Common Threads: An Interfaith Dialogue

Back in 2016 I was honored to be a guest at the Center for Foreign Relations in NYC for a 2-day conference on politics and religion. Let me tell you, I was in the midst of some of the greatest minds in the country. I tried to pretended to as smart as I could. I mean, how to you keep up with conversations with folks who insert "I'm working on my 2nd dissertation now" in the 1st minute of chatting?...

Dr. Brian Bowdle is a Psyche prof at Grand Valley State University, where Common Threads originates. He's also a good friend. One evening we're together, & start talking about finding meaning in life. Then he brings up a book, "The Birth and Death of Meaning: An Interdisciplinary Perspective on the Problem of Man " by Ernest Becker. I'd never read the book, but it sounded intriguing. He lent it to...

One area where you can get consensus from the Right & Left is the importance of religious liberty. Both cherish this ideal. The problem is that each wing defines it differently. I'm sure we wouldn't have to travel far to find people who believe that they can choose not to serve gay customers, yet also feel that they have a right to ban the construction of mosques in their town. . Claire is Outreac...

I really enjoyed these conversations back in 2016 with our guest, Dr. Neela Bhattacharya Saxena. Over the past few decades we have seen a movement to reclaim the concept of feminine divinity in religions that have suppressed it over the centuries. Neela shares with us her spiritual journey, discovering the power of shakti that permeates Hindu thought. Have you ever seen an image of Kali? She looks...

One of my favorite people in interfaith circles in West Michigan has been Len Robinson. This dear friend passed away earlier this year, 2020. I had him on the program several times. These episodes from 2016 revolve around a recent trip to Israel he'd taken. Len was such a great soul. And funny. Whenever there was a panel discussion you did not want to follow him. He left the crowd in stitches, yet...

This is from 2016. And a fun fact is that before this interview I was cast to record the audiobook version of this work. So if you really enjoy these episodes, you can either read or listen to the book. Andrew Newberg, M.D. joins us on Common Threads to continue the conversation on his book, How Enlightenment Changes Your Brain. Dr. Andrew Newberg studies the relationship between brain function an...

Mirabai Starr joins us to discuss her memoir, Caravan of No Despair. This is from 2016. Mirabai Starr writes, speaks and leads retreats on the inter-spiritual teachings of the mystics. Known for her revolutionary translations of John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Julian of Norwich, Mirabai renders mystical masterpieces accessible, beautiful, and relevant to a contemporary circle of seekers. H...

Boy, what do I say about this 2016 conversation? My guest is an enigma wrapped in a riddle. After a successful career as a lawyer, college teacher & commercial actor, Mr. Pitts ended a marriage & disappeared from Grand Rapids, where he'd lived for many years. Then one day, perhaps a decade later, I get a call from him. He had taken a fascinating turn. He became a Buddhist monk & teacher. He contac...

I am blown away. Seriously. Here I am uploading these episodes from 2016 that I recorded with Rev. Kent Dobson, when I decide that it would be good to see what the man is up to today. I haven't been in much contact with him since then. Well, to my surprise, he is now the pastor of a church that is pretty much Unitarian-Universalist in everything thing but name. The congregation is called C3, and i...

Our guest is Mark Nepo who joins us to talk about his book, Inside the Miracle: Enduring Suffering, Approaching Wholeness. These episodes are from 2015. Mark Nepo is a poet, teacher, and storyteller, and has been called "one of the finest spiritual guides of our time," "a consummate storyteller," and "an eloquent spiritual teacher." His work is widely accessible and used by many and his books have...

If you've never studied the teachings of Zoroastrianism I highly suggest these episodes. It occurred to me during my conversation with Sharooz Ash that this religion seems to be a fascinating middle ground between the religions of the Dharma (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.) & the Abrahamic (Judaism, Christianity, etc.). Parsis, (as they are also called) were forced out of Persia (Iran), & settled in Ind...

Gulwali Passarlay is an Afghan political refugee. He joins us to talk about the plight of refugees around the world and the book he's co-written about his experiences called, The Lightless Sky. This is from 2015. A really great conversation. Theme music "Nigal."

