Religion and Spirituality (Audio)

The debate about the relationship of politics and religion in the United States is set on the wrong course, Ivan Strenski, distinguished professor of religious studies at UC Riverside, claims in this presentation. Professor Strenski follows the development of the theology of political leadership from Roman through Medieval to the present times to understand the sources of our dedication to republi...

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]

Paula Fredriksen, author and Aurelio Professor of Scripture, Boston University sheds new light on the origins of anti-Semitism and opens a path toward better understanding between two of the world’s great religions. She focuses in particular on the vast change from Paul to Augustine in the Christian message of Jewish redemption. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Humanities] [Show ID: 1...

Michael Shermer, the founding publisher of Skeptic Magazine, argues “Why Darwin Matters: Evolution, Intelligent Design and the Battle for Science and Religion” in this talk presented by the Division of Biological Sciences and the Helen Edison Lecture Series at the University of California, San Diego. Series: "Helen Edison Lecture Series" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 15584]

Gregory Schopen, chair of the UCLA Department of Asian Languages and Cultures and an authority on ancient Indian Buddhism has been separating Buddhist fact from fiction for the past 30 years. In this UCLA Faculty Research Lecture, Schopen explores the Buddha as an astute businessman, economist and lawyer Series: "UCLA Faculty Research Lectures" [Humanities] [Business] [Show ID: 16444]

Brian McLaren, author of the groundbreaking “Everything Must Change,” again shows his penchant for challenging conventional thinking about faith and religion in this interview with host Dean Nelson as part of the 2009 Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, sponsored by Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 15700]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harvard's Jocelyn Cesari for a discussion of the subtle and complex changes transforming Islam practice and thinking as Muslims live and work in the West. Topics covered include: Muslim women, the changes in religious practices, sharia and Western courts, the emergence of moderate voices, and political factors affecting Western perceptions of Islam. Serie...

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor Talal Asad who reflects on his life and work as an anthropologist focusing on religion, modernity, and the complex relationships between Islam and the West. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 15444]

Talal Asad is a socio-cultural anthropologist, renowned for his contributions and research on the phenomenon of religion and secularism, and the religious revival in the Middle East. He discusses the attempts to define religion, the shifting place of "belief" in that endeavor, and some of its implications for politics. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID:...

In partnership with several Italian scholars, UCSB’s department of religious studies gathered experts to discuss the way religious thought intersects with political legislation and action, particularly in the realm of sexuality. On this installment of “Church, Sex, and the Public Sphere: Italy and the United States,” Elizabeth Oldmixon, Assistant Professor of Political Science, North Texas Univers...

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...

Bart Ehrman is renowned for his contributions to the field of religious studies, focusing on New Testament interpretation and the history of ancient Christianity in the first three centuries AD. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Humanities] [Show ID: 14693]

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...

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. Robert Orsi, of Northwestern University, speaks on Capps’ contribution to the ethos and ethics of religious studies; and Giles Gunn, Professor of English and of Global and...

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes biblical scholar Bart Ehrman for a discussion of his intellectual odyssey with a focus on how the Bible explains the problem of human suffering. The conversation includes a discussion of the challenges of biblical interpretation when confronting this age old problem of the human condition. Included are topics such as the contribution of the prophets, a co...

UCLA Professor Abou El Fadl is a major contemporary Islamic thinker, a strong supporter of human rights, and America’s leading authority on Islamic law, who works to bring about constructive transformations in Muslim political theology. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 14332]

A distinguished scholar of Buddhism, Lewis Lancaster founded the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative to use the latest computer technology to map the spread of various strands of Buddhism from the distant past to the present. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religion and Society" [Humanities] [Show ID: 14331]

Acknowledged as the common patriarch of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Abraham links these three cultures throughout the Middle East. William Ury, co-founder and director of the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, explores ways that programs like the Abraham Path Initiative, which he chairs, can serve as a bridge to a lasting peace in the Middle East and how the story of Abraham has th...

Experiences in which the senses are intermingled in usual ways are a common motif in the descriptions that mystics provide of their unordinary sensory experiences. The panelists discuss the role that such experiences have played in the thought and practice of selected figures in the Jewish, Islamic, and Christian mystical traditions. Series: "Humanitas" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13192]

Mario T. Garcia, author of several books on Mexican American leaders, is the editor of the recently released collection of César Chávez’s reflections on a variety of spiritual topics such as the power of faith, self-sacrifice, nonviolence, social justices, fasting, and pilgrimage. A panel discussion follows introductory remarks. Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Ser...

Author Philip Yancey explores the influence of faith and spirit on his writing in this interview with Dean Nelson of Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 13985]

Dr. Rosemary Reuther approaches religious and ethical questions as an historian of ideas in their social context, but also as a practitioner of what she calls “advocacy scholarship.” In this Burke Lecture, Dr. Reuther examines how the idea that the US is an elect and messianic nation has encouraged abuses against the rights of others, both foreign and domestic. Series: "Burke Lectureship on Religi...

Experiences in which the senses are intermingled in usual ways are a common motif in the descriptions that mystics provide of their unordinary sensory experiences. This workshop examines the phenomenon of synaesthesia from a multi-disciplinary perspective in order to advance our understanding of the relationship between synaesthesia, metaphor, creativity, and religious and artistic practices. Seri...

Professor James Young, Commissioner of Germany’s National Memorial to Europe’s Murdered Jews, and juror for the WTC Site Memorial Competition, discusses the history of memorial projects. [Humanities] [Show ID: 14091]