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Archive
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"The White Mosque”: A Pilgrimage of Discovery |
January 19, 2023 |
Sofia Samatar discovers that her Mennonite forebears found a home in a majority-Muslim country. Then we revisit our conversation with 49ers chaplain Pastor Earl Smith, Jr. |
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“The White Mosque” |
January 19, 2023 |
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Award-winning author Sofia Samatar was raised Mennonite, but, with brown skin in a Germanic faith, she sometimes felt she did not fit in. Then she discovered the obscure story of a group of 19th-century Russian Mennonites who made a difficult and deadly migration to Uzbekistan. Samatar, a professor of literature at James Madison University, felt compelled to retrace their journey. The result is her fifth book, “The White Mosque,” a story of hardship and belonging among strangers in a strange land.
Sofia Samatar. Author of five books, most recently the memoir The White Mosque. Her works include the award-winning epic fantasy A Stranger in Olondria and Monster Portraits, an exploration of monsters in collaboration with her brother, the artist Del Samatar.
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Faith on the Football Field |
January 19, 2023 |
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Rev. Earl Smith, Jr is the chaplain for the San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors. It’s a pastoral job that demands a different approach. Unlike most workplaces, NFL football team franchises are physically and emotionally demanding work environments where the average career span of a pro is 3.7 years. Drawing on his own spiritual journey, Smith shares his counseling approach to encourage the development of these young professional athletes on the field and beyond.
Rev. Earl Smith, team Pastor of the San Francisco 49ers, and author of Death Row Chaplain

Death Row Chaplain
Courtesy Simon & Schuster
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