Interfaith Voices Podcast (hour-long version)

The Strange Appeal of Sacred Body Parts

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 1 Jul 2009 16:36:49 -0400

Whiskers, Bones, Toes and Teeth

In Rag and Bone, author Peter Manseau explores the macabre world of religious relics—the bodily odds and ends of saints, gurus and prophets, scattered all around the world. From Muhammed’s beard whisker to the Buddha’s tooth, he explains why we save and celebrate pieces of the dead.

Peter Manseau, author of Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World's Holy Dead, founding editor of killingthebuddha.com

Commentary: Health Care For the Common Good

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

The common good is basic in most faith traditions; it means rising above personal interests and considering what’s best for everyone. This week, Maureen shares her thoughts on what that might mean for health care, which she considers a basic human right.

Maureen Fiedler, Host

AIDS, Sex and the Black Church

Begins at 25 min 25 sec

For black Americans, the church has long been the center of powerful social change. But when it comes to AIDS, teen pregnancy and other sexual health matters, the black church has been strangely quiet. Reverend Damita "Penny" Willis, director of the National Black Religious Summit on Sexuality, explains how pastors are beginning to break the silence.

Rev. Damita "Penny" Willis, senior staff officer at Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice

Inside the Quiverfull Movement

Begins at 34 min 1 sec

Quiverfull Christians believe children are the ultimate blessing from God – and say nothing should get in the way of having them. Not abortions. Not birth control. Not even natural family planning. Though these big-family Christians number only in the thousands, Kathryn Joyce says they’re making a cultural impact that far outweighs their size.

Kathryn Joyce, author of Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement

'It's Not Such a Pretty Picture': One Mother's Story

Begins at 43 min 42 sec

Vyckie Garrison was once the ideal Quiverfull wife: the mother of 7 kids, editor of a pro-family Christian newspaper, and even winner of Nebraska's "family of the year.” But after her domineering husband pushed one of her daughters to attempt suicide, she began to lose her faith. Now an ex-member of the movement, she shares the highs and lows of life as a Quiverfull mother.

Vyckie Garrison, creator of the blog No Longer Quivering

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

July 9- Martyrdom of the Báb (Baha'i)

For Baha’is, the Bab is the messenger of God and one of the founders of their faith.
At noon on this date in 1850, the Bab was scheduled to be executed by a firing squad. He had been imprisoned and sentenced to death by the religious leadership of Persia.

As the story goes, a squad of 750 riflemen lined up and shot the Bab.
But when the smoke cleared, the Bab had disappeared! According to the execution report, recorded in Tehran on July 22, 1850: "When the smoke and dust cleared away after the volley, Báb was not to be seen, and the populace proclaimed that he had ascended to the skies." He was later found back in his prison cell. The Bab surrendered to the guards, and on the second attempt was finally put to death. His followers, known as Babis, recovered his body, which now rests Haifa, Israel (pictured.)

Want more? Check out our 2008 interview with Hollywood’s nerdiest Baha’i: Rainn Wilson, aka Dwight Schrute from ‘The Office.’

Taking the Long View on Democracy in Iran

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:09:15 -0400

An American Bishop in Tehran

Last year, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington visited Iran to discuss the impact of democracy on politics and religion. His audience? The man who is now at the center of Iran’s disputed elections, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In this special rebroadcast from January, Bishop John Chane recounts his conversation with the Aytaollah, who is that country’s spiritual leader and highest authority.

Bishop John Bryson Chane, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D.C.

Shalom Auslander: Incurably, Miserably Religious

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

Shalom Auslander has got a bone to pick with God. Raised an Orthodox Jew, he reflects on what he learned about the Big Man Upstairs – an angry god who writes rules, punishes you for eating a cheeseburger, and walks around drunk in His underwear.

Shalom Auslander, author of Foreskin’s Lament

Made Perfectly, and Disabled

Begins at 43 min 49 sec

For people of faith living with disability, an equal place in church doesn’t mean just wheelchair ramps. They struggle with their fellow believers’ inability to understand them, and with their own trouble understanding why God made them the way they are. But instead of asking, "Why me?" many say, "Why not me?"

Laura Lee Wright, Team Leader for Access Ministry at Northland Church, Orlando, Fla.

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

July 7 - Asalha Puja Day (Theraveda Buddhist)

In Thailand and other predominantly Theravedin cultures, Buddhists honor the Buddha’s very first sermon, which he delivered to five of his disciples in the Deer Park near Benares, India.

He outlined the four noble truths, which form the core of Buddhist teaching. They are:

1. Life involves suffering.

2. The origin of suffering is attachment.

3. The cessation of suffering is attainable.

4. The eightfold path leads to the cessation of suffering.

The components of the Buddha's Noble Eightfold Path:

1. Right View

2. Right Intention

3. Right Speech

4. Right Action

5. Right Livelihood

6. Right Effort

7. Right Mindfulness

8. Right Concentration

Want to learn more? Listen to actress Vinessa Shaw and singer-songwriter Ravenna describe their journeys along the path to Enlightenment.

A Mid-Year News Roundup

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 22:54:52 -0400

Religion Redux

An abortion doctor is murdered in church, Obama addresses the Muslim world, and gay marriage becomes legal in several states. Our regular news commentators discuss the ongoing impact of the most important stories on the religion beat over the last six months.

Kevin Eckstrom, editor of Religion News Service

Kim Lawton, reporter and managing editor of Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly

KidSpirit Magazine: The World According to Middle Schoolers

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

KidSpirit magazine helps young people tap into their natural wonder about God, religion and the origins of the Universe. Each issue asks 11-to 15-year-olds big, spiritual questions, like, "Can Science explain religion?" or, "Is There a Limit to What We Should Know?" It's all created for kids, by kids, and this week we meet its editor. Plus, members of the KidSpirit editorial board read selections from the magazine, and 15-year-old Susan Yassky shares an essay about her grandfather.

Elizabeth Dabney Hochman, editor and publisher of KidSpirit

Susan Yassky, member of the KidSpirit Editorial Board

Short Term Missions = Short Term Impact?

Begins at 36 min 6 sec

This year, between 1 and 2 million American Christian missionaries will head to a foreign country, paint some houses, and go home. But what happens to the people they leave behind? Are they really better off? Andy Crouch explains why there's often a huge gap between what Americans want to accomplish and what their hosts actually need. His new documentary, Round Trip, helps missionaries prepare for their journey.

Andy Crouch, executive producer of Round Trip, senior editor at Christianity Today

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

June 21- Solstice (Pagan)

On the summer solstice, daylight lasts longer than at any other time of the year. Followers of earth-based religions in Europe and elsewhere often celebrate the solstice, also known as Litha, by lighting a Midsummer’s bonfire.

June 24- Birth of Saint John the Baptist (Christian)

This Christian feast celebrates the birth of Jesus’ cousin, Saint John the Baptist. According to Christian tradition, Saint John baptized Jesus, along with many of Jesus’ followers, on the banks of the Jordan river. Most scholars believe this event actually happened during the life of the historical Jesus.

Margot Adler, Redefining the "Witch Word"

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:59:31 -0400

Witches, Goddesses and Public Radio

This week we're revisiting one of our favorite interviews from last year, with Margot Adler. Radio junkies know her as an NPR reporter whose pieces air regularly on Morning Edition and All Things Considered. And pagans consider her a scholar of earth-based religion.
The former Jewish-atheist joins us to talk about the changing perception of the "witch word" and why if you look far enough back, all of us come from a pagan heritage.

