Interfaith Voices - 2008

Religion Redux: The Top Stories of 2008

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:25:38 -0500

A Year in Religion Reporting

2008 was a big year for religion news. Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States, the Democrats “got religion,” gay couples in California won – then lost – the right to marry. And who could forget Rev. Jeremiah Wright, president-elect Barack Obama’s former pastor?
Two religion journalists reflect back on a year of religion news, and give us a forecast for 2009.

Kevin Eckstrom, Editor of Religion News Service

Barbara Bradley Hagerty, Religion Correspondent for National Public Radio

Why Forgive?

Begins at 22:48

Today we explore one of the most challenging of all religious teachings: forgiveness. We begin with the story of psychologist Everett Worthington, who chose to forgive his mother’s murderer.
We also hear from Martin Doblmeier, director of a PBS documentary called The Power of Forgiveness, and Kenneth Briggs, author of a companion book by the same name.

Dr. Everett Worthington, Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University

Martin Doblmeier, director of The Power of Forgiveness

Kenneth Briggs, former religion editor for the New York Times, author of The Power of Forgiveness

From the Front Lines of Non-Belief

Begins at 43:01

Master Sargeant Kathleen Johnson is the founder of a support network for soldiers who don’t believe in God. She explains why there are, in fact, atheists in foxholes.

Master Sgt. Kathleen Johnson, founder of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers

Hug an Evangelical

Begins at 49:09

Nicholas Kristof wonders why tolerance-preaching liberals seem to have a blind spot about Christian evangelicals.

Nicholas Kristof, columnist for the New York Times

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Dec. 29 - Al-Hijira (Muslim)

On this Muslim New Year, Muslims celebrate and remember the Prophet Mohammad's migration from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. There, he started the first Islamic state.

Jan. 1 - Oshogatsu (Shinto)

The Japanese New Year is one of Japan's biggest festivals. People celebrate by visiting shrines and sending each other New Years' postcards.

Saving Paradise

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 11:04:05 -0500

The Changing Face of Jesus

For the first 1,000 years of Christianity, Jesus was depicted as a living, vibrant being: a shepherd, an infant, a bearded elder. Then something happened. Glimpses of joy were replaced by images of suffering–think the blood-soaked Jesus in "The Passion of the Christ." So where did paradise go? And what does that say about how Christians view salvation?

Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker, authors of "Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World For Crucifixion and Empire"

Don’t Light the Menorah So Close to the Christmas Tree

Begins at 22:48

Mary Helene Rosenbaum was raised a Roman Catholic. Her husband, Ned, was raised a Jew. So every December, like the more than 28 million Americans living in mixed-religion households, they face some tough questions. Christmas tree or Menorah? Eggnog or Manischewitz ? And when, exactly, do you open the presents?

Mary Helene Rosenbaum, director of the Dovetail Institute for Interfaith Family Resources

Ned Rosenbaum, professor of Judaic Studies at the University of Kentucky

Feeding the Body to Feed the Spirit

Begins at 42:25

More families in the US will go hungry this holiday season than in recent years. Faith groups like Food For All DC, a hunger relief team founded by contemplative Hindus, are marshaling to respond to the crisis.

Produced by Mike Leard

Commentary: Bring Out the Kwanzaa Kinara

Begins at 51:49

Kwanzaa was created by a Black Studies professor in the late 60s as a way to celebrate black heritage. Some call it a pseudo-holiday, but when Melonyce McAfee (pictured) and her family tried it out, back in the early 90s, it turned out to be more meaningful than they expected.

Melonyce McAfee, copy editor at Slate Magazine

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Dec. 21- Yule (Wiccan)

On this night, the longest and darkest of the year, Wiccans celebrate the Winter Solstice. Christmas is actually an adaptation of this ancient holiday.

Dec. 22-29- Hanukkah (Jewish)

Hanukkah commemorates the victory of a small group of Macabee Jews over the strong Syrian Greek army, back in 162 B.C.E. When they went to re-dedicate the temple, they found a tiny bottle of oil that miraculously burned for 8 nights—thus the 8 nights of Hanukkah.

