Episode #12 is a conversation about the Ten Commandments with newly ordained Rabbi Gail Ginsburg and myself, Shirley Paulson.

Most of my conversations about the Ten Commandments have taken place among Christians. And in general I don’t hear a lot of love for them. Yes, we’re all pretty grateful to Moses for leading the Children of [...]

continue reading.....

Episode #11 is a discussion about interpreting the Bible. What would this world be like if we all got the same meaning out of the Bible?

It’s strange that it means so many things to so many people, and yet it has held such a powerful hold on diverse people for some 2,000 years. Rather than [...]

continue reading.....

Episode 10 is a conversation between Anuttama Dasa, a devotee of Hare Krishna and myself, a devout Christian Scientist.

We’re talking about the source of grace and happiness. Many Americans may relate to Anuttama’s Anglo-Saxon appearance, his American grown accent, his monotheistic beliefs, and his desire to live a life of grace. But his clothing [...]

continue reading.....

Episode #9 is a conversation between Judy Valente, a devout Roman Catholic and myself, a devout Christian Scientist, on the subject of monasticism.

Judy’s experience as a contributor for PBS’s Religion and Ethics NewsWeekly and commentator for Chicago and National Public Radio, as well as her personal quest for spiritual meaning, continue to draw her simultaneously [...]

continue reading.....

Episode 8 is a conversation about the relationship between faith and technology, between a Mormon and a Christian Scientist.

I met Greg Lemon via email; and we ultimately spoke to each other via skype, and recorded our conversation on remote recorders in California and Illinois. While it’s obvious that technology is a convenience for modern living, [...]

continue reading.....

Episode #7 is a mother-daughter discussion of women in the Bible. Heidi Winder, my daughter, raises the question: What’s so scary about women?

We noted that women in the Bible and throughout Christian history have been marginalized, sexualized, demonized, and marked as incompetent — by men. Men wouldn’t do that if they weren’t scared of something. [...]

continue reading.....

Episode #6 is a conversation on purpose with Ellen Price, Assistant Director of the Office of Communications for the Baha’is of the United States.

Ellen became a Baha’i when she was 25 and feels her new-found religion gave her a clear purpose in life that motivates her profoundly. My life purpose is deeply centered in [...]

continue reading.....

Episode #5 is a conversation on social justice with Rev. Stanley Davis, a respected religion leader in Chicago on issues of human justice and equity.

What inspires both Stan and me in our desire to forward justice is a shared conviction that justice is a divine right for everyone. Stan cites numerous examples from the Bible [...]

continue reading.....

We invite you to listen in to episode 4 of Spirituality and Christianity.

“Being saved” sounds either ultra religious or ultra old-fashioned to most of our friends. But for people who grew up with even a little Christian education, the notion of being saved seems to go with Christian identity. Other faiths have saviors too. [...]

continue reading.....

We invite you to listen in to episode 3 of Spirituality and Christianity.

Who would imagine a conversation about the Greek word “pistis” (faith) and the Nicene Creed would happen in the tropical rain forest of Panama? Bill Faw and I met there, intending to look for tropical birds; but we fell into conversation about our [...]

continue reading.....