Margot Adler, NPR reporter, author of Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-worshippers, and Other Pagans in America

Commentary: Obama's Interfaith Fluency

Begins at 23 min 4 sec

President Obama "speaks Muslim"...and Catholic, and Jewish. Words from the Qu'ran roll off his tongue as easily as words from the Talmud or the New Testament. He can name Mohammed, Moses and Jesus in the same breath, and bless them all with the common Muslim phrase, "peace by upon them." Our own Maureen Fiedler reflects on the subtle messages behind Obama's interfaith fluency.

Maureen Fiedler, host

Catholic and Hispanic

Begins at 28 min 39 sec

Miguel Diaz, a Hispanic Roman Catholic theologian, is Obama's pick for the next U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. That news came the same week Obama nominated another Hispanic Catholic, Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. Carmen Nanko-Fernandez explains why for many observers, being Catholic is no longer an issue, but being Hispanic is.

Carmen Nanko-Fernandez, former president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States

Postcard: Holy Martyrs of Vietnam

Begins at 35 min 12 sec

This week we visit the oldest Vietnamese Catholic parish in the country, on a tree-lined street in Arlington, Virginia. It's called Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, and this year the congregation celebrates its 30th anniversary. Laura Kwerel brings us this audio postcard from October.

Produced by Laura Kwerel

Web Extra: Hear a song from their Sunday service

Matisyahu, From Dreadlocks to Sidelocks

Begins at 41 min 35 sec

Under the yarmulke, curly beard and long side locks, Matisyahu is a lot like Bob Marley... the Orthodox Jewish version. Laura Kwerel caught up with the 29-year-old musician in our Washington, D.C. studio, where he played us a song from his new album, Shattered. Our story originally aired in December.

Matisyahu, Jewish reggae star

Web extra: Full in-studio performance of King Without a Crown and I Will Be Light

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

June 16 - Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Sikh)

On this day, Sikhs remember the first person to be martyred for their faith: Guru Arjan Dev (pictured, right). As the 5th Sikh guru, he compiled the Adi Granth, an early collection of hymns and prayers. It literally means "the first book." This later became the core of the Granth Sahib, the sacred text that Sikhs revere as their tenth and final Guru.

In the Sikh tradition, a guru is a spiritual teacher. Gurus are not incarnations of God themselves; they are simply highly gifted mentors who help others reach God. The first Guru and founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, explained the Guru's role this way:

"The Palace of the Lord God is so beautiful. Within it, there are gems, rubies, pearls and flawless diamonds. A fortress of gold surrounds this Source of Nectar. How can I climb up to the Fortress without a ladder? By meditating on the Lord, through the Guru, I am blessed and exalted. The Guru is the Ladder, the Guru is the Boat, and the Guru is the Raft to take me to the Lord's Name."

Feminist Theology 101

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 4 Jun 2009 13:46:47 -0400

All About Eve

We often hear about Abraham, the Biblical father of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, but not so much about his wife, Sarah. We hear God described as a man, a white-bearded disciplinarian in the sky…but rarely is God called a mother, a nurturer, a woman. And then there’s Eve, who, according to the standard interpretation of the book of Genesis, sprung forth from Adam’s rib: the original second-class citizen. Feminist theology is trying to change these kinds of views, and this week, we find out how—and why.

Judith Plaskow, author of Standing Again at Sinai: Judaism from a Feminist Perspective

Mary Hunt, author of Fierce Tenderness: Toward a Feminist Theology of Friendship

Web Extra: Hear Maureen's unedited interview

Israel’s Holocaust ‘Obsession’?

Begins at 22 min 56 sec

In a controversial new book, Avraham Burg argues that Israel is “stuck in Auschwitz,” using the Holocaust as the defining experience of Jewish identity. This former speaker of the Israeli Parliament says his country's preoccupation has led to an unhealthy nationalism that mourns the past, fears the future and feeds violence.

Avraham Burg, author of The Holocaust is Over: We Must Rise from Its Ashes

Jews and The Shoah: Another View

Begins at 37 min 12 sec

Daniel Gordis also views Israel as Holocaust-centric, but doesn’t think it impacts Israeli politics as negatively as Burg suggests. He emphasizes Israel’s mandate to remember, and points out that the country was founded by survivors of the Holocaust.

Daniel Gordis, author of Saving Israel: How the Jewish State Can Win a War That May Never End

Thomas Berry, Eco-Theologian

Begins at 49 min 15 sec

Maureen remembers Rev. Thomas Berry, a beloved Catholic priest and cosmologist. He died this week at the age of 94. Berry celebrated the connection between human beings and the Earth, and was one of the first theologians to suggest that the environmental crisis is a spiritual crisis.

Maureen Fiedler, Host

Read Maureen's commentary

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

June 11 - Corpus Christi (Catholic Christian)

Catholic Christians believe that during the Mass, ordinary bread and wine become the living body and blood of Jesus, which they call the "Eucharist." On the feast of Corpus Christi ("body of Christ" in Latin), Catholics in Poland, Italy and other countries parade the Eucharist through the streets, using a special container called a monstrance (pictured).

Other Christian denominations also celebrate the Eucharist. Here's a recipe for Eucharistic bread used by St. Timothy's Episcopal Church in Mountain View, Calif.:

4 cups whole wheat flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup honey or molasses (or a 1/4 cup of each)

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup warm water

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate large bowl, mix together honey (and molasses), oil, milk and warm water. Add the dry ingredients one cup at a time to avoid lumping. Knead for 1 minute using more whole-wheat flour until the dough is not sticky. Roll into 1/2 inch thickness and cut into 2"-5" circles (depending on your need). Score the top of one side in quarters (don't be too shy because the light scoring disappears in the baking process).

Bake for 5 minutes on each side. Cool completely before storing in plastic bags. Enjoy!

Searching For 'The Fingerprints of God'

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 28 May 2009 09:58:37 -0400

The Science of Spirituality

National Public Radio's religion correspondent ponders the limits of science, and raises some big questions: Does spirituality run in families? Is there a God gene? And how do we explain near-death experiences? She explains how new technologies are helping scientists study the brain during intense religious experiences, from drug-induced ecstasies to meditation.

Barbara Bradley Hagerty, author of Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality

The Psychology of the Soul

Begins at 23 min 17 sec

Thinkers like Carl Jung and William James paved the way for Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, which debuted earlier this year. Published by the American Psychological Association, it’s the first academic journal of peer-reviewed research on how faith affects human behavior.

Dr. Ralph Piedmont, editor of Psychology of Religion and Spirituality

Commentary: Shareholder Activism

Begins at 31 min 38 sec

For decades, religious groups have been watching their stocks to make sure the companies they’re invested in are socially responsible. And they're not afraid to speak up, pushing resolutions on worker justice, pollution, executive compensation and much more.

Mary Ann McGivern, member of the Loretto Community of women religious

Sacred Jazz

Begins at 36 min 49 sec

Jazz great Mary Lou Williams (pictured) believed that jazz and prayer were "twin mates of spiritual expression." She developed a style known as “sacred jazz,” which went on to inspire Duke Ellington and John Coltrane. Catholic jazz artist Deanna Witkowski introduces us to this little-known genre, and shares her new album, which sets Christians prayers, hymns and psalms to music for a jazz quartet.

Deanna Witkowski, jazz pianist/composer/vocalist. Her new album is From This Place

Twenty-Four Hour Chant

Begins at 49 min 4 sec

This Earth Day, about 60 Buddhists gathered at a Unitarian church in Colorado Springs to chant for 24 hours. They chanted in shifts, from one to four hours at a time, in the language of the early Buddhist scriptures. Producer Bob Thomason was there, and sent us this audio postcard.