Dec. 25- Christmas (Christian)

This day honors the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, which is dated to between 7 and 2 BCE. While the origin of Christmas is old, its icon is not—the jolly, gift-giving version of Santa Clause didn’t appear until the late 1800s.

Passing the Plate

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:08:37 -0500

Why Christians Don't Give Away More Money

When that big collection basket comes down the pew on Sunday morning, one in five churchgoers takes a pass. When they do put in a few bills, well, some people ask for change. So why the paltry giving? Michael Emerson says the answer is a lot more complicated than garden-variety selfishness.

Michael O. Emerson, co-author of Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don’t Give Away More Money

Churches Feel the Pinch

Begins at 14:45

This year, churches stand to lose billions as their flocks tighten the purse strings. A new study by the Barna Group reveals how pastors are coping with the crunch.

David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, author of unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity

An Episcopal Split?

Begins at 22:29

Earlier this month, the long-simmering unease in the Episcopal Church came to a boil when a group of conservatives declared they were forming a rival province. If you think creating a renegade unit inside an already fractured church sounds hard, you’re right.

Frank Kirkpatrick, author of The Episcopal Church in Crisis: How Sex, the Bible, and Authority Are Dividing the Faithful

Thomas Merton, A World-Wise Monk

Begins at 33:31

As a young man, Thomas Merton transformed from a fast-living hedonist into a cloistered monk. From his quiet monastic cell in rural Kentucky, he went on to become one of the most important spiritual voices of the 20th century. This week, we explore Merton’s conversion to Catholicism, his love of Buddhism, and his untimely death 40 years ago this month.

Morgan C. Atkinson, producer of Soul Searching: The Journey of Thomas Merton

Feminism and Faith

Begins at 44:06

Meet the Feminist Spiritual Community-- a group of women in Portland, Maine who have gathered every Monday night for over 26 years to celebrate life's milestones through prayer and music. Heather Radke dropped by their worship service and brings us this audio postcard.

Produced by Heather Radke at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Dec. 12 - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic)

Catholics celebrate the day nearly 500 years ago when a
poor, indigenous man in Mexico had a vision of the Virgin Mary. As the
story goes, she appeared to him with dark skin and native dress, in a sign of solidarity with Mexico's oppressed people.

John Dear and the 'Gandhian Experiment'

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 11:21:52 -0500

Peacemaking and Law-breaking

For a Catholic priest, Rev. John Dear has a curious claim to fame: he’s been arrested more than 75 times. The Jesuit uses civil disobedience to take on huge government institutions in an effort to make peace. He recounts his activism, jail time and the day he attacked an F-15 bomber in a new book called A Persistent Peace: One Man’s Struggle for a Nonviolent World.

Rev. John Dear, peace activist and nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize

John Dear--the full interview

India's New Untouchables?

Begins at 22:42

Officials say the Mumbai terrorist attacks may be linked to radical Muslims from Pakistan. But Asra Nomani says India can’t ignore the plight of Muslims within its own borders. In her op-ed to the Los Angeles Times this week, she calls Indian Muslims the new “untouchables” – below even the lowest rung of India's caste system.

Asra Nomani, Professor of Journalism at Georgetown University

Commentary: Jews in Mumbai

Begins at 32:25

After the Mumbai bombings claimed the lives of an
Orthodox Rabbi and his wife, many wondered: What were two
Brooklyn Jews doing in India, anyway? Naomi Seidman, herself a former Orthodox
Jew, thinks she might know. Her commentary first appeared in Religion Dispatches.

Naomi Seidman, Professor of Jewish Culture at the Graduate Theological Union

Matisyahu, From Dreadlocks to Sidelocks

Begins at 38:46

Under the yarmulke, curly beard and long side burns, 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 few tunes from his new album, Shattered.

Matisyahu, Jewish reggae star

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

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Dec. 6-9 - Hajj (Islam)

One of the five pillars of Islam, the Hajj is a pilgrimage to the sacred city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. All Muslims who are able to make the journey are required to do so at least once in a lifetime.

