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Rev. Wright's Theology 

Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s sermons and public comments have been called incendiary and inflammatory.  The former pastor to Sen. Barack Obama has said that Americans would think differently about his sound bytes, if only we understood the theology he was drawing from, specifically Black Liberation Theology.

This hour, we look at Black Liberation Theology – a theology founded in the 1960s but whose roots extend back to the African-American experience of slavery.  Adherents teach that God wants all black people to be liberated from oppression, and that the gospel calls them to work for that liberation.

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 it protects the freedom to practice any religion, Israel is the state of the Jewish people, and Israelis have debated the proper role of Judaism in the state since its earliest days.  Our guest introduces us to Israel’s complex relationship between religion and government.

Rabbi James Rudin, senior Interreligious Advisor for the American Jewish Committee, author of Israel for Christians: A Guide to Modern Israel

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.  Alaska's "Bridge to Nowhere" is one infamous example.  The short paragraphs in a sea of ink may be easy to miss, but Rob Boston says they’re worth looking for, because some of those earmarks are directing federal funds to religious programs. 

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

Feminist Spirituality 

 Starts at 44:07

Meet the Feminist Spiritual Community – a group of women in Portland, ME who gather for a weekly ritual of prayer, conversation and music.  Many of its members felt alienated from their childhood faiths and now favor spiritual expressions that affirm their womanhood.

Produced by Heather Radke at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies

This Week’s Interfaith Calendar

(Did we miss an important day?   E-mail us at: Maureen@interfaithradio.org.)

May 8 – Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Jewish)

This is Israeli Independence Day, a secular holiday in Israel, but one with religious overtones because of the importance of the land of Israel to the Jewish people.

May 11 – Pentecost Sunday (Christian)

Pentecost celebrates the time when, after the ascension of Jesus into heaven, the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples of Jesus in the form of tongues of fire and a rushing wind.  According to the account in Acts 2:1-13, they began to express themselves in many tongues, yet each understood the others.  Pentecostals recount this day as the first instance of “speaking in tongues.”  

Many denominations regard this day as the birthday of the Christian church.