Love, Not Belief, at 'The Heart of Christianity'
- play show:
Date: 9 April 2009
The New Christian Paradigm
Easter is the most important day on the Christian calendar, and for many believers, it recalls the defining moments of their faith. We revisit our 2006 conversation with biblical scholar Marcus Borg, who reflects on what it means to be a modern Christian. Borg emphasizes a personal relationship with a God who lives among us, rather than a belief in a distant deity in a far away heaven.
Marcus J. Borg, fellow of the Jesus Seminar, author of The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith
Commentary: God Is...
Begins at 16 min 45 sec
High school senior Janell Miller ponders parents, the afterlife and a secret wish to sing in church. This commentary was originally created for her world history class, where she was asked to answer, ‘What is God?’
Janell Miller, senior at Winooski High School in Winooski, Vt.
Produced by Youth Radio Vermont
The Art of the Sermon
Begins at 22 min 29 sec
Crafting an original, thought-provoking sermon (or at least one that keeps people awake) is no easy task, especially on Easter and Passover. A pastor and a rabbi share some tricks of the trade - everything from quoting movies to using plain old concrete examples.
Rabbi Yosef Edelstein, program coordinator of Mesorah – DC
Rev. Eugene Sutton, the Episcopal Bishop of Maryland
The Sermons and Orations Project
Begins at 36 min 30 sec
Interfaith Voices gets a sneek peek at the newest oral history project from the Library of Congress: a collection of more than 300 sermons and orations given during the week of Obama’s inauguration. We take you from a synagogue in Latrobe, Pennsylvania to a D.C. Baptist church, where then President-elect Obama was listening in the pews.
Nancy Groce, curator of the 2009 Sermons and Orations Project
In the Kitchen With the 'Jewish Martha Stewart'
Begins at 43 min 21 sec
For Jews, every Passover begins with a sumptuous, ritualized meal called a seder. It celebrates the Israelites’ Exodus from Egypt with stories, songs, and most importantly, food. The dinner can last anywhere from half an hour to three hours, and needless to say there's a lot of cooking to do. Laura Kwerel dropped by the home of Meredith Jacobs, AKA "the Jewish Martha Stewart", to find out what it takes to make it all happen.
Meredith Jacobs, author of The Modern Jewish Mom's Guide to Shabbat
StoryCorps: Sister Mary DeSales Collins on Kindness
Begins at 48 min 52 sec
This week, we bring you a story of the common bond in all religious traditions: kindness. Sister Mary DeSales Collins worked for more than 50 years at the New York Foundling, one of the oldest adoption agencies in New York City. She found homes for hundreds of children, but for her, this adoption case stands out.
Produced by StoryCorps, and archived at the American Folklife Center
This Week's Interfaith Calendar
April 9-12 - Theravadin New Year (Buddhist)
Theravada is the oldest surviving Buddhist school and the main form of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. Theravadin Buddhists celebrate the new year after the first full moon in April.
April 9 - Lord's Evening Meal (Jehovah's Witness)
This commemoration of Christ's last meal is the only major holiday on the Jehovah's Witness calendar. Bread and wine, symbolizing Jesus' body and blood, are passed to each person in attendance. Only those considered anointed, or guaranteed a place in heaven, may consume the sacred sustenance.
April 10 - Good Friday (Christian)
Christians celebrate Good Friday just before Easter Sunday. It honors the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ, two crucial events in Christian theology. Many Christians spend this day reflecting on the suffering of Christ on the cross.
April 12- Easter Sunday (Christian)
Easter celebrates Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, three days after his crucifixion. Modern observances usually include the Easter Bunny, a jolly, anthropomorphic rabbit that historians trace back to 1600. The first edible Easter Bunnies were made of pastry and sugar, and appeared in Germany during the early 1800s.
April 14 - Baisakhi (Sikh)
This Sikh festival celebrates fresh beginnings and a successful harvest. It also marks the establishment of the Khalsa, a spiritual army of especially devout Sikhs, by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699.