Dec. 8 - Bodhi Day (Buddhism)

Siddartha Guatama, an Indian prince revered as the founder of Buddhism, is believed by his followers to have experienced his "Great Enlightement" while meditating beneath a Bodhi (or fig) tree nearly 2,500 years ago. Today, he's known as the Buddha.

Dec. 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic Christian)

Whose conception, exactly, do Catholics celebrate on this day? Many Christians (Catholics included!) mistakenly think it honors the conception of Jesus. The real answer: the day honors his mother, Mary, who Catholics believe was conceived without original sin.

Dec. 9 - Eid al Adha (Islam & Druze)

The "Festival of the Sacrifice," as it is known to Muslims around the world, commemorates the struggles of Abraham. The patriarch of monotheism almost sacrificed his son's life for God (although God called it off in the end), a story that is also well known in the Jewish and Christian traditions.

Web Extra: Rev. John Dear-- the full interview

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 10:24:33 -0500

It's all here.

Web Extra: Matisyahu sings "I Will Be Light"

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 10:12:36 -0500

Live and in person! From his new EP, Shattered.

Web Extra: Matisyahu sings "King Without A Crown"

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 10:08:49 -0500

The full, in-studio performance, from his 2004 album, Shake Off the Dust...Arise.

Understanding Sharia Law

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 09:55:10 -0500

Why Sharia?

In the West, sharia law is often linked with harsh punishments like amputations and stonings. But millions of Muslims worldwide say they want the legal code to govern their lives, and Islamic parties win elections with sharia as part of their platforms. So if it’s so bad, why do people want it? Harvard rabble-rouser Noah Feldman offers his take, in this rebroadcast from April.

Noah Feldman, author of The Fall and Rise of the Islamic State

Kids and Religion

Begins at 22:30

When we talk about faith, there is one group of believers that is often overlooked: kids. Richard Paul introduces us to three 12-year-olds: Kate, an evangelical Christian, Wahab, a Muslim, and Gavi, an Orthodox Jew. They give us a child's eye view of their religion, their God, and what it means to welcome other traditions.

"My God," produced by Richard Paul

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Nov. 28 - Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha (Baha'i)

Abdu'l-Bahá succeeded his faither, Bahá'u'lláh, as the leader of the Ba'hai faith and the interpreter of its teachings. He died in Haifa, Israel on this day in 1921.

Nov. 30 - First Sunday of Advent (Christian)

For Christians in the West, Advent is a time of quiet, joyful reflection, and a sacred waiting period in anticipation of the birth of Jesus.

Rainn Wilson, a Baha'i in Hollywood

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:04:48 -0500

Nerdy, Bright and Baha'i

Actor Rainn Wilson is best known for playing loners, oddballs and weirdos. Exhibit A: Dwight Schrute, the abrasive nerd-in-residence on NBC’s “The Office.” Dwight’s interests include beet farming, science fiction movies and violent weaponry of all kinds. In real life, Rainn is a devout Baha'i, and this week he lets us in on how he balances his 'Office' life with his faith life.

Rainn Wilson, star of The Office and The Rocker

Defying Rome, Finding Peace

Begins at 22:50

A few weeks ago, a Catholic priest named Rev. Roy Bourgeois (pictured) received a startling message from the Vatican: be prepared to be excommunicated. The reason? In August, the 36-year-veteran of the Maryknoll Order preached at the ordination of a woman priest. In a long, personal letter to the Vatican, Rev. Bourgeois refused to repent for his role in the ordination, knowing it could mean the end of his career.

Rev. Roy Bourgeois, founder of the School of the Americas Watch

Religion and the Rights of Women

Begins at 36:06

Gender inequality is an aching problem in the world’s developing countries. A new UN study is trying to figure out how to can fix that—and finds that religious sensitivity is a good place to start.