Produced by Bob Thomason, producer and reporter for KRCC

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 31 - Pentecost (Christian)

On Pentecost, Christians remember the day when the Holy Spirit descended upon the followers of Jesus. As the story goes in the New Testament, the disciples had all gathered in Jerusalem, when a violent, blowing wind came down from the heavens, filling the place with sound. The Holy Spirit came to rest on them, in the form of “tongues of fire”, and everyone began to understand each other's native language, even though they had come from many different nations. This is the first mention in the Bible of what we now call "speaking in tongues," and the basis of the modern Christian Pentecostal movement.

Hear a recording of speaking in tongues, or glossololia, from the lab of Dr. Andrew Newberg. He's leading a fascinating new field called neurotheology, which studies the biological basis of spirituality.

The Haggards, Sticking Together For Better...And For Worse

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:01:44 -0400

The Reinvention of Ted Haggard

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 prostitute accused Haggard of paying him for sex and crystal meth. Now, after months of silence, Gayle and Ted Haggard open up about how they kept their marriage and faith intact.

Ted Haggard, founder of New Life Church; Gayle Haggard, former New Life minister

Featured in the new HBO documentary, The Trials of Ted Haggard

Neopagans Against Torture

Begins at 23 min 30 sec

For modern witches, the phrase “enhanced interrogation techniques” has a special sting. It stirs up images of the Inquisition, when people accused of witchcraft were strangled, drowned or burned alive. Our regular Wiccan commentator explains why in their tradition, torture isn’t just morally wrong, it’s a “desecration of the human spirit.”

Starhawk, cofounder of Reclaiming.org

The New Leaders of Islam

Begins at 34 min

Since 2006, Muslim women in Morocco have taken on a new and groundbreaking role. They’re being trained as mourchidates, or female religious counselors, a highly selective title for which only 50 out of 11,000 applicants make the cut. After graduating, they work alongside imams, their male counterparts, in hospitals, schools and mosques. Three mourchidates are on an interfaith tour in the U.S., and we caught up with them in our DC studio.

Fatima Zahra Salhi, Ilham Chafik and Nezha Nassi (pictured)

Gospel Rap: Dropping Sermons Over Tracks

Begins at 44 min

Christian hip-hop got its start in the early 1980s, finding its voice in after school programs and youth ministries. Today it’s a growing slice of the Christian music industry, though it’s still struggling for recognition in a sea of gospel, country and pop sounds. Laura Kwerel finds out why artists like Gospel Gangtaz and T-Bone (pictured) are so appealing to young converts.

James "Trig" Rosseau, co-owner of Holy Culture Network

StoryCorps: Ky-Antre Compton and Stuart Chittenden on Friendship

Begins at 50 min 39 sec

In our final selection from StoryCorps, 11-year-old Ky-Antre Compton reflects back on his friendship with Stuart Chittenden, his mentor through the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program.

Produced by StoryCorps

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 23 - Ascension of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)

On this day, Baha'is remember the death of their prophet and founder, Bahá'u'lláh. He taught religious tolerance and peace, stressing the common bonds among world religions. His claim to be the messenger of God got him locked up in prison by the Ottoman empire for life in 1879. See the shrine where Bahá'u'lláh is buried, located in Acre, Israel.

May 29 - Shavuot (Jewish)

At sundown on May 28th, Jews will celebrate the first night of Shavuot. It's the day that God gave Moses the Torah and the ten commandments.

Web Extra! Shavuot is Illuminated: Jonathan Safran Foer on the modern meaning of the Jewish holiday

Christianity at the Grassroots

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:25:25 -0400

‘Small C’ Christianity

Christian history is often told from the point of view of the winners, as a tale of victory, military force and conquest. Historian Diana Butler Bass calls it “Big C Christianity,” and she says there's another side to the story. This week, she surveys Christian history from the bottom up, told through the eyes of maverick monks, gutsy women and peace-loving church-goers.

Diana Butler Bass, author of A People’s History of Christianity

Web extra: Diana Butler Bass, the full interview

Read an excerpt from the book

Vinessa Shaw, Awakening the Buddha On Screen

Begins at 23 min 48 sec

Actress Vinessa Shaw has flirted with Russell Crowe in 3:10 to Yuma, kicked around a soccer ball with Rodney Dangerfield in Lady Bugs, and shared a kiss with Joaquin Phoenix in Two Lovers. She says Buddhism’s emphasis on compassion is almost a form of method acting—it helps her inhabit and relate to all kinds of characters. She joins us this week to reflect on how Nichiren Buddhism has kept her sane in the world of Hollywood.

Vinessa Shaw, star of Two Lovers

Dharma Music

Begins at 38 min 34 sec

Ravenna Michalson is an eclectic singer-songwriter and a practitioner of Shambhala Buddhism. Her third and latest album is called Bloom, and it’s a collection of 10 original songs inspired by Buddhist thought. Laura Kwerel caught up with Ravenna, and her cello, in our DC studio.

Ravenna Michalsen, cellist and singer-songwriter

Hear the full, in-studio performances of "Just a Seed Waiting To Grow" and "Guru Rinpoche"

The Best Hug In the World

Begins at 47 min 28 sec

People line up for hours to get a hug from Amma, an Indian 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. Last summer, 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.

Produced by Laura Kwerel

StoryCorps: Bob Harllee on War

Begins at 51 min 4 sec

Bob Harllee was an army chaplain during the Vietnam War. He tells his daughter, Carol, what it was like to minister to soldiers during their last moments on earth.

Produced by StoryCorps

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 23 -
The Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)

This holiday marks the very birth of the Baha'i religion, the night of May 22, 1844, when a young merchant in Iran quietly announced that he would predict the coming of the messenger of God. This young soothsayer came to be known as "the Gateway," which translates in Arabic as the Bab. Nineteen years later, one of the Bab's followers, later known as Baha'u'llah announced that he was the messenger that everyone had been waiting for.

May 21 - Ascension of Jesus (Christian)

Celebrated 40 days after Easter, the Ascension marks the day when Christians believe Jesus physically rose into heaven. If you want more details about what it looked like, you're out of luck-- the Bible gives no description of the Ascension itself. The New Testament simply states that it happened. Still, the miraculous event has captured the imagination of many artists. See a colorful depiction of Jesus' ascension in the Rabbula Gospels, an illustrated gospel book from the 6th century,

How To Win a Cosmic War

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 6 May 2009 10:20:45 -0400

No Compromise, No Negotiation, No Surrender

This week, the anatomy of a “cosmic war.” Scholar Reza Aslan tells us that terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda are fighting a new kind of battle—it’s about identity, not land; ideas, not armies. And he says the war can’t be won.

Reza Aslan, author of How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization, and the End of the War on Terror

Obama and the Fightin' Irish

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

On May 17th, President Obama will deliver the commencement address at Notre Dame University. Obama supports abortion rights; the Roman Catholic hierarchy does not. Their disagreement has turned the country’s best-known Catholic university into a hotbed of controversy, as a small group of conservative Catholics clamor to have the President dis-invited from the graduation ceremony. Kevin Eckstrom tells us why this is the latest episode in a larger struggle for the souls of American Catholics.

Kevin Eckstrom, editor of Religion News Service

Bite-Sized Theology

Begins at 30 min 50 sec

Move over, Emeril - there's a new celebrity chef in town...and he's a break-dancing Catholic priest. Father Leo Patalinghug is on a mission to help families come together in the kitchen. He joins us in the studio to explain why grace should always come before the meal.

Fr. Leo Patalinghug, founder of Grace Before Meals

The Sacred Art of Islamic Writing

Begins at 41 min 16 sec

Calligraphy is one of Islam’s most beloved artistic traditions. And Mohamed Zakariya (pictured), a convert to Islam, is one of the art form's most celebrated practitioners. Katie Jones peeks into his studio to find out how the process of creating calligraphy can be as sacred as the final product.

