A.J. Jacobs: God's Overacheiver

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Date: 29 May 2008

How to Follow the Bible As Literally as Possible

Millions of Americans say they take the rules of the Bible literally. So one man tried--all 700 something of them. Turns out, there's quite a mixed bag of divine do's and don'ts: everything from growing out a full beard and turning the other cheek to stoning adulterers (he did--with a pebble). We caught up with AJ Jacobs, a Jewish agnostic best known for having read all 32 volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica, to find out what it really takes to become God's overachiever.

Guest: A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

Credit: http://flickr.com/photos/mlieber/

Christianity's Image Problem?

Begins at 22:50

The Barna Group, an evangelical opinion polling firm, recently asked American teens and twenty-somethings for their perceptions of Christians. The results? Young people see Christians as "insensitive," "hypocritical," and "judgmental," among other unflattering traits. David Kinnaman tells us why the world's largest religion has gotten such a bad rap.

David Kinnaman, co-author of unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity and president of the Barna Group

Credit: http://flickr.com/photos/willpalmer/378562584/

A Guide For the Perplexed

Begins at 33:31

It's no accident that one of the most important books of Jewish scholarship, from way back in the 12th century, is called A Guide for the Perplexed. Because when it comes to knowing the core beliefs of Judaism, which emphasizes deeds over creeds, Jews have often been kind of…confused. But Rabbi Gilbert Rosenthal says that unless more Jews start understanding the tenets of their religion, the number of Jews who actively worship—which is currently the lowest of all American religions—will drop even lower. Laura Kwerel fills us in.

Rabbi Gilbert Rosenthal, Executive Director of the National Council of Synagogues, author of What Can a Modern Jew Believe?

The Sound of Rumi

Begins at 44:07

The poetry of the mystic Rumi has long been set to music, using traditional instruments like the rubab, an ancient stringed instrument from Afghanistan, and the tabla, an Indian hand drum. Three Afghani musicians stopped by our studios to share their interpretation of “The Song of the Reed Flute,” one of Rumi’s most beloved poems.