Common Threads: An Interfaith Dialogue

At the 2019 Parliament of World Religions I met a group of women at a booth that claimed they were fully ordained Roman Catholic priests. Needless to say, I was taken aback, and quickly questioned them, as I'm sure so many people do on a regular basis. How in the world can women be Catholic priests? The Church has made it abundantly clear that female clerics would be as impossible as men giving bi...

Here in West Michigan the name Fetzer is well known. The Kalamazoo area businessman owned a broadcast complex of WKZO-AM/FM/TV. Little did the community know that this nominal Presbyterian was engaged in a spiritual search that was much more inclusive and, well, cosmic, than his peers. Very few were allowed to observe this side of him. But he left a profound legacy in both the Fetzer Institute & F...

These were wonderful conversations with Mirabai Starr. Those of us of a certain age will most likely have a fond place in our hearts for Ram Dass of "Be Here Now" fame. For the past several years he has lived joyfully with the aftereffects of a stroke. Before he died, he allowed his journey to be chronicled, and used as an example to aspiring yogis. His good friend, Mirabai helped him walk that jo...

Yes, it may be dated, but it's often interesting to go back in time to find out where & what we were at any given moment. When this aired we were waiting with bated breath to find out if there was going to be the predicted Blue Wave. And if that was to be, what, if any, role would America's religious values of both the Left & Right have to do with it? We were blessed with that wonderful wave. It d...

Shuji Mintzmeyer is one of the leading voices in contemporary Buddhism in Michigan. One of the things I do is coordinate speakers from different religions for schools, colleges, churches, etc. Whenever I book Shuji for anything, I am confident that the audience is not only going to learn about the Dharma, but they are going to receive their information from someone who has achieved a high level of...

Former AG Jeff Sessions did a great deal of damage to this nation before he was unceremoniously booted by Trump out of his office. Interestingly, his demise was an example of a rare showing of nobility, as he recused himself from the Russia investigation. One of the things he did that encouraged the kind of divisiveness his boss loved was establishing the Religious Liberty Task Force. Of course he...

As with many other terms, the political/religious right has co-opted "religious liberty." For many in the center & left it referred to the tolerance & acceptance of those who practice a minority faith to be able to do so without fear of harassment. While it can still mean that, more often than not the people who use the phrase are speaking of something different. Our guest in these 2018 episodes p...

Fr. Patrick Collins has been a guest on CT multiple times. We enjoy his point of view because he approaches the various issues confronting the Catholic Church with a progressive, yet not radical, mindset. In these episodes we discuss the current pope, the diminishing flocks across North America & other things. Theme music "Nigal."

Ever wonder how we as a secular nation support chaplains in various aspects of our government? Whether one believes this is correct or not, we certainly have precedent--over 200 years of tax supported religious guidance in the form of chaplains, who serve in our military Theme music "Nigal."

There are 2 icons of the 60s who spoke to, for the most part, different audiences. Fr. Thomas Merton was a legendary Catholic monk who inspired thousands of Christians to adapt a more contemplative life, & acknowledged that much can be gained & shared by dialoging with Eastern traditions. And Bob Dylan was....well, Bob friggin' Dylan. I don't need to say much more. What is interesting to note is h...

In the 20th century a good number of Hindu teachers emigrated to the US. One of the most influential was the man known as Paramhansa Yogananda (1893-1952). He began a small school in India that grew into a worldwide mission that focused on instructing people of all or no religions on the deeper practices, philosophy & theology of Raja Yoga. His 1946 book "Autobiography of a Yogi" is still a spirit...

We would not be living up to our mission at Common Threads if we did not occasionally explore the dark side of religion. This is one of those times. Tina Alexis Allen, in 2018,  brought to us a very compelling memoir that focuses on how religiously dysfunctional homes can create so much pain, and set vulnerable individuals on paths of self-destruction.   Really. This is a powerful piece. Listen. P...