His work is on display at the Walters Museum in Baltimore, Maryland through May 24.

Produced by Katie Jones

StoryCorps: Martha Conant On Survival

Begins at 47 min 5 sec

On the afternoon of July 19, 1989, United Airlines Flight 232 crash-landed just outside of Sioux City, Iowa. Of the 296 people on board, 111 died. Martha Conant (pictured, left) was one of only 13 survivors who walked away unscathed. Looking back on that day, she says God told her, "This is your only life... Just be grateful for that."

Produced by Nadia Reiman for StoryCorps, and recorded in Greeley, Colo.

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 12 - Lag B'Omer (Jewish)

This minor holiday marks a break in the Counting of the Omer, a 49-day period between Passover and Shavuot. It's the only day during these seven weeks when observant Jews are permitted to get married, get a haircut and even throw a party.

When Science Sparks Faith

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:31:16 -0400

Francis Collins, Finding God in the Human Genome

This week, we meet Dr. Francis Collins, the scientist who led the team that deciphered our genetic code. When he finally finished mapping all those As, Gs, Cs and Ts, he says he caught a glimpse of our own sacred "instruction book". Collins grew up as an agnostic, became an atheist, and then – just as his immersion in the scientific world was deepening – he became a Christian. His story is the reverse of popular stereotypes: science didn't destroy his faith, it strengthened it.

Dr. Francis Collins, founder of the Biologos Foundation and author of
The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief

The guitar-playing geneticist...live and unplugged!

The Scalpel and the Soul

Begins at 22 min 38 sec

How should surgeons, trained so carefully to rely on hard facts, explain miraculous recoveries, out-of-body experiences and other-worldly visions in the operating room? Our guest, Dr. Allan Hamilton, is a Harvard-trained neurosurgeon with 30 years of experience. Once a skeptic, he says he now sees these events as signs of a power far greater than ourselves.

Dr. Allan Hamilton, author of The Scalpel and the Soul: Encounters with Surgery, the Supernatural and the Healing Power of Hope

StoryCorps: Rev. Robert Crum on Redemption

Begins at 49 min 14 sec

Some years ago, Rev. Robert Crum turned a deserted building in Iowa into what he called his “house of refuge,” a shelter for troubled youth, battered women and the down and out. Now 83, he tells his wife about one house guest he’ll never forget.

Recorded in Lawton, Okla.

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 2 - Twelfth Day Of Ridvan (Baha'i)

Marks Baha'u'llah's departure from the Ridvan garden, where he proclaimed himself the prophet of the modern age. Baha'is suspend work on this day.

May 9 - Vesak (Buddhist)

Vesak, or Buddha Day, is most important festival of the year for many Buddhists, who celebrate the Buddha's birth, death and Enlightenment in a single day.

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Judaism and Sex (*But Were Afraid to Ask)

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:34:58 -0400

Heavenly Sex

She’s Jewish, she’s 4-foot-7, and she likes to see the Torah as an ancient sex manual. The one and only Dr. Ruth explains the sanctity of sex - good sex - in Jewish law.

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, sex therapist and author of Heavenly Sex: Sexuality in the Jewish Tradition

Hollywood and the Holocaust

Begins at 23 min 29 sec

Barbed wire fences....shiny Nazi lapel pins...trains - if they're all in a movie, it's probably about the Holocaust. Laura Kwerel talks to New York Times film critic A.O. Scott about how these Hollywood depictions might actually change the way we remember the Shoah.

A.O. Scott, film critic for the New York Times

Gay and Lesbian Muslims, On a ‘Jihad’ for Love

Begins at 36 min 40 sec

A short passage in the Qu'ran, along with a handful of quotes attributed to the prophet Muhammed, condemn homosexuality as a crime in the eyes of some Islamic scholars. A new documentary follows more than a dozen gay and lesbian Muslims as they struggle to reconcile their identity with their love of Allah.

Parvez Sharma, director of A Jihad for Love and Muhsin Hendricks, a subject of the documentary

StoryCorps: 'We Bless the Hands'

Begins at 49 min 6 sec

Janet Lutz worked for more than 30 years as a hospital chaplain. Before retiring, she came to a StoryCorps booth in Atlanta to tell her friend about the quiet acts of kindness and prayer that happen
every day in hospitals.

Produced by StoryCorps, and archived at the American Folklife Center

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

April 27 - Akshaya Tritiya (Hinduism)

Many Hindus believe that marriages, journeys and business ventures that begin on this day will be successful or bring good fortune. It's also a good day to buy gold, since Akshaya Tritiya commemorates the beginning of the Satya Yuga, or "Golden Age".

May 1 - Beltane (Paganism)

Also known as May Day and Walpurgis Night, Beltane is a celebration of springtime and fertility. The traditional Maypole dance represents the union of the Goddess (or May Queen) and the God (the May King.)

Rev. Richard Cizik and Eco-Evangelism

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:13:01 -0400

Prayer For a Fragile Planet

Rev. Richard Cizik was once the leading lobbyist for the National Association of Evangelicals. Most of the time, he stuck to the group’s traditional agenda of abortion, gay marriage and family values. But after attending a London conference on global warming, he had what he calls an environmental "conversion." Cizik now believes his green activism was one of the reasons he was forced to resign from the NAE this December, after 28 years on the job. He joins us this Earth Day to explain what he calls "creation care": a bible-based, Christian understanding of concern for the planet.

Rev. Richard Cizik, Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation

'God Is Back,' By Popular Demand

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

America is the most religious nation in the developed world, thanks in part to our thriving religious marketplace. Now, according to two editors at The Economist, we’ve exported our consumer-driven brand of belief all around the globe. From megachurches with Burger Kings in Guatemala to corporate-sponsored monasteries in India, they say the world is experiencing a massive revival of faith.

John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge, authors of God is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith is Changing the World

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

April 17 - First Day of Ridvan (Baha'i)

The twelve-day period of Ridvan commemorates the prophet Baha’u’llah's declaration in 1863 that he was the messenger of God.

April 18 - Birthday of Gurus Angad Dev and Tegh Bahadur (Sikh)

The second and ninth gurus of the Sikh faith share a common birthday today. Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth of the ten human gurus, is credited for establishing the city of Anandpur as the geographical heart of Sikhism.

April 19 - Pascha (Orthodox Christian)

On Pascha, also known as Easter, Orthodox Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The word Pascha is a derivation of pesach, the Hebrew term for Passover.

April 21 - Yom Hashoah (Jewish)

The Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day. The date is chosen as the closest date (in the Jewish calendar) to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

Love, Not Belief, at 'The Heart of Christianity'

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 9 Apr 2009 11:48:58 -0400

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.

Passover, the Exodus Story and Black Jews

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 2 Apr 2009 13:51:58 -0400

The Black Rabbi From Chicago

As a young man in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Capers C. Funnye Jr. was encouraged to become a pastor. Instead, he went to rabbinical school. Now one of about 27 black rabbis in the United States, he heads an Ethiopian Hebrew synagogue on the Southwest Side of Chicago. Rabbi Funnye joins us this Passover to share his struggle for acceptance and explain why blacks and Jews have so much in common.

Rabbi Capers C. Funnye, Rabbi of Beth Shalom B’nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation

DC's Freedom Seder

Begins at 22 min 29 sec

Last weekend, more than 300 people gathered at Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, DC for a “Freedom Seder”: an interfaith celebration of hope, liberation and care for the earth. Our own Maureen Fiedler was there and captured this audio snapshot...in between bites of matzos and haroset.