Azza Karam, Senior Culture Adviser for the United Nations Population Fund

Rehab For 'Jihadists'

Begins at 43:01

Saudi Arabia is the world’s biggest exporter of militant extremists, sometimes called "jihadists." In fact, 15 of the 19 September 11th hijackers were Saudi. Now, the Saudi government is trying to reverse that trend with a new rehab program, which is kind of like a halfway house for would-be troublemakers.

Katherine Zoepf, author of the New York Times article “Deprogramming Jihadists”

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Nov. 24 - Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Sikh)

The ninth guru of Sikhism was known as a defender of religious freedom, and was executed in 1675 for refusing to convert to Islam.

Nov. 27 - Thanksgiving (Interfaith)

Although officially recognized as a secular holiday, this festival is popularly known to have been first celebrated in 1621. At the first Thanksgiving feast, Christian Pilgrims and Native Americans of Massachusetts gave thanks to God at an "interfaith banquet" for a bountiful harvest.

Interview with an (Ex)Vampire Writer

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 09:45:53 -0500

Anne Rice, 'Called Out of Darkness'

You probably know Anne Rice as a Gothic novelist who trades in witches, blood and all things horror. But you might not know that 10 years ago she renounced her dark past, coming to see cult classics like Interview with the Vampire and The Witching Hour as describing her own quest for God. In 2005 she began writing novels about the life of Christ, trying to bring the Gospels—not vampires—into living color. Now Anne Rice has written a new memoir, describing her surprising journey from Catholicism, to Atheism and back again.

Anne Rice, author of Called Out of Darkness: A Spiritual Confession

Rashida Tlaib, Serving Allah and Country

Begins at 22:30

Racial barriers weren't the only walls toppled on Election Day. It was also a watershed moment for Muslim women, who won several elections across the nation. One of them is Detroit's Rashida Tlaib, the first American Muslim woman to ever be elected to a state legislature.

Rashida Tlaib, State Representative-elect, Michigan 12th District

Re-Branding the Religious Right

Begins at 33:01

November 4th was not a good day for conservatives, and Republicans are scrambling to figure out where to go from here. Conservative commentator Rod Dreher says the party needs a makeover – and so does the Religious Right.

Rod Dreher, author of Beliefnet's Crunchy Con blog

The New Face of Howard Divinity

Begins at 43:12

As the historic Howard Divinity School's first permanent dean in five years, Rev. Alton B. Pollard III faces some big challenges: dropping enrollment, tiny financial aid packages, and a curriculum that's starting to look old and musty. Now he hopes to help Howard repackage what it means to go into ministry.

Rev. Alton B. Pollard III, dean of Howard Divinity School in Washington, DC

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Nov. 15-Shichi-go-san (Shinto)

On this day, Japanese families with young children ages seven, five
and three celebrate a Shinto rite of passage called Shichi-go-san. Parents take their tots to a local shrine, where they pray to the gods for a healthy life and an easy passage into middle
childhood.

Nov. 15- Nativity Fast Begins (Orthodox Christian)

Forty days before Christmas, Orthodox Christians begin fasting from alcohol, olive oil, and animal products for three days a week. Wine, oil, and fish with backbones are OK on the weekends.

The Apocalypse That Didn't Come

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 12:20:01 -0500

Religion in an Underground Bunker

What happens when you think the world is coming to an end and it doesn't? On March 15, 1990, 750 members of a fringe religious sect braced themselves for the end of the world by nuclear holocaust. When midnight struck nothing happened. In the aftermath, they were forced to re-examine everything they knew about their leader, Elizabeth Claire Prophet (pictured).

Erin Prophet, author of Prophet’s Daughter: My Life with Elizabeth Clare Prophet Inside the Church Universal and Triumphant

Obama: Closing the "God Gap"

Begins at 22:54

2008 may be remembered as a year when the Republican Party could no longer take religious believers for granted. Millions of mainline Protestants, Evangelicals and Catholics who have avoided the Democratic party pulled the lever for Barack Obama. Steven Waldman tells us why.

