Dreaming in the World's Religions
- play show:
Date: 2 October 2008
The Wondering Brain
Think back to the most vivid dream you’ve ever had. Was it scary, wonderful, or just plain weird? Did you try to figure out what it meant for your everyday life? As dreaming, thinking creatures, we have always asked ourselves these questions, and we have long looked to religion to provide the answers. One of the most profound religious visions of all time was recorded in the 6th century, when Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly... or did the butterfly dream he was Zhuangzi?
Kelly Bulkeley, author of Dreaming in the World’s Religions: A Comparative History
Rev. Barry Black, Chaplain to Senators
Begins at 22:42
It’s been a tumultuous couple of weeks in the House and Senate. And if there’s one person on Capitol Hill keeping his cool, it’s Rev. Barry Black. As the Senate Chaplain, it’s his job to stay out of the partisan fray. He sits down with senators from both sides of the aisle, providing spiritual and ethical counseling to people who really need it.
Rev. Barry Black, 62nd Chaplain to the United States Senate, author of From the Hood to the Hill: A Story of Overcoming
No One Sees God
Begins at 35:45
Even Mother Teresa couldn’t avoid the sinking feeling that God is not really there. Whether we're atheists or believers, Michael Novak says we've all experienced a "dark night of the soul." And if we can at least agree on that, he says, we can find
common ground.
Michael Novak, author of No One Sees God: The Dark Night of Atheists and Believers, scholar at the American Enterprise Institute
Postcard: Holy Martyrs of Vietnam
Begins at 45:58
This week we visit the oldest Vietnamese Catholic parish in America, on a quiet street in Arlington, Virginia. Laura Kwerel brings us this audio postcard.
Produced by Laura Kwerel
This Week's Interfaith Calendar
October 9 - Dusserha/ Vijayadashami (Hindu)
In varying traditions across Nepal and India, nine days of celebration culminate in one last festival honoring the Mother Goddess, and the triumph of good over evil.
October 9 - Yom Kippur (Jewish)
Many Jews consider Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement, as the most significant date on the calendar. They come together in fasting and prayer to repent the sins of the past year.