Oy, the Miracles of Passover Coke

Begins at 31 min 32 sec

Every spring before Passover, Coca-Cola plants in Chicago, New York, Atlanta and other cities whip up a tiny batch of soda that's Kosher for Passover. The run lasts about two weeks and has been known to sell out in less than 24 hours. But why is this Coke different from all other Cokes? A few Passovers ago, Laura Kwerel went down to West Rogers Park, in Chicago, to find out.

To find your own bottle of Passover Coke, look for two liter bottles with a yellow cap (pictured, left). L'Chaim! More tips...

Produced by Laura Kwerel

God Uses a Wheelchair

Begins at 36 min 57 sec

In her ground-breaking book The Disabled God, theologian Nancy Eiesland envisioned God getting around in the kind of lung-powered wheelchairs used by quadriplegics. Eiesland (pictured) died last month at age 44, from causes unrelated to the disabling bone condition she had lived with since birth. Mike Leard learns more about this pioneer of the "liberation theology of disability."

Debbie Creamer, author of Disability and Christian Theology: Embodied Limits and Constructive Possibilities

StoryCorps: Kahlil Amustafa on Gratitude

Begins at 48 min 41 sec

Our latest selection from the StoryCorps oral history project features artist and poet Kahlil Almustafa (pictured, left). He shares memories of his mother, who died from HIV/AIDS in 1994.

Courtesy of StoryCorps, and archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

April 5- Palm Sunday (Christian)

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus Christ's jubilant arrival in Jerusalem in the days before his crucifixion. As described in the Gospels, the crowds greeted him by waving palm branches, a symbol of victory in pre-Christian times. Many modern Christian churches mark the holiday by giving worshippers palm leaves tied to crosses.

April 7 - Mahavira Jayanti (Jain)

Today, Jains celebrate the birth of Mahavira, the 24th and final tirthankara, or enlightened spiritual guide of their faith. Mahavira promoted the five great vows of Jainism: non-violence, truth, avoidance of stealing, chastity, and detachment from possessions.

April 8 - Passover (Jewish)

This eight-day holiday commemorates the liberation of the ancient Israelites from Egypt, after 210 years of enslavement. Jews enjoy a special meal called a seder on the first two nights of the festival, which includes four cups of wine, matzo, horseradish, and other symbolic snacks.

Christianity Confidential

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 16:49:38 -0400

How to Unlearn the Bible

In his new book, Bart Ehrman takes us back to when the New Testament was still a work in progress, when its authors squabbled and nitpicked over basic doctrines. These conflicts have driven Ehrman to question Christianity's original teachings, asking, "Who wrote the Bible, and why?"

Bart Ehrman, author of Jesus, Interrupted

Hear the full interview, uninterrupted

Think Globally, Fast Locally

Begins at 22 min 43 sec

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “I’ve given that up for Lent,” it’s probably been in reference to swearing off sweets, cigarettes or chocolate cake. But this year, Christians and other people of faith are swapping candy for carbon. Mike Leard introduces us to a Washington, DC-based effort to give up styrofoam, machine dryers and other polluting products during the forty days leading up to Easter.

Allison Fisher, Program Director of Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light

Dr. Rev. Roy Howard, pastor of St. Mark Presbyterian Church in Rockville, Maryland

The Serpent Was a Ladies' Man, and Other Bible Stories

Begins at 41 min 15 sec

Jonathan Goldstein has read the Bible, and he has a few questions for God. Wouldn’t it be kind of boring to live inside of a whale? Was the serpent in the garden of Eden a kind of ancient ladies' man? And what did they do about all those animal smells on Noah’s ark? In his new book, the This American Life alum re-works the Bible to draw out its human moments, populating it with neurotics, loners and hypochondriacs.

Jonathan Goldstein, author of Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bible!

StoryCorps: Hector Black on Forgiveness

Begins at 47 min 20 sec

For the next few weeks, we’ll be presenting stories of hope, gratitude, forgiveness and faith. They’re from StoryCorps, the oral history project that is traveling the country, recording conversations between ordinary people. This week, we bring you the first of our favorite selections: the story of Hector Black, who describes his struggle to forgive his daughter's murderer.

Courtesy of StoryCorps from the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

April 1 - April Fool's Day (Non-denominational)

One theory behind the origins of this prank-filled holiday involves Inter gravissimas, a papal decree issued by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. It ushered in the use of the Gregorian calendar in the Roman Catholic Church, and pushed the year one month further than the older Julian calendar. Whoever forgetfully celebrated May Day a month too early was labeled an "April Fool."

April 3 - Ram Navami (Hindu)

This day traditionally marks the birth of Rama, one of the most popular gods in the Hindu pantheon. In art, Rama is often depicted with blue skin, carrying a bow and arrow, and accompanied by Hanuman, the monkey god.

Swearing in the President, With a Little Help From God

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:00:49 -0500

Blessing the Obama Presidency

It starts with some stirring music while people process in. Then, there’s an opening prayer, a solemn ritual oath, a couple songs that everybody knows, and a sermon. Your average weekly worship service? No, it’s the Inauguration of the President – and it’s an exercise in what many people call the “civil religion” of the United States. Two religion journalists offer their take on the eclectic group of clergy offering their blessings that day, including an anti-gay preacher, an openly gay bishop, a black civil rights leader and a female pastor.

Kim Lawton, managing editor for Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly

Kevin Eckstrom, editor of Religion News Service

The Country That Prays Together

Begins at 22:50

Since 1937, every presidential inauguration has included at least one prayer, delivered by clergy. Indeed, invocations, benedictions and hymns show up in all kinds of government ceremonies. Even the Supreme Court kicks off its proceedings with the words “God save the United States.” So why so much prayer before government events?

James P. Moore, author of The Treasury of American Prayer

That Sunday Feeling

Begins at 37:30

For some two thousand years, Christians struggled to define what you can and can't do on Sunday. During colonial times, the list of no-no's got kind of ridiculous. Dancing? Nope. Baby-kissing? Not a chance. Mince pie-making? Don't even think about it.

Stephen Miller, author of The Peculiar Life of Sundays

Kosher Meets Capitalism: The Business of Shabbat

Begins at 46:03

From sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, Jewish law forbids certain kinds of "work" - simple things we often take for granted. Thus, observant Jews have spent many a Friday afternoon taping down light switches, stashing away pens and pencils - even pre-cutting their fingernails and pre-tearing their toilet paper. Now, a new crop of businesses are finding creative ways to help Sabbath observers make it through the day… without breaking any rules.

Produced by Rebecca Sheir

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

January 18 - World Religion Day (Baha'i/Interfaith)

Baha'is established World Religion Day in 1950 to emphasize the common denominators, like the golden rule, that are found in all religions.

January 18 - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Christian)

Instituted by a monk at the turn of the 20th century, this week (actually an “octave” of eight days) is an ecumenical effort recognized by most major Christian denominations.

January 19 - Timkat (Ethiopian Orthodox)

This festival of the Epiphany in the Orthodox Church of Ethiopia features the parading of the Tabot, a replica of the Ark of the Covenant. Pilgrims travel to the Holy Land to reenact the baptism of Jesus in the river of Jordan.

A Lutheran Trek Across the Holy Land

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:06:29 -0400

A Call For Peace

This January, bishops from America’s largest Lutheran denomination journeyed to the West Bank to show their support for Palestinian Christians. Bishop Margaret Payne was there, and describes a virtual "Wild West" where roads are blocked, water is diverted, and families are divided by a 30-foot concrete wall.

Bishop Margaret Payne, New England synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Losing My Religion

Begins at 23 min 50 sec

For years, journalist William Lobdell prayed for the religion beat at the LA Times. A devout Christian, he wanted to present a nuanced version of personal faith. But the more he investigated, the more lies he uncovered: pedophile pastors, ostracized ex-Mormons and bishops who hid the crimes of child molesters. Now a reluctant atheist, Lobdell explains how he learned to embrace a life without God.