Steven Waldman, editor-in-chief of Beliefnet

Faith and the Fog of War

Begins at 31:11

On Veteran's Day, Nov. 11, we remember the men and women serving in our military . Mike Leard brings us the stories of soldiers and chaplains at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Produced by Mike Leard

Mary Baker Eddy and the Christian Science Monitor

Begins at 38:04

The Christian Science Monitor announced last week that it's dropping the daily print edition of its paper, making it the first major news source to move exclusively online. The Church of Christ, Scientist's founder, Mary Baker Eddy, started the secular paper 100 years ago with the goal "to injure no man, but to bless all mankind." We find out what that means for the paper today.

John Yemma, editor of the Christian Science Monitor

Guru Nanak, Founder of Sikhism

Begins at 43:44

Guru Nanak taught that everyone can have direct access to God—without rituals, priests and other formalities. On Nov. 13, Sikhs around the world celebrate his birthday by reading their holy scripture from start to finish. Nanak Singh Manku tells us why this 15th century guru still matters to modern Sikhs.

Nanak Singh Manku, architect of the National Gurdwara in Washington, DC

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Nov. 12- Birth of Baha'u'llah (Ba'hai)

This leader of one of the youngest world religions was born in Tehran in 1817, and would later declare himself a messenger of God.

Nov. 13- Birth of Guru Nanak (Sikh)

The founder of Sikhism was born in modern day Pakistan in 1469.

Election Un-Ethics

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:13:58 -0400

Fuzzy Ethics 2008

Attack ads. Rivers of money flowing into candidates’ war chests. Charges of registration fraud and voter suppression. Sound bites flung around like ammo. All this funny business may be hurting our nation’s politics – and its soul.

Rev. Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause, former member of Congress from Pennsylvania

“Free Thinking” About Politics

Begins at 22:40

If there’s one group of voters happy to see religion brushed aside this election, it’s the non-theists: seculars, atheists, agnostics and humanists. Many hope that reason and rationality will someday prevail in American politics…but for secular voters, it could be a very long wait.

Jennifer Bardi, editor of The Humanist magazine

Green Faith

Begins at 34:07

In 2001, activist Mike Tidwell decided he was going to totally transform his bungalow into a low-energy paradise. Nine months and $7,500 later, he says most of his home’s energy now comes from either wind power, the sun, or corn. Laura Kwerel finds out why he’s more than just a guy trying to live in the house of the future. Plus, the new Green Bible, HarperOne’s Good Book for environmentalists.

Mike Tidwell, director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Mark Tauber, senior Vice-President at Harper One, publisher of The Green Bible

Yiddish and Hebrew: The Languages of Judaism

Begins at 43:20

In his new novel, Peter Manseau tells the story of a young Catholic man who translates the Yiddish memoirs of an elderly Russian Jew. In the process, he learns why the Yiddish language is distinctively sacred, mystical and Jewish.

Peter Manseau, author of Songs for the Butcher’s Daughter, founder of the Killing the Buddha.com

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Oct. 31- Samhain (Pagan)

Samhain is celebrated by followers of paganism and earth-based religions. In Europe it was Christianized and renamed "All Hallow's Eve," or Halloween.

Nov 1-All Saint's Day (Christian)

Christians have observed this feast day in honor of all their faith's saints and martyrs since the 8th or 9th century.

Nov. 2- Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I
(Rastafari)

Haile Selassie was the Emperor of Ethiopia, and Rastas believe he was the reincarnation of Jesus Christ.

Religion at the Ballot Box

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:15:37 -0400

Voting With a Conscience

This week, we sit down with two religious thinkers to talk about the issues that matter to people of faith. They grapple with the moral questions raised by everything from abortion to war to environmentalism – and remind us that no one party or candidate will claim this year's "values voters."

Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell, Associate Professor of Politics and African American Studies at Princeton University

Dr. Richard Land, Vice President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention

Pro-Life and Pro-Obama

Begins at 22:43

Can a good Catholic vote for a candidate who
supports abortion rights? A few bishops say no. But now, a handful of prominent anti-abortion Catholics, like Douglas Kmiec, have endorsed Barack Obama--not in spite of his abortion platform, but because of it.