These episodes might not be of interest to many outside of Michigan, but we are proud & pleased that the venerable Aspen Institute took notice of our very progressive interfaith engagement scene here in Grand Rapids. Very few cities have gone where we have to the extent that we have. No brag, just fact. So I sat down with Aspen's Joe DeMott to find out just what he found out after spending time he...

We welcomed Mary Pflum Peterson to the program. Mary is the author of White Dresses: A Memoir of Love and Secrets, Mothers and Daughters. In the book, Mary describes her discovery that her mother had a life as a nun prior to her family life. These episodes aired in 2015. Mary Pflum Peterson is a veteran producer at Good Morning America. Prior to joining GMA, Pflum Peterson was a producer and repor...

It is frustrating for many Hindus to see that the common narrative is that they must rely on the beneficence of missionaries for any charitable efforts in basic sustenance, healthcare, disaster relief, etc. In these episodes, Diva Selvakumar, the founder of World Hindu Service attempts to offer an alternative to that thought. I've know Divya for years, & have always been impressed with her sense o...

From 2015, these are great episodes for the theologically minded. Rev. Tony Jones offers a variety of views on just exactly what the death of Jesus meant. Tony is of brilliant mind. I think I need to see what he's been up to lately, 5 year later. What we try to do here is offer thoughts on just exactly what "Jesus died for me" means for Christians. Theme music "Nigal."

Back in 2015 a friend alerted me to an article published by a local (Grand Rapids, MI) writer about her experiences going to Charleston shortly after the horrendous massacre at Mother Emmanuel Church. I thought it very powerful, & worthy of a discussion on Common Threads. Theme music "Nigal."

From 2015, this is a conversation with Garth Aamodt, a Mormon who is a member of the IDA Speakers Bureau. We've sent him out to speak on the LDS all over West Michigan. Theme music "Nigal."

In the early 1970s the more religiously tolerant East Pakistan broke away from West Pakistan to form the new nation of Bangladesh. Sadly, though it was founded as a secular state it later fell into Islamist extremism. In these episodes we learn the details of that history from someone who lived it. These aired in 2015. Theme music "Nigal."

I'm not sure when we aired this episode, but it had to be in the late '90s or very early 00s. I just did a search, & the only presence IA has these days in our state seems to be as a student org at University of Michigan. The last time their website was updated was 2004. IA still has a national presence, & you can find them here: www.interfaithalliance.org The one our guest offers is no longer val...

I suspect that this episode goes back to the beginning--perhaps 1997 or '98. Our guest is Noah Seifullah, who was the imam of the predominantly Black mosque here in Grand Rapids, MI then. It has been years since he has acted in that capacity. Back in the day Noah was quite a fixture in the interfaith community. He really seemed to drop off the face of the earth. I miss him. Noah, like many Black A...

I've got no real date on this one, but I'm suspecting it is from 1998 or 9. I'll warn you up front that the sound quality is not at all up to snuff. It's been interesting uploading these ancient cassettes. Some sound like they were recorded digitally yesterday. Others, not so much. This would be that. But the conversation is a good one. Marchiene Reinstra is one of the co-founders of Interfaith Di...

These episodes aired in 2006. Meredith Jordan has appeared on Common Threads a few times. She's really an insightful woman. Her books are still available, but doing a quick web search, I am not able to locate her. Her organization Rogers McKay doesn't seem to have a presence as well. Theme music "Nigal."

These episodes are among my favorites. Over the years I have referred people to the book we discuss here many times. These aired in 2007. Here's the thing, while generalizations go only so far, it's safe to say that much of Evangelical Christianity is based on fear. What I mean is that the parameters for expression of belief & practices are quite narrow. You color outside the lines a bit & you hav...

What a find! I really thought that the only show I had featuring Marc Evan Jackson was the very 1st one that is in our collection here. Lo & behold, I find another ancient cassette. And the fidelity is excellent. For those who haven't heard the 1st episode yet, Common Threads started airing on WGVU back in 1996. It was hosted then by Marc. I took over in '97. Marc has gone onto amazing things. He'...