Spirit in Action

Ralph Jacobson founded Innovative Power Systems in 1991, giving him 20 years on the learning curve. His outlook & views have been significantly changed by the experience of "doing business". He is also president of the Minnesota Solar Industries and lives in St Paul, Minnesota.

Sit in on a panel LGBT and clergy, sponsored by the Voices of Faith program of Equality Wisconsin , on personal and church experience of Open & Affirming Congregations - and the lack of same. The panel was held at Plymouth UCC, Eau Claire on 3/24/2012.

Shane Claiborne is a fiery, dread-locked, profound, fool for God. He grew up in East Tennessee, spent time with Mother Theresa, was in Iraq with Christian Peacemakers during the Shock & Awe campaign in Iraq, and helped found The Simple Way community in one of the poorest neighborhoods of Pennsylvania.

Parker J. Palmer  is author of 9 books including his latest  Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit . In his writing and in his work with the  Center for Courage & Renewal , he transforms minds & lives.

Parker J. Palmer is author of 9 books including his latest Healing the Heart of Democracy: The Courage to Create a Politics Worthy of the Human Spirit . In his writing and in his work with the Center for Courage & Renewal , he transforms minds & lives.

Gary Dorrien is author of The Obama Question: A Progressive Perspective , in which he looks at Barack Obama, the man & his history, and his policies, to see whether they pass muster from a progressive political & theological perspective. Gary is the Reinhold Niebuhr Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary and Professor of Religion at Columbia University. He is the author o...

Sonny Ochs, sister to folk legend Phil Ochs, has helped carry forward the powerful legacy of Phil's music. On almost every topic - war, prejudice, immigration, etc - the songs are as meaningful today as back in the 60-70's. Just released, the documentary, Phil Ochs: There But For Fortune.

Anne LeClaire is an author whose 20 years of twice-monthly days of silence taught her the potential for rest, healing and growth of the practice. She shares the lessons of the experiment-turned-way-of-life in Listening Below the Noise". She leads workshops and retreats on silence, creativity and authenticity, like the program she'll lead on March 23-24 at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La C...

Fireburn Doctor provides a simple, free, miraculous, service - healing of your burns with a single phone call. It sounds absolutely unbelievable, but what are we to believe when the evidence is there? We visit with Alison McDermott of the Fireburn Doctor team & 3 who've experienced it - former Judge Charles Barnhardt, actress Mary Badham, Vitaly Korobov of the US Patent & Trademark office....

John Michael Greer is author of 27 books on topics like peak oil, nature-based economics, and druidry - because he is Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America . One of his latest books is Apocalypse NOT: Everything You Know About 2012, Nostradamus and the Rapture is Wrong .

John Michael Greer is a prolific author writing on diverse topics like peak oil, nature-based economics and, of course, druidry, because he is the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America. His knowledge is vast and his presentation makes even complex topics understandable and compelling. His books include The Ecotechnic Future: Envisioning a Post-Peak World and The Wealth of Natur...

John Noltner is photographer and author of a new book, A Peace of my Mind: Exploring the meaning of peace, one story at a time , a captivating inquiry into how common folks - and some not-so-common folks - think about peace. It attempts to bring diverse, sincere, voices into a big tent, to do the work of listening for possibilities.

Larry Tye's recent book is SATCHEL: The Life and Times of an American Legend. Satchel Paige was a trail-blazer in the times when African-Americans were segregated from whites in their neighborhoods, schools, drinking fountains and on the ball field and Larry Tye chronicles Satchel's long march to color-blind recognition with the feel of an gripping adventure.

Vasu Murti asks a disturbing question - if world hunger, climate change, and, importantly, abortion are the karma for our animal-based diet, can we get liberals and conservatives to come together to affirm the sanctity of all life? Vasu Murti is author of The Shall Not Hurt or Destroy: Animal Rights and Vegetarianism in the Western Religious Traditions and also The Liberal Case Against Abortion .

Karen Brandow is a political activist whose association with Charlie King has led her to use music as one of her tools for change. 2 issues at the forefront for Karen are War Taxes & The Death Penalty. Karen spent 8 years in Central America, doing accompaniment & other work, was raised in a culturally Jewish household, is trained as a spiritual director.

Vasu Murti is a powerful liberal voice for "consistant peace", and he supports his concerns by extensive research of eastern religious thought, western religious thought, and the best of secular thought & reasoning. In this 2-part interview he speaks about global warming, war, karma (and many more topics) and their relationship to vegetarianism & abortion.

Dr Robert Holmes is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Rochester in NY, with a specialty in peace and nonviolence who has taught, written and spoken extensively on related topics.

James Olson is the author of The Whole-Brain Path to Peace about the role of left and right brain dominance in the polarization and reunification of America. It's an investigation into the effects of brain perspective on government, corporate life, war, and our personal lives. James Olson is a management-trained philosopher with studies in business, engineering, art, eastern and western religion,...

Robin Bernstein traces the roots & mechanisms of racism in Racial Innocence: Performing American Childhood from Slavery to Civil Rights . Robin's piercing analysis and thorough research ferret out gems of both fact and insight, providing powerful resources for those working to reduce racism and its propaganda.

In this episode, Spirit in the Digital Age , producer Madeline Schaefer takes a look at the role of technology in spirituality and, specifically, with Quakers. Included are interviews with Martin Kelley about QuakerQuaker.org and the convergent Friends movement; Stephen Dotson and Facebook; Chris Pifer and Aaron Crosman on what makes a Quaker website, "Quaker"; and the diary of a one week "Technol...

Scott Anderson is the founder of Alignment Yoga and Spectrum Yoga Therapy. His new book is Alignment Yoga - An Intelligent Approach to Ancient Wisdom. He's an insightful innovator and talented teacher, adapting traditional practices to the Western way of life.

Reggie Harris has been creating great change-making & bridge-building music for decades, spanning barriers of race, religion, politics and other forms of identity and division.

Purple Wagon is the site of Perdue Professor Emerita of Child Development & Family Studies, Judith Myers-Walls. In 1989 she began research and applications around parent/child communication about war & peace, a passion that comes out of her background with the Church of the Brethren, one of the traditional peace churches

Karen Street had a jarring experience in 1995 - she found that her prejudices and beliefs opposing nuclear power were ill-founded, and that the alternatives were doing much greater damage to people, other animals & the Earth. Carefully researched and examined, Karen provides a compelling, compassionate case for using nuclear power.

J.E. McNeil's new book, Peace-Work Quilt, draws on the many stories & experiences from the 12 years she has served as Executive Director of the Center on Conscience & War. The stories are vivid and the thoughts and analysis penetrating - and the spirit is deep.