Colleen Carroll Campbell, fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center

Douglas Kmiec, professor of constitutional law, Pepperdine University

The Jewish Vote

Begins at 38:46

In a few days, we’ll find out if Barack Obama’s shtick passes muster with America’s Jewish voters. Rebecca Sheir explores the hopes and concerns of the Jewish residents in Brookline (or “Baruch-line”), Massachusetts.

Produced by Rebecca Sheir

Who’s Afraid of Being Muslim?

Begins at 43:15

Muslims have long been placed outside of the American story … cast as the foreigner, the stranger, and yes, the terrorist. And that's made a lot of them crave something non-Muslims can take for granted: a normal,
mainstream seat at the political table.

Shahed Amanullah, editor-in-chief of altmuslim.com

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

October 28 - Diwali/Deepavali (Hindu)

Known as the Festival of Lights, Diwali is dedicated to the Goddess Kali in Bengal and to Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth, in the rest of India.

October 28 - Bandi Chhor Divas (Sikh)

This "day of the prisoner's release" commemorates the return of the sixth Guru to the holy city of Amritsar. Since he was released on Diwali, the "Festival of Lights," Sikhs illuminate the city.

October 28 - Milvian Bridge Day (Christian)

According to Christian tradition, the Roman Emperor Constantine had a vision of the cross during the Battle at the Milvian Bridge. This led to the rise of Christianity as the official religion in the Roman Empire.

Shalom Auslander: Incurably, Miserably Religious

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 14:20:40 -0400

Bargaining with God

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

How the Financial Meltdown Hurts the Poor

Begins at 22:49

Wall Street in turmoil, banks with no money and one whopper of a bailout. The economic crisis dominates the headlines, but the talk centers mostly on the woes of the rich and powerful.
What about the world’s poor, the folks who have trouble finding food or shelter in good times? What will happen to them now?

Rev. James Martin, Jesuit priest, Associate Editor of America Magazine

Made Perfectly, and Disabled

Begins at 36:16

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.

What’s in a Name?

Begins at 45:01

This summer, the Vatican decided there was one word too sacred for Catholics to utter during services: Yahweh. It’s an ancient name for the Almighty, and to speak it during biblical times carried the risk of death by stoning.

Dr. Robert Miller, Professor of Old Testament Studies, Catholic University of America

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

October 20 – Birth of the Bab (Baha’i)

Referred to as the “Herald of the Baha’i Faith,” the Bab was a prophet who was a forerunner to Baha’ullah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith.

October 21 – Simchat Torah (Jewish)

Simchat Torah means "Rejoicing in the Torah." This holiday marks the completion of the annual cycle of Torah readings.

"Four Gods" at the Voting Booth

Thu, 9 Oct 2008 11:56:10 -0400

How God Predicts Our Politics

This election season, pollsters have been trying to get a grip on the Catholic vote, the Jewish vote, and the Evangelical vote – but maybe they’ve been asking the wrong questions. A study by Baylor University suggests that it’s not your religion that determines how you vote, so much as the way you imagine God’s “personality.” Is your God warm and fuzzy or down right angry?

Dr. Christopher Bader, assistant professor of sociology at Baylor University

Einstein's God

Begins At: 22:42

Most people have assumed that Albert Einstein, the enigmatic genius of modern science, was an atheist. But according to Einstein biographer Walter Isaacson, Einstein was something of a man of faith—a faith stemming from his awe at the great order of the cosmos. For Einstein, the face of God was revealed in the smallest details of the universe, like the curve of a cosine and the absoluteness of a prime number. As he wrote in the summer of 1930,

"The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mysterious… To sense that, behind anything that can be experienced, there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity teaches us only indirectly: this is religiousness."

