Judaism

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Date: 23 September 2011

On Being Special

From the very beginning, Israelis and Americans have had a kinship that goes beyond politics. They both see themselves as “chosen peoples,” selected by God as different, exceptional, separate.

Jews trace this concept to the Book of Deuteronomy, in which God calls the Israelites “treasured people out of all the people on the face of the earth.” For Americans it begins with John Winthrop, an early leader of the Puritans, who declared the New World the “city upon a hill" - itself a reference to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. This week we grapple with what chosenness really means, and reflect on how this sense of divine mission has worked for the good - and the bad - of both nations. Our story first aired in December 2010.

Todd Gitlin and Liel Leibovitz, co-authors of "The Chosen Peoples: America, Israel and the Ordeals of Divine Election"

Twin Sisters, Two Faiths

Begins at 22 min 30 sec

On the surface, identical twins Elizabeth and Caroline lead very similar lives. Both live in London, both are married, both have sons and both have children. But there’s one major difference – Elizabeth is Muslim and Caroline is Christian. In 2009, producer Anna Scott-Brown spoke with the twins in this award-winning documentary about coming to terms with their different beliefs as their mother faced the end of life.
Our story first aired on Interfaith Voices in January 2011.

"Twin Sisters, Two Faiths" is a production of Ladbroke Radio, produced by Adam Fowler and Anna Scott-Brown. It was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2009.

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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.