted that some of the charges were true. He joined us in May of last year to tell his side of the story.

Ted Haggard, founder of New Life Church, and featured in the HBO documentary, The Trials of Ted Haggard

Gayle Haggard: 'Why I Stayed'

Begins at 32 min

Gayle Haggard has never craved the spotlight. She has always been more comfortable behind the scenes, raising her 5 children and directing her church's women's ministry. But as she writes in her new book, she realized early on that she was a private woman married to a very public man. She explains why she decided to stay married to her husband, Ted Haggard, after his 2006 betrayal.

Gayle Haggard, author of Why I Stayed: The Choices I Made in My Darkest Hour

Web Extra: Hear the full interview

To Forgive is Divine?

Begins at 44 min

To err may be human, but as it turns out, forgiveness is written in our evolutionary code. Scholars like Mike McCullough argue that forgiving each other helped humans to evolve. McCullough joins us to explain why humans need forgiveness, and how some of the major religions have shaped modern ideas about forgiving.

Mike McCullough, author of Beyond Revenge: The Evolution of the Forgiveness Instinct

Web Extra: Gayle Haggard

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:04:45 -0500

The full, unedited interview, including the story of how Gayle and Ted met as students at Oral Roberts University.

Gayle Haggard, author of Why I Stayed: The Choicest I Made in My Darkest Hour

The Monk Behind the Myth

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:48:48 -0500

An Intimate Portrait of the 14th Dalai Lama

The Dalai Lama is a complex figure- at once a simple Buddhist monk, the leader of the Tibetan community in exile and an A-list celebrity. He is also a man whose human side few people know. This week we revisit our conversation with Pico Iyer, a friend of the Dalai Lama for over thirty years, who tells the story of a man who rises at 3:30am, meditates 8 hours a day, and often answers questions with ‘I don’t know.’

Pico Iyer, author of The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama

Looking For Mary

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

Writer Beverly Donforio has long been fascinated by -- and skeptical of -- people who claim they have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary. It’s a phenomenon with a long history in the Catholic Church, occasionally recognized by the Vatican as a genuine message from God. In February, 1997, Donofrio set off on journey across America to visit the sacred spaces where Mary has been reportedly sighted.

Pictured: A modern image of the Lourdes Apparition, a Marion sighting said to have appeared on at least 18 occasions in Lourdes, France. The Catholic Church declared the apparitions authentic in 1862.

Written and narrated by Beverly Donofrio; Produced by David Isay, founder of StoryCorps

The Power of the Hug

Begins at 48 min 30 sec

People line up for hours for a moment with Amma, a Hindu humanitarian who spreads peace and compassion through hugs. Her followers say that over the past 30 years she’s hugged 27 million people from all over the world. To them she is a living saint, a mother, and an embodiment of selfless love. Two summers ago, Laura Kwerel visited one of Amma’s retreats in Northern Virginia, where hundreds of people had gathered for a free hug at a Hilton hotel. She asked them to put the experience into words. Our story first aired in May 2009.

Produced by Laura Kwerel

Religion at the Airport

Wed, 3 Feb 2010 15:44:25 -0500

When Faith is Mistaken for Terrorism

From packing liquids correctly to making it to the gate on time, the average air traveller has plenty to worry about. Many people of faith, however, have an even more pressing concern when they fly. As security tightens and tensions mount, expressions of religion in the airport and on airplanes are often mistaken for terrorist threats. We're joined by a Sikh, a Muslim, and a Jew who say that profiling religion instead of behavior in the airport is ineffective...and dangerous.

Manjit Singh, Chairperson of the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund

Nihad Awad, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations

Rabbi Ken Cohen, American University Hillel Director and Campus Rabbi

Ralph Benson, Dulles Airport Chaplain

Begins at 22 min 40 sec

His counseling centers are Starbucks, Five Guys, and Chipotle, and his base is located near Gate A31 at Dulles International Airport. He's Ralph Benson, senior chaplain at Washington Dulles International Airport Chapel, an interfaith chapel that serves more than 300 travelers and airport employees every day. Chaplain Benson talks about his "beat" at the airport, his favorite stories, and why he refuses to prosyletize.

Chaplain Ralph Benson, Senior Chaplain at Washington Dulles International Airport Chapel

A Unificationist Response

Begins at 36 min 29 sec

Last week we covered the Unification Church, but many of you asked: where were the church members? Larry Moffitt, a Unificationist and vice president of the Washington Times Foundation, joins us to give his side of the story, and explain why the church isn't as "monolithic" as it is often portrayed.