William Lobdell, author of Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America – and Found Unexpected Peace

Commentary:
Excommunicating the Victims

Begins at 48 min 3 sec

Mary Hunt offers her take on the case of a 9-year-old Brazilian girl who became pregnant with twins after being raped by her stepfather. In her 15th week of pregnancy at only 80 pounds, she had an abortion to save her life. But because the local Archbishop declared abortion the “more serious” crime, her mother and doctor were excommunicated--and the stepfather was not.

Mary Hunt, co-director of the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual

This commentary originally appeared in Religion Dispatches

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

March 21 - Ostara (Pagan)

On the vernal equinox, Wiccans and Neopagans honor the goddess Eostre. "Ostara," "Eostre" and "Easter" all share a common origin in the ancient Germanic word for "east," linking them to the rising sun and the longer days of springtime.

March 21 - Nowruz (Zoroastrian)

Another celebration of the equinox, Nowruz (or "new day") is a festival of fire, and modern Iran's biggest holiday. Zoroastrians believe the world was created on this day, but Nowruz is also celebrated in other traditions, including the Baha'i faith and Islam.

A Jew and a Christian, Making Loans and Saving Homes

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:58:28 -0400

Beating Predatory Lenders at Their Own Game

When it comes to confronting bankers that make bad loans to poor folks, Rev. Graylan Hagler and Bruce Marks say they like to “make it personal." They crash press conferences. They turn up at analysts' meetings. They knock on CEOs' doors on Saturday nights. The United Church of Christ pastor and secular Jew are the rabble-rousers behind the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, or NACA, which has helped tens of thousands of people re-finance their mortgages. This week, they sit down with Interfaith Voices to reflect on their battles with lenders and their shared belief in social justice.

Bruce Marks, CEO of NACA

Rev. Graylan Hagler, development director of NACA and pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church in Washington, DC

Father Damien, the 'Leper Priest'

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

This October, the Vatican will canonize Father Damien De Veuster, a kindly Belgian priest with a most unwanted flock. From 1866 until his death, Fr. Damien offered hope to people living with leprosy who had been exiled by the government to a remote Hawaiian island. He ultimately contracted leprosy and died of the disease at age 49.

Fr. Lane Akiona, pastor of St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church in Honolulu, Hawaii

Truckin' For Jesus

Begins at 33 min 45 sec

You might think the men and women who drive America's cross country trucks are gritty, rough and independent. Long hours behind an 18-wheeler, however, can make for a lonely life. Matt Largey reports on a truck stop ministry along the dusty highways of Maine that offers spiritual solace to America's hardest-working drivers.

Produced by Matt Largey for the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies

Karma Trippers and Bookstore Buddhists

Begins at 41 min

Put away your meditation pillows…and your checkbooks. Kobai Scott Whitney critiques the way Americans want to put
Enlightenment on their credit cards.

Kobai Scott Whitney, Buddhist prison chaplain, teacher at Plum Mountain Refuge Meditation Center

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

March 15 - Guan Yin Day (Buddhism)

Guan Yin is considered by many Buddhists in East Asia to be the female form of Avelokiteshvara, the Buddha of compassion. Her birthday is celebrated on the 19th day of the 2nd month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day (Christianity)

Marking the death of Ireland's patron saint in the 5th century, this holiday is now as much a cultural celebration of Irish heritage as it is an observance of the man who Christianized the emerald isle.

The Gospel of Black Televangelism

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 4 Mar 2009 18:12:04 -0500

Praise the Lord...and the TV

Millions are tuning in to watch the sermons of T.D. Jakes, Creflo Dollar and other black televangelists. We speak with the author of the first definitive study of these charismatic and often controversial preachers, whose stars are rising, thanks in part to the growing black middle class.

Dr. Jonathan Walton, author of Watch This! The Ethics and Aesthetics of Black Televangelism

Leprosy, Stigma and the Bible

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

In Biblical times, leprosy was equated with sin...lumped
together with begging, tax collecting and prostitution. Jose Ramirez, Jr. shares his own struggle with "the L-word” and recounts his quest to accept himself as a husband, a devout Catholic and a worthy human being.

Jose Ramirez, Jr., author of Squint: My Journey with Leprosy

The End of an Era?

Begins at 39 min

On February 27th, Dr. James Dobson resigned as the Chair of the Board of Focus on the Family, the group that has promoted conservative Christian values since 1977. Though Dr. Dobson will continue to broadcast his daily radio show to 1.5 million listeners, his resignation clearly signals a changing of the guard.

Kevin Eckstrom, editor of Religion News Service

Commentary: Money to Burn

Begins at 47 min 45 sec

Mary Ann McGivern once staged a radical ritual using a dollar bill, to remind herself that money isn’t everything. Now that everyone’s talking about money – and losing lots of it – her simple act seems more powerful than ever.

Mary Ann McGivern, SL

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

March 9 - Mawlid an-Nabi (Islam)

This celebration of the prophet Mohamed's birth is celebrated in most Muslim countries with street parades, poetry readings and the decoration of homes and mosques.

March 9-11 - Purim (Judaism)

Purim commemorates the story of Esther, who saved Persian Jews from extermination. A day for eating, drinking and being merry, Purim also features hamentaschen, triangular cookies that resemble the hat of Haman, Esther's nemesis.

March 11 - Holi (Hindu)

One of Hinduism’s rowdiest celebrations, Holi has long been associated with the god Krishna. Revelers celebrate his love for the goddess Radha with a day of mischief-making, showering each other in brightly colored powders and dyes.

March 11 - Hola Mohalla (Sikh)

Instituted by the Guru Gobind Singh as an alternative to Holi, Hola Mohalla means "mock fight," a day when Sikhs engage in martial arts competitions and elaborate military exercises.

The Wisdom of Years

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 18:20:12 -0500

Sister Joan Chittister, On Growing Old Gracefully

Should we fear our capstone years, or cherish them? Sister Joan Chittister, author of over 40 books on spirituality and social justice, tenaciously argues the latter. Now 73, Chittister says this is a time to celebrate wisdom, to revel in freedom from a tight schedule, and most of all, to ‘melt into God.’

Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, author of The Gift of Years: Growing Old Gracefully, executive director of Benetvision, a Resource and Research Center for Contemporary Spirituality

What Do Hindus Really Believe? Don't Ask 'The Love Guru'

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

Hinduism is one of the fastest growing faiths in the United States, with well over a million adherents. Still, it’s often misunderstood and caricatured- think Apu, the “Simpsons” Kwik-E-Mart owner with fractured English and a penchant for selling foods well beyond their expiration date....or Mike Meyers' bearded, boorish “Love Guru.” Ishani Chowdhury joins us to set the record straight.

Ishani Chowdhury, Executive Director of The Hindu American Foundation

Hand-Cranked Evangelism

Begins at 33 min 45 sec

Imagine that a foreigner is trying to convince you to convert to Christianity – by playing you a Bible passage on a scratchy, portable record player. How would you respond? Katie Jones considers why these ingenious machines may be more intriguing than the message itself.

Adele Horne, director of The Tailenders, film professor at California Institute of the Arts

The Gods of Times Square

Begins at 42 min 37 sec

There is no place in the world like Times Square. Located in midtown
Manhattan, it teems with people—hardened New Yorkers and wide-eyed
tourists, commuters, shoppers, theater-goers and merchants. Some 20 years ago, before it was sanitized and Disney-fied, it was also home to countless street preachers who considered Times Square their concrete pulpit. In 1994, photographer Richard Sandler captured these pavement prophets in a powerful radio documentary called The Gods of Times Square. This year is the 10th anniversary of the film version, also by Richard Sandler.

