Common Threads: An Interfaith Dialogue

I remember really enjoying this 2006 conversation in 2 parts with Carolyn Osiek, a coauthor of this book. It really makes a great case for increasing the amount of authority that should be invested in women. Theme music "Nigal."

These episodes from 2007 include an extended conversation with Mark Kurlansky about his book on nonviolence. I won't take up your eyeball time with much here other than to say that the author really did his homework. I hope you listen. Theme music "Nigal."

As I state in my introduction, this is a remarkable book in that while it does strongly argue from a theist's viewpoint, it gives the other side a great deal of respect. Author Scott Shay has no problem giving credit where it's due when secularists express concern about the behavior of those who claim to be monotheists. The book is written in a style that will appeal to hard core academics & theol...

One of the great things about the USA is our tradition of the road trip. Not just because we can get from one place to another with relative ease, but as we zoom through many parts of rural America we are able to observe many expressions of our quirky side. Case in point: Route 66. I've loved my time on what is left of the Mother Road. And what makes this special are the oddities and brilliant exa...

I would venture to say that most Catholics have no idea that there is an Eastern Rite wing of their own church. That is, there are churches in North American & Europe that if a Catholic should enter, he would assume is Orthodox. So much of the ritual would be the same. Actually, an Orthodox Christian might feel more at home in such a church. But in this case, said church is 100% Catholic, fully in...

Do know that I get all sorts of people who reach out to appear on Common Threads. When it comes to subjects concerning spirituality & health I'm very circumspect. There is a lot of nonsense floating out there. But this particular guest (Dr. Bruce Lipton) really has a lot of data to back him up. These episodes aired in 2006. I hope this makes an impact. Theme music "Nigal."

If you've to enough episodes in our vault you've come across a few that feature Swami Bodhanada. The fact that he has an ashram about an hour from Grand Rapids always made him accessible. But what really makes him special is the width & breadth of his knowledge of Hinduism. He is able to define the nooks & crannies of it better than many, especially to people for whom this is new territory. These...

Just a few episodes back we posted a couple of episodes entitled "Gnostic Yoga." I really wasn't thrilled with the scholarship behind the research our guest accomplished. So, I think we are redeeming ourselves this time. In 2003 we aired these interviews with Dr. Karen King, a very respected academic with a keen interest in the so called Gnostic Gospels. In these conversations Dr. King & I discuss...

If you have perused our vast collection of shows you may recall coming upon a few episodes promoting Grand Dialogue. That is a an (almost) annual event here in Grand Rapids. It's a conference that focuses on Science & Religion. I just found these episodes, & recall that this particular conference was one of my favorites. The year was 2009. The keynote speaker was Brian Malley. And his topic was a...

Full disclosure: Sometimes I do interviews as favors. One of the challenges of hosting this program is that over the years I've gotten so many requests to profile certain people, events, etc. that in my heart of hearts I know will have little interest to our listeners. Well, folks, this is an example of that. At the time we had a few Christian Scientists who were active in local interfaith program...

Listening to these 2007 episodes was enjoyable Clearly, some of these stand up to time better than others. In these conversations I speak with Erik Kolbell from Riverside Church in NYC. If you're not aware, Riverside has been sort of the flagship for American liberal congregations. And it's not too hard to spot a liberal Christian. They are the ones focusing on the beatitudes (the social gospel) a...

I'm guessing that these episodes aired around 2003 or so. Not certain. Anyway, they were interesting conversations. But if you listen to me talk about our guest's various initiations and positions it sounds a bit overwhelming. I admit that I'm a bit skeptical about people who dip their toes in SO many spiritual traditions. But know that this is a personal bias. Judge for yourself. The thing that I...

Boy, do I remember these. Ruth Tucker (our guest) is an interesting kinda lady. Case in point: Way back in 2002 when we aired these, someone on our team made contact with her via phone to set up a recording date. In conversation he happened to mention that he was born Christian, but now adheres to another religion. She just went ballistic on him. Now, I don't mean that she yelled or screamed, but...

I remember these conversations from 2007 quite well. Our guest David Miller is just a likeable kinda guy. And I found much to work with in this subject matter. Just how do we navigate a multi-faith (& non-faith) environment in the office, factory, field, etc.? I can't think of much else to tell you, other than listen, goldarnit! Theme music "Nigal."

I remember the 1st time Tibetan monks came to Grand Rapids, MI in the 1990s.for a series of lectures, meditations & rituals. The whole community was intrigued, and it made our local TV news. They started happening more frequently, so they got less attention. But every time they did visit us they brought great blessings. These episodes are from sometime in the early 2000s. Not only do we speak with...

Just a few episodes ago we introduced you to the Interfaith Alliance from a couple of conversations we had back in the early 2000s. Well, I just found an old cassette with 2 more episodes that aired a year or so later. Not sure if you're going to learn anything new, but here it is. Again, please ignore any contact information given. There is no longer a West Michigan chapter of IA, but they still...

I have to admit that when I 1st heard about this book I was concerned that it was a treatise on successful conversion practices. Turns out that it was nothing of the kind. Author Mary Blye Howe (now Keller) shares her journey as she discovered the wisdom of Judaism, allowing it to compliment her devout Christian practice. Along the way she gathered some great friends. These episodes from 2003 migh...

If you scroll through the hundreds of episodes already up you'll find a couple dedicated to exploring Orthodox Christianity that were aired within the last couple of years. In discovering this recent treasure trove of old cassettes I found 2 episodes from the early 2000s that covered some of the same territory. But I think they are still worthwhile. My guests were 2 priests from Grand Rapids churc...

I love well researched historical fiction. Most folks I know do as well. It occurred to a historian friend of mine that Common Threads might enjoy an interview with an author in such a genre. Obviously, any story that takes place in medieval Europe is going to be heavily influenced by the Christian church. This turned out to be a perfect fit. Author Margaret Frazer wrote a series of stories revolv...

John D. Crossan Theme music "Nigal."

OK, OK! Maybe not THAT ISIS. This is pretty funny, not to mention ironic. As I'm going through all these ancient programs from the early years (these are probably 2002 or 03) I find a cassette that I don't recall. It turns out to be a couple of episodes featuring Syed Misra from The Institute for the Secularization of Islamic Society. You know...ISIS. Is that not a stitch! It's really a great conv...

OK Kids, this is one I found deep in the vault. I have no idea of the year, but I'm sure that these episodes aired around the turn of the century. Our guest was Harry Kooyman, who lived here in West Michigan. Just moments ago I pulled him up on Facebook. From the pictures it looks like he has moved to more tropical climes. You can tell it's an oldie but goodie due to the fact that when Harry gives...

I don't recall just when these episodes were broadcast, but I'm quite sure it would have been sometime between 2005-10. If you happen to be a Bible nerd I think you'll enjoy this. Our guest Andy Gaus is not a scholar in biblical languages. But he seems to make a serious case for his translation of the New Testament. Give a listen. Enjoy. Theme music "Nigal."

In 2008 Calvin College hosted a weekend long event that celebrated plant based diets. They drew their inspiration from biblical teachings. Now, Calvin is a very conservative school, but there is a progressive undercurrent that runs through its faculty & student body. Our guest in these episodes was a keynote speaker. Christine Gutleben is the Director of Faith Outreach at the Humane Society.  She...

As much as I enjoy sex (ahem...I mean discussing it academically, of course), I wouldn't have produced these episodes unless the subject matter was somehow related to religion/spirituality. And it turns out that this is a perfect fit. Our guest is Fr. Robert Francouer. Yes, that Fr. means Father. Robert is a Catholic priest. What does a Catholic priest really know about sex? Well, at least we know...