Photo: The Unification Church of Washington in Northwest DC

Larry Moffitt, Vice President of The Washington Times Foundation

Religion Journalism's Past and Future

Begins at 42 min 27 sec

One of the nation's top religion journalists, Peter Steinfels, is leaving his post as a regular columnist for the the New York Times. His column, "Beliefs," appeared for the first time in 1990. Steinfels weighs in on the future of religion reporting.

Peter Steinfels, former columnist at the New York Times

Web Extra: the full interview

Women and Spirit: 'An Image of the Sister As She Is'

Begins at 47 min 34 sec

Our own Maureen Fiedler goes to the opening of a new Smithsonian exhibit called "Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America". Sponsored by the Leadership Council of Women Religious, it highlights the contributions of American sisters since the 18th century, and the often untold stories of women religious in their own words.

“Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America” will be on view at the S. Dillon Ripley Center, Jan. 15 - April 25

The Full Interview:

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:18:05 -0500

Peter Steinfels Leaves the New York Times

Peter Steinfels, former columnist at the New York Times

The Church Behind the Washington Times

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 13:34:09 -0500

Inside the Unification Church

The theology of the Unification Church begins in the Garden of Eden. That’s where, according to founder Rev. Sun Myung Moon, Satan seduced Eve, causing her to have a sexual relationship with Adam before they reached spiritual maturity. As a result, humanity’s lineage is incorrectly linked to Satan, not God. The only way to restore it, Moon teaches, is through a church-sanctioned blessing ceremony. Moon, who considers himself a messiah, began performing the ceremonies himself in 1961, blessing as many as 30,000 couples at once in sports stadiums and concert halls.

Unification scholar David Bromley explains the beliefs of the church, which is loosely based on Christianity.

Pictured: Rev. Moon presiding over a mass blessing, 1982

David Bromley, professor of Religious Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University

The Future of the Washington Times

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

In 1982, Rev. Sun Myung Moon founded the Washington Times, a Washington, D.C. daily with a conservative bent. Though the paper has become an important training ground for conservative journalists, it has lost money every year it has been in business. Since November, nearly 60 percent of the staff have been laid off, from sports and metro staff to top editors. Justin Elliot lets us in on the family feud that sparked the lay offs, and considers the paper's future.

Justin Elliot, reporter-blogger for Talking Points Memo

Commentary: Keeping the Faith in Health Care Reform

Begins at 33 min 1 sec

The morning after Scott Brown’s upset victory in the Massachusetts Senate race, Rev. Rob Hardies put his head out the door and “heard a loud sucking sound.” It was the sound, he explains, of a leadership vacuum, sweeping through the city as Democrats retreated from their commitment to comprehensive health care reform.

Rev. Rob Hardies, Senior Minister of All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, DC

Tracking Prejudice Against Muslims

Begins at 37 min 46 sec

About 4 in ten Americans report feeling prejudice against Muslims and Islam-- and that’s just the people who admit it. That’s according to a new study from the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, which looks at public opinions of different religions.

Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies

The Link Between Antisemitism and Islamophobia

Begins at 46 min 20 sec

Americans who admit bias towards Jews are 32 times more likely to dislike Muslims. That finding, from the Gallup poll, comes as no surprise to James Carroll, who traces both antisemitism and Islamophobia back to the Crusades.

Image: a French Bible depicts Crusaders attacking people believed to be Jews, identifiable by their hats.

James Carroll, author of
Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews: A History

Hear our full interview with James Carroll

Web Extra: James Carroll

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 16:21:30 -0500

Our complete interview with James Carroll on the historical link between antisemitism and Islamophobia, including the idea that antisemitism is "an inch below the surface" of anger surrounding the financial crisis.

James Carroll, author of Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews: A History

Understanding the Haiti Earthquake

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:23:59 -0500

A Crisis of Faith and Meaning

For the deeply religious citizens of Haiti, last week’s earthquake was a rupture both physical and spiritual. This week, we explore how the three largest religious groups in Haiti—Catholics, Pentecostals, and practitioners of Vodou (better known as Voodoo)—are using their faith to interpret what happened.

Pictured: The Haitian Presidential Palace in Port-au-Prince. It was a two-story building before the earthquake.

Elizabeth McAlister, scholar of Afro-Caribbean religion at Wesleyan University

Vodou's View of the Earthquake

Begins at 13 min

Erol Josue, a Vodou priest and musician, lost more than two dozen friends and extended family in the earthquake. He sees a message in Haiti’s collapsed government buildings. “Mother nature showed us how powerful she is, how sad she is,” he says. “We have to rethink our society.” Josue also reflects on loss through music, singing three powerful Vodou songs in the studio.