Produced by Richard Sandler, filmmaker and photographer, and David Isay, President of Sound Portraits Productions

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

March 1 - Cheesefare Sunday (Orthodox Christian)

This is the final day before Lent on the Orthodox calendar. It's also the last day for Orthodox Christians to eat dairy products until Easter, and the day on which the church remembers the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise.

March 2 - Ala Begins (Ba'hai)

"Ala" means "loftiness," and it's the last month of the Ba'hai calendar. During Ala, many Ba'hais observe a 19-day fast, abstaining from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.

Following the Money Trail of the Faith-Based Initiative

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:56:20 -0500

Non-Believers Need Not Apply

Many faith-based agencies claim to do a better job when everyone in the office belongs to the same religion. They’re more motivated. More efficient. Serve people better. But what happens when they’re funded by taxpayers? Should government money pay for faith-based hiring? We sit down with a minister who says no...and lawyer who says yes.

Rev. Barry Lynn, the Executive Director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State

Scott Walter, Executive Director of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty

Saving Jesus from the Church

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

Rev. Robin Meyers says that when it comes to the teachings of Jesus, a lot of Christians have it all wrong. If that ruffles your feathers, Rev. Meyers is used to it—he's the pastor of a liberal church in Oklahoma, one of the most conservative states in the country. In his new book, Meyers argues that Christianity should become less about creed, and more about deed.

Rev. Robin Meyers, author of Saving Jesus from the Church: How to Stop Worshiping Christ and Start Following Jesus

Celibacy Uncensored

Begins at 35 min 38 sec

In the second part of our occasional series on faith and self control, we explore what might be the most difficult discipline of all: the vow of celibacy. Father James Martin, a Jesuit priest, says that while it’s certainly not for everyone, priestly abstinence has more to do with love than self-denial.

Fr. James Martin, SJ, editor at America Magazine and author of A Jesuit Off-Broadway

Commentary: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Single Life

Begins at 47 min 26 sec

On an Evangelical campus where marriage is the norm, how can a young Christian embrace being single? For Marcy Hintz, the answer is to imagine singlehood, like celibacy, as a worthy commitment to God.

Marcy Hinzt, staff writer at Wheaton College

This commentary is used by permission, and original appeared in the September issue of Christianity Today

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

February 23 - Mahashivaratri (Hindu)

This sacred day honors Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and transformation. Worshipers stay up all night fasting, telling stories and bathing an image of the deity, Shiva, with milk and honey.

February 25 - Ash Wednesday (Christian)

Lent, a period of 40 days leading up to the festival of Easter, begins today. Among Christians, Lent is a season for prayer, self-denial and charitable giving.

The Life and Times of Ambassador Akbar Ahmed

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 16:07:03 -0500

From Waziristan to Washington

Akbar Ahmed’s life’s mission began when he was four years old, with a train ride from India to the new nation of Pakistan. Hatred and violence raged among Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. He crouched in fear, praying his parents would not be killed. From that unlikely starting point he would become the world’s foremost Islamic scholar and a global leader in interfaith dialogue. In his new one-man play, Dr. Ahmed takes us back to his birthplace to trace the story of Pakistan and the rise of Islamic extremism.

Dr. Akbar Ahmed, Chair of Islamic Studies at American University and author of From Waziristan to Washington: A Muslim at the Crossroads

Sex Ed in the Seminary

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

New pastors may not know much about the birds and the bees. Or at least, they don’t learn much about them in seminary. That’s the conclusion of a new study that profiled the course offerings at 36 of the nation’s top theology schools. Dr. Kate Ott, who led the study, says the paltry selection of sexuality classes can leave graduates ill-equipped to deal with everything from relationships and pregnancies to their own feelings of attraction.

We also hear from the Dr. Albert Mohler, who says Dr. Ott's prescription for a "sexually healthy" seminary is at odds with scripture.

Dr. Kate Ott, Associate Director of the Religious Institute on Sexual Morality, Justice and Healing

Dr. R. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Commentary: Love Is Hard Enough

Begins at 38 min 23 sec

Pastor Rob Hardies says that, for his gay congregants, finding true love is hard enough as it is. Why make it harder by banning gay marriage?

Rev. Rob Hardies, Senior minister of All Souls Church, Unitarian in Washington, D.C.

How to Eat Like a Buddhist

Begins at 42 min 46 sec

Savor that cookie... slowly! Dr. Jan Chozen Bays, a Zen Buddhist and a pediatrician, explains how we can become more aware of what we put into our mouths.

Dr. Jan Chozen Bays, author of Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Feb. 15- Nirvana Day (Buddhist)

Commemorates the day Buddha passed away at age 80 under a grove of trees in Northern India. Because he had attained enlightenment 40 years earlier, Buddhists believe his death allowed him to reach Parinirvana, the final release from suffering and the ultimate goal of Buddhist practice.

Darwin's 'Dangerous Idea'

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Wed, 4 Feb 2009 15:42:52 -0500

Two Hundred Years of the Evolution Revolution

When Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species in 1859, he offered a radical new way of viewing the universe. About half of Americans still do not accept the theory of evolution. This week, on Darwin’s 200th birthday, we examine how this “dangerous idea” has changed our understanding of God, biology and our concept of the universe.

John Haught, author of God After Darwin: A Theology of Evolution

Darwin and Hinduism

Begins at 22 min 45 sec

Hindus imagine time as a serpent biting its tale—a cyclical cosmos with no beginning or end. Katie Jones explores how that meshes with Darwin’s concept of chronological change.

Shubha Pathak, assistant professor of philosophy and religion at American University

Rabbi Abraham

Begins at 32 min 30 sec

Jews have tried to prove that Abraham Lincoln was Jewish since his death. After all, his name was Abraham, his great-grandfather was named Mordechai… and have you seen that bushy beard? He wasn't Jewish, of course, but he was such a friend to the Jews of his day that some knew him as “Rabbi Abraham.”

Gary Zola, executive director of the Jacob Rader Marcus Centre of the American Jewish Archives

Elevating the Soul Through Self Control

Begins at 42 min 31 sec

Religious believers are more likely to exercise, visit the dentist and wear seat belts. That's according to a new study from researchers at the University of Miami, who say that having faith in a higher power increases a key personality trait: self control.

Michael McCullough, professor of psychology and religious studies at the University of Miami

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

February 9 - Tu B'Shevat (Jewish)

This "New Year of Trees" began as a tax day for calculating when fruit was ripe enough to be picked for tithing. In the 19th century, Tu B'Shvat was taken up by the Zionists, who made it a day to go to Israel and plant a tree. These days, it's all about protecting trees--it's the poster holiday for Jewish environmentalism.

February 11 - Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (Catholic Christian)

Over 150 years ago, a young girl from Lourdes, France reported seeing an apparition of the Virgin Mary near a local spring. Catholic pilgrims have traveled to Lourdes ever since to follow the instructions Mary reportedly gave:"Go, drink at the spring and wash in it."

Dying to Be Healed

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:45:54 -0500

Faith Healing: Miraculous Cure or Deadly Gamble?

What happens when parents choose religion over medicine to heal their sick children? In the last 25 years, about 300 kids in the United States have died after attempted faith healing—the idea that prayer or the biblical ‘laying on of hands’ alone can cure disease. One of them was an Oregon toddler named Ava Worthington, who died last March from complications related to an easily treatable case of pneumonia. Now Ava's parents are accused of manslaughter…but they say they're just exercising their religious rights. Where should the courts draw the line?

Shawn Peters, author of When Prayer Fails: Faith Healing, Children and the Law

Commentary: Benedict's Blunder

Begins at 15 min. 30 sec.