Dr. Sam Harrington joins us for conversation on his book, ‘At Peace: Choosing a Good Death After a Long Life.’ Sam Harrington is an honors graduate of Harvard College and the University of Wisconsin Medical School, he practiced internal medicine and gastroenterology for more than 30 years in Washington, D.C. There he served on the board of trustees of Sibley Memorial Hospital, a member of the John...

Fr. James Martin has a reputation of being a very inclusive thinker in Catholic circles. So much so that he occasionally get in trouble Case in point: In this 2018 interview he details the slings & arrows he endured for writing a book that encouraged a conversation within the Church about LGBT issues. Notice I said "conversation." The book does not call for rewriting dogma, blind acceptance of wha...

When we think of the truly unique American Religious experiences, we must include the African-American church. And of course, the hallmark of that would be the preaching. Not only did it provide spiritual succor for the assembled, it became a powerful tool in the civil rights movement. In these 2 episodes we discuss this great tradition with a scholar who has made this his life's work. Theme music...

It's always a treat to have my cousin Fr. Tom Stella on as a guest. He's been on multiple times, but it seems some of the older episodes are lost in the ether. I'm happy to have these 2 from 2018, where we discuss his book "CPR For the Soul." Tom represents the most progressive wing of the Catholic Church. He goes beyond dogma & ritual to explore the deepest form of spirituality. Theme music "Niga...

Ah, yes. Another couple of shows on the corrupt &incompetent Trump administration, as it once again intersects with the world of religion. Here we interview Katherine Stewart, who wrote an insightful article on Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and her attempt to undermine public education in favor of private religious schools. Thank God those days are over. Theme music "Nigal."

I know that one could dismiss these episodes as being rather dated. The originally aired in January of 2018, shortly after the special election in Alabama that made Roy Moore somewhat redundant. But the problems surrounding him were and are systemic in Evangelical circles. Remember, it was his lusty appetite for teenage girls that cost him the election. Joining me here is Kathryn Brightbill, a wri...

This is an amazing story, seriously. My good friend Rabbi David Krishef gets a letter that is just one long anti-Jewish screed from a Christian man that so many others would have just thrown away without finishing. But David took this opportunity to reach out to this guy, & invited him to have a conversation. Keep listening & you'll hear about how the 2 of them ended up in Israel together (on this...

One of the major beefs (OK, not the best word in this context here) that so many Hindu friends have with academia is that when they study Hinduism in high school & college they don't really recognize the religion they've been practicing all their lives. This is often due to the colonial mindset that many researchers hold. In these 2 episodes I speak to a couple of brilliant academicians who have a...

It occurred to me back in 2017 that of all the different expressions of Christianity there are, the Coptic Church gets very little ink. They have been a major presence in the Middle East for 2 millennia. So, I connected with Monique El-Faizy for some conversation. You'll like this. Theme music "Nigal."

Shortly after the march in Charlottesville, where "fine people on both sides" (yeah, right) met to protest with tiki torches (2017) I decided to call up my old friend Shel Kopperl.  Naturally, with Trump in the White House this was going to be a challenging 4 years for  American Jews, excepting those who will forgive anything in turn for an uber-hawkish stand on Israel.  But those on the hard Left...

There's a great Seinfeld episode where a friend of Jerry's decided to convert to Judaism strictly for the humor.  I totally get that. I'm not Jewish, but I have had a fascination with the brilliance of their wit since I was a kid watching stand-up comedians on Ed Sullivan.  You'll hear me say in Episode #1 how Jewish humor appreciation was a must have if a relationship with a woman was to go anywh...

Well, a bar is not a place you'd really find a Muslim or an Evangelical (well, depending on the stripe, I guess) , but from what we often see in the media, you wouldn't find Muslims and conservative Christians walk into just about ANY place together. OK, maybe a courtroom to fight about the construction of a mosque in a rural community. But our guest today talks about the most ambitious interactio...

Back in 2017 I was made aware that Calvin College's seminary was hosting an event that focused on interfaith/multi-faith engagement that had no hidden agenda of conversion attempts. Needless to say, this intrigued me. It happened that I had to attend a funeral on this particular day; otherwise, I'm sure I would have been there. Fortunately, I was able to make a connection with 2 of the presenters....