Walter Isaacson, author of "Einstein: His Life and Universe"

Quaker Singer-Songwriter Carrie Newcomer

Begins At: 33:31

With her deep, earthy voice and gift for lyrical songwriting, it's no wonder Carrie Newcomer has been called folk music's "Prairie Mystic." Newcomer is also a practicing Quaker, and her new album finds her exploring the spirituality and grace of everyday life. This week, she joins us for a live, in-studio performance.

Carrie Newcomer, featuring new music from "The Geography of Light"

Commentary: Message From a Heretic

Begins At: 47:06

Our commentator admits she isn’t the strictest Muslim. She’ll eat the occasional pork chop, fill up her wine glass, and pray...when she remembers to. Then again, before she converted to Islam, back in the late 1980s, she wasn’t the strictest Catholic, either.

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

October 14 – Sukkot (Jewish)

This joyful, seven day festival commemorates the 40 years that Jews spent wandering the desert after their exodus from Egypt. Jews relive that time by building temporary structures, called sukkahs, in which they eat, pray and entertain guests.

Interfaith Voices - 2008

Religion Redux: The Top Stories of 2008

A Year in Religion Reporting

Why Forgive?

From the Front Lines of Non-Belief

Hug an Evangelical

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Dec. 29 - Al-Hijira (Muslim)

Jan. 1 - Oshogatsu (Shinto)

Saving Paradise

The Changing Face of Jesus

Don’t Light the Menorah So Close to the Christmas Tree

Feeding the Body to Feed the Spirit

Commentary: Bring Out the Kwanzaa Kinara

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Dec. 21- Yule (Wiccan)

Dec. 22-29- Hanukkah (Jewish)

Dec. 25- Christmas (Christian)

Passing the Plate

Why Christians Don't Give Away More Money

Churches Feel the Pinch

An Episcopal Split?

Thomas Merton, A World-Wise Monk

Feminism and Faith

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Dec. 12 - Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Catholic)

John Dear and the 'Gandhian Experiment'

Peacemaking and Law-breaking

India's New Untouchables?

Commentary: Jews in Mumbai

Matisyahu, From Dreadlocks to Sidelocks

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Dec. 6-9 - Hajj (Islam)

Dec. 8 - Bodhi Day (Buddhism)

Dec. 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Catholic Christian)

Dec. 9 - Eid al Adha (Islam & Druze)

Web Extra: Rev. John Dear-- the full interview

Web Extra: Matisyahu sings "I Will Be Light"

Web Extra: Matisyahu sings "King Without A Crown"

Understanding Sharia Law

Why Sharia?

Kids and Religion

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Nov. 28 - Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha (Baha'i)

Nov. 30 - First Sunday of Advent (Christian)

Rainn Wilson, a Baha'i in Hollywood

Nerdy, Bright and Baha'i

Defying Rome, Finding Peace

Religion and the Rights of Women

Rehab For 'Jihadists'

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Nov. 24 - Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur (Sikh)

Nov. 27 - Thanksgiving (Interfaith)

Interview with an (Ex)Vampire Writer

Anne Rice, 'Called Out of Darkness'

Rashida Tlaib, Serving Allah and Country

Re-Branding the Religious Right

The New Face of Howard Divinity

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Nov. 15-Shichi-go-san (Shinto)

Nov. 15- Nativity Fast Begins (Orthodox Christian)

The Apocalypse That Didn't Come

Religion in an Underground Bunker

Obama: Closing the "God Gap"

Faith and the Fog of War

Mary Baker Eddy and the Christian Science Monitor

Guru Nanak, Founder of Sikhism

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Nov. 12- Birth of Baha'u'llah (Ba'hai)

Nov. 13- Birth of Guru Nanak (Sikh)

Election Un-Ethics

Fuzzy Ethics 2008

“Free Thinking” About Politics

Green Faith

Yiddish and Hebrew: The Languages of Judaism

This Week's Interfaith Calendar

Oct. 31- Samhain (Pagan)

Nov 1-All Saint's Day (Christian)

Nov. 2- Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I (Rastafari)

Religion at the Ballot Box

Nov. 2- Coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I
(Rastafari)