Walter H. Capps Center (Audio)

The economy was supposed to be the number one issue in the 2012 election. But just seven months before American voters go to the polls, the culture wars are back. Liberals howl about the GOP’s “war on women,” while conservative claim Democrats are waging a “war on religion.” Writer and former senior editor at TIME Magazine Amy Sullivan asks why issues of religion and politics so polarize Americans...

Jennifer Butler and Wade Clark Roof discuss the current social, economic, health, immigration, and environmental issues that bring religious and non-religious groups together. Are these issues those of economic inequality? Health care? Immigration? The environment? Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 23897]

Award-winning journalist Kathleen Sharp discusses her book, “Blood Feud: The Man Who Blew the Whistle on One of the Deadliest Prescription Drugs Ever.” This true story about a whistle-blower fighting Big Pharma over the anti-anemia drug know as Procrit, Epogen, and Aranesp or simply “epo.” From financial kickbacks to doctors, bribes and Medicare fraud, to patients doubling as unwitting guinea pigs...

In 1995, twenty-five-year-old Samantha Nutt, a recent medical-school graduate and a field volunteer for UNICEF, touched down in Baidoa, Somalia, “the City of Death.” What she saw there would spur her on to a lifetime of passionate advocacy for children and families in war-torn areas around the world. Dr. Nutt shares her observations on providing hands-on care in some of the world’s most violent fl...

Daniel Hirsch of the Committee to Bridge the Gap discusses the dangers of nuclear power. He focuses on issues of nuclear safety, waste disposal, proliferation, and disarmament. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23504]

Shirin Ebadi received the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting human rights, in particular, the rights of women, children, and political prisoners in Iran. She was the first Muslim woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and only the fifth Muslim to receive a Nobel Prize in any field. Ebadi was also one of the first female judges in Iran. She served as president of the city court of Tehran from 197...

MSNBC commentator, columnist for The Nation, and Professor of Political Science at Tulane University, where she serves as founding director of the Project on Gender, Race, and Politics in the South, Melissa Harris-Perry examines black women’s political and emotional responses to pervasive negative race and gender images in her new book, “Sister Citizen.” With wit and family anecdotes, Harris-Perry...

Seeking to re-imagine the meaning and significance of the international border, UC Davis Law School Dean Kevin Johnson makes a case for eliminating the border as a legal construct that impedes the movement of people into this country. Johnson offers an alternative vision of how U.S. borders might be reconfigured, grounded in moral, economic, and policy arguments for open borders. Series: "Ethics,...

David Gollaher, president and CEO of California Healthcare Institute, discusses the tensions between stem cell research, ethics, and politics in America that are impeding the progress of developing promising cures. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 21406]

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps, this panel discussion examines the impact of the Peace Corps on the lives of distinguished returned volunteers Sarah Chayes, Gordon L. Radley, and Thomas Tighe. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 20645]

On the cusp of the agency’s 50th anniversary, Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams, and Kevin F. F. Quigley, President, National Peace Corps Association, address the future of international service opportunities and the significance of the Peace Corps mission to promote world peace and friendship. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID...

George Packer, staff writer for “The New Yorker,” argues that President Obama’s policy on Afghanistan, and the war itself, show how difficult it is for the U.S. to send troops into combat without trying to change another country’s politics as well. He contends it makes success unlikely. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 20261]

One of the world’s leading commentators on religious affairs, Karen Armstrong discusses the intersection of religion and secularism in contemporary life. She explores the ideas that Islam, Judaism and Christianity have in common and their effect on world events. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 18580]

The global community faces new challenges and needs to be able to imagine a truly diverse and multi-polar world in which shared leadership is the norm. Kavita N. Ramdas, President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women, discusses how we can look to the women’s movement globally as a source of innovation and inspiration that offers tangible examples to address the most pressing issues of our time. Se...

Vali Nasr discusses the premise of his new new book, “Forces of Fortune,” that the great battle for the soul of Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the entire region will eventually be fought not over religion, but over business and capitalism as the Muslim middle class grows. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 18579]

Sister Joan D. Chittister, a Benedictine nun, discusses how culture changes and the implications those changes have for contemporary spirituality. She focuses on the stages of revitalization, global definitions of the seven capital sins, and American society as it moves into the 21st century. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 16612]

Author and nondenominational pastor Brian McLaren discusses what he considers to be the most imperative global crises, how Christians are equipped to grapple with them, and how Christians can join with people of other backgrounds as advocates for change. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Humanities] [Show ID: 16611]

How does America treat its veterans? An independent journalist specializing in the impacts of war, Aaron Glantz, provides a devastating indictment of the Bush administration for its blatant neglect of soldiers and its disingenuous reneging on their benefits. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 16609]

Henry A. Schimberg, former CEO of Coca-Cola, discusses the ethical and moral responsibilities of companies and corporate culture. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Business] [Show ID: 15109]

Walter Capps’ legendary course, “The Impact of the Vietnam War on American Religion and Culture,” was first taught in 1978, was regularly attended by 900 UCSB undergraduates, and was featured three times on CBS’s 60 Minutes. The still popular course has been taught since 1995 by Richard Hecht, Department of Religious Studies, UCSB who will moderate this Vietnam class reunion. Series: "Ethics, Reli...

Jeffrey Sachs says high ethical standards within the business and corporate sector are critical not just in some narrow sense but for maintaining a good and just society. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Business] [Show ID: 15110]

While religious conservatives sometimes claim the banner of faith-based politics for themselves, Congressman David Price (D-NC) explores the religious and moral roots of politics across the left-right spectrum. He focuses on the passion and conviction that faith brings to politics, the constraints on power (political and otherwise) it inspires, and the theologically-based humility that tempers our...

Alyce Faye Eichelberger discusses her life and travels. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Business] [Show ID: 15111]

Veteran FBI staff attorney Coleen Rowley details how the FBI dismissed reports from her office that may have led the Bureau to the center of Al Qaeda’s 9/11 plot. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 15113]

As a professor of religious studies at the UC Santa Barbara for more than three decades, Walter Capps influenced thousands of students. Many went on to careers in teaching and research and carried his legacy into their own work. Richard Hecht, Professor of Religious Studies, UC Santa Barbara, addresses the impact of the Vietnam War, and Edward Linenthal, Professor of History, Indiana University an...