Jewish groups were stunned when Pope Benedict XVI welcomed four excommunicated bishops back into the Church—including a Holocaust denier. In November, Bishop Richard Williamson told a Swedish reporter that the historical evidence "is hugely against 6 million Jews having been deliberately gassed.
" So, what was the Pope thinking? Our own Maureen Fiedler weighs in.

Maureen Fiedler, Host

Why Christian Scientists Believe Prayer Works

Begins at 22 min. 30 sec.

Faith healing is often linked to the Church of Christ, Scientist. Its members believe that illness is actually a spiritual problem which can be healed through prayer. But Christian Scientists have real differences with fringe faith healers, like Ava Worthington's parents and the Followers of Christ church.

Phil Davis, spokesman for the Church of Christ, Scientist

Obama Bans Torture

Begins at 31 min. 38 sec.

It’s over. On his first full day in office, President Obama banned the CIA from using harsh interrogation tactics. We find out how religious groups are reacting to this executive order.

Linda Gustitus, president of the board of directors, National Religious Campaign Against Torture

The Heebster Handbook

Begins at 42 min. 38 sec.

There’s a cultural revolution underfoot…and it kind of looks like Adam Sandler. From “Yenta” T-shirts and Moses action figures to He'Brew Beer, hipster Judaism is all the rage. Lisa Alcalay Klug catalogues the “Jewniverse” in her new book.

Lisa Alcalay Klug, author of Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Feb. 1 - Four Chaplains Sunday (Interfaith)

This holiday solutes four brave chaplains—three Christian and one Jewish—who lost their lives saving serviceman during WWII. When their ship was struck by German torpedos, the chaplains calmly gave away their life jackets. As the ship sank, they held hands and bowed their heads in prayer.

Feb. 2 - Candlemas (Christian)

An ancient Christian festival that honors the purification of Mary after giving birth, and the presention of Jesus in the Temple.

Feb. 2 - Imbolc (Wiccan/Pagan)

One of the most important holidays on the pagan calendar, this light-filled festival was originally dedicated to the goddess Brigid. The modern Groundhog Day may have its roots in the Imbolc tradition of predicting the weather by watching badgers emerge from their winter hideaways.

Feb. 3 - Setsubun/Risshun (Shinto)

On this Japanese holiday, the head of the household goes from room to room, throwing handfuls of lucky soybeans, and shouting, “Demons out! Good luck in!” The ritual is meant to observe the onset of spring according to Japan's traditional lunar calendar.

Sharon Watkins' Historic Inaugural Sermon

laura@interfaithradio.org (Interfaith Voices) — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 14:59:17 -0500

"Stay True To Your Moral Core"

The prayer service that follows the inauguration dates all the way back to George Washington, but this year, it had one major difference. For the first time, a woman delivered the sermon. This week we sit down with Rev. Sharon Watkins, the Protestant pastor from Indiana who's putting a big crack in the stained glass ceiling.

Rev. Dr. Sharon Watkins, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Watch the video of the sermon

The Prayer That Got Snubbed

Begins at 22:30

Openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson kicked off the Obama inauguration concert with a prayer for unity—but you wouldn’t know it if you were watching it live. HBO, which broadcast the coverage, failed to include the blessing because of an apparent scheduling miscue. We offer excerpts from that prayer and re-visit our interview with Bishop Robinson from last June.

Rev. V. Gene Robinson, bishop of the Episcopal diocese of New Hampshire

Watch the video of the sermon

Wicca and the White House

Begins at 42:32

On January 19th, the nation's capitol held its breath in anticipation of Obama's inauguration, throwing parties, dinners and balls. But just across the tidal basin, at the foot of the Jefferson Memorial, a small group of Pagans, witches and Wiccan priestesses gathered for their own celebration: The Ritual of Unity and Blessing.

Produced by Laura Kwerel

See pictures of the event

The Meaning of Pagan Ritual

Begins at 47:54

In the pagan tradition, ritual is for those moments too large, too deep, or too significant to deal with alone. Starhawk, a leading voice in modern Wicca, offers her thoughts on what makes ritual sacred.

Starhawk, author of The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Jan. 25 - Conversion of St. Paul (Christian)

Christians have celebrated this feast since 1908. As the story goes, while traveling the road to Damascus (on his way to brutalize Christians,) Saul of Tarsus heard the voice of Christ asking "Why persecutest thou me?" He was thrown off his horse and went on to convert to Christianity and become the beloved apostle Paul.

Jan. 26 - Chinese/Vietnamese New Year's (Buddhist/Daoist/Folk)

This 15-day celebration is filled with food, fireworks, and offerings to ancestors and gods. While it's mainly a cultural holiday, it also reflects the religious customs of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and folk religions.

Interfaith Voices Podcast (hour-long version)

The Strange Appeal of Sacred Body Parts

Whiskers, Bones, Toes and Teeth

Commentary: Health Care For the Common Good

AIDS, Sex and the Black Church

Inside the Quiverfull Movement

'It's Not Such a Pretty Picture': One Mother's Story

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

July 9- Martyrdom of the Báb (Baha'i)

Taking the Long View on Democracy in Iran

An American Bishop in Tehran

Shalom Auslander: Incurably, Miserably Religious

Made Perfectly, and Disabled

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

July 7 - Asalha Puja Day (Theraveda Buddhist)

A Mid-Year News Roundup

Religion Redux

KidSpirit Magazine: The World According to Middle Schoolers

Short Term Missions = Short Term Impact?

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

June 21- Solstice (Pagan)

June 24- Birth of Saint John the Baptist (Christian)

Margot Adler, Redefining the "Witch Word"

Witches, Goddesses and Public Radio

Commentary: Obama's Interfaith Fluency

Catholic and Hispanic

Postcard: Holy Martyrs of Vietnam

Matisyahu, From Dreadlocks to Sidelocks

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

June 16 - Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev (Sikh)

Feminist Theology 101

All About Eve

Israel’s Holocaust ‘Obsession’?

Jews and The Shoah: Another View

Thomas Berry, Eco-Theologian

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

June 11 - Corpus Christi (Catholic Christian)

Searching For 'The Fingerprints of God'

The Science of Spirituality

The Psychology of the Soul

Commentary: Shareholder Activism

Sacred Jazz

Twenty-Four Hour Chant

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 31 - Pentecost (Christian)

The Haggards, Sticking Together For Better...And For Worse

The Reinvention of Ted Haggard

Neopagans Against Torture

The New Leaders of Islam

Gospel Rap: Dropping Sermons Over Tracks

StoryCorps: Ky-Antre Compton and Stuart Chittenden on Friendship

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 23 - Ascension of Baha'u'llah (Baha'i)

May 29 - Shavuot (Jewish)

Christianity at the Grassroots

‘Small C’ Christianity

Vinessa Shaw, Awakening the Buddha On Screen

Dharma Music

The Best Hug In the World

StoryCorps: Bob Harllee on War

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 23 - The Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)

May 21 - Ascension of Jesus (Christian)

How To Win a Cosmic War

No Compromise, No Negotiation, No Surrender

Obama and the Fightin' Irish

Bite-Sized Theology

The Sacred Art of Islamic Writing

StoryCorps: Martha Conant On Survival

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 12 - Lag B'Omer (Jewish)

When Science Sparks Faith

Francis Collins, Finding God in the Human Genome

The Scalpel and the Soul

StoryCorps: Rev. Robert Crum on Redemption

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

May 2 - Twelfth Day Of Ridvan (Baha'i)

May 9 - Vesak (Buddhist)

Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Judaism and Sex (*But Were Afraid to Ask)

Heavenly Sex

May 23 -
The Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i)

Commentary:
Excommunicating the Victims