Pictured: Erol Josue at a Vodou ceremony in Brooklyn, New York. Here they summon the Vodou warrior spirit, Ogou. Photo by Stephanie Keith.

Erol Josue, Vodou priest and singer-songwriter

Commentary: Justice for Haiti

Begins at 34 min 14 sec

Our own Maureen Fiedler reflects on the special role, and responsibility, of disaster aid from faith groups. And she explains why help for Haiti - in the spirit of Martin Luther King - must include a restructuring of Haitian society and international trade policies based on social justice.

Maureen Fiedler, Host

Malaria No More

Begins at 39 min 45 sec

Malaria kills more than 1 million people every year; most of them are under the age of five. Yet the disease, which begins with a single mosquito bite, is 100 percent preventable. Avi Smolen and Randa Kuziez introduce us to the Faith Acts Fellowship, a new program that brings together young people of faith to fight Malaria with bed nets.

Avi Smolen and Randa Kuziez, members of the DC office of the Faith Acts Fellowship

2009 Year in Review: The Muslim Edition

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 12:49:06 -0500

And Now, The Good News

It’s hard to know when, exactly, it started…but somewhere between the anti-Muslim protests in England and the mosque minarette ban in Switzerland, 2009 became a really bad year for Islam in the news. So this week we reflect on the happier, more hopeful news stories that slipped through the cracks. Call it the silver lining of 2009.

Pictured: A Tehran sunset.

Shahed Amanullah, editor-in-chief of Altmuslim.com

The Girl Who Couldn't Stop Praying

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

Abby Sher's father died when she was ten years old. Then, she began to pray...and couldn't stop. She developed a complex set of rituals to deal with the trauma: obsessively kissing her father's picture, repeating prayers, tracing wallpaper. Sher joins us to discuss how her Judaism became both part of her obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a way to heal it.

Abby Sher, author of Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn't Stop Praying (Among Other Things)

Attention Dieters: Are Your Spirits Hungry?

Begins at 34 min 16 sec

Dieting has become a major part of American culture, but has it invaded our belief systems as well? In her new book, Michelle Lelwica argues that women's devotion to weight loss functions as a kind of secular faith, complete with icons, rituals and a sense of meaning. Lelwica explains where the 'religion of thinness' comes from, and how to leave it for good.

Michelle Lelwica, author of The Religion of Thinness: Satisfying the Spiritual Hungers Behind Women's Obsession with Food and Weight

What Freud Got Wrong

Begins at 43 min 28 sec

For Sigmund Freud, religion was an “illusion”, a neurosis with no place in mental health. Nancy Kehoe would beg to differ. A psychologist and Sacred Heart nun, she has revamped her practice to to treat the whole patient -- including religious beliefs.

Nancy Kehoe, author of Wrestling With Our Inner Angels: Faith, Mental Illness, and the Journey to Wholeness

Anwar al-Awlaki and the 'Internet Imams'

Wed, 6 Jan 2010 13:28:17 -0500

The Bin Ladin of the Internet?

They’ve been compared to televangelists and called the “Dear Abbys” of Muslim extremists. So-called internet imams have been linked to a number of terrorist attacks, though most have never detonated a bomb or fired a gun at anyone. One of the most visible is Anwar al-Awlaki (pictured), an American born, self-proclaimed cleric known for his impeccable English and popular YouTube clips. Terrorism expert Jarret Brachman explains how they’ve used their grasp of the Web to lure some Muslims toward extremism.

Jarret Brachman, author of Global Jihadism: Theory and Practice and terrorism consultant to the U.S. government

A Muslim Response

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

Shahed Amanullah offers his take on the mystique of internet imams, and says the only way to stop them is to create a compelling alternative online. “If we don’t create that counter narrative,” he says, “all we’re doing is plugging holes when we should be draining the swamp.”

Shahed Amanullah, Editor-in-Chief of Altmuslim.com

The Complex Legacy of Mary Daly

Begins at 30 min 55 sec

The feminist theologian known for writing “If God is male, then male is God” died on January 3rd at age 81. A poet and a philosopher of grandiose proportions, Mary Daly may be best remembered for refusing to admit male students to her women’s studies classes at Boston college. Serene Jones joins us to remember her complex legacy.

Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York

No Praise, No Blame, Just So

Begins at 44 min 8 sec

Fourteen years ago, tragedy struck the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Years later, the small group of contemplative nuns reflects on how they came to forgive, but not forget, a horrific crime.

Pictured: a nun in traditional clothing, 1930.

Correction: In the audio version of this story, we incorrectly said the crime happened 13 years ago. It was 14.

Produced by Jessica Alpert at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies