Beliefs

Tom Junod was assigned to write a profile for Esquire magazine on beloved kids television icon Fred Rogers, and the two became close friends.

That friendship became the subject of a movie about the remarkable inner journey Tom made as a result of this unexpected pairing.

The film, ‘A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood’ starring Tom Hanks and Matthew Rhys opens in theaters this week.  

Our guest this week is Austen Ivereigh, here to discuss his second book on Pope Francis, called Wounded Shepherd, Pope Francis and His Struggle to Convert the Catholic Church.  

Struggling with both broad respect and popularity, but also deep institutional suspicion, Pope Francis enjoys adoration and resistance in equal measure. Ivereigh’s book distills the contradictions and successes of Francis’ pontificate. 

Much has been made of the increasing number of people who don’t identify with an organized religion. Statistics behind millennial flight from church and religion is also a big topic in the news. But what’s behind these numbers? To explore some of the less measurable influences – Religion News Reporter Emily McFarlan Miller joins Beliefs producer Jay Woodward.

Our guests this week are Naz Georgas, Executive Director of Cordoba House, and Rabbi Josh Stanton of East End Temple in New York. These two faith leaders have forged a unique bond and faith partnership of shared values, convictions, and commitment to empathetic compassion.  

Beliefs producer Jay Woodward met with them at East End Temple in Manhattan. 

By all accounts, the trends are clear. Religion is in decline in modern American society. The rise in the number of people who declare themselves as unaffiliated to a religious community, or self-identify as belonging to no religion at all, is a trend that is reinforced with every passing poll.

Here to discuss the length and breadth of Belief in America is Alan Cooperman, Director of Religion Research at Pew Research Center. Alan recently appeared at a symposium at Fordham University’s Center On Religion And Culture.

Our guest is a philosopher, professor, and author James K.A. Smith. 

On the front line of the human hunger for meaning. Liberty and freedom are woven into a modern story of the human experience. But is liberty a good ingredient for happiness? Our guest is a philosopher, professor, and author of the recently published’ “On The Road with Saint Augustine: A Real World Spirituality for Restless Hearts” 

James K. A. Smith spoke to me about emerging tensions in a modern age before a talk at Fordham University's Center for Religion and Culture.  

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the largest country in sub-saharan Africa. The area has struggled with outbreaks of both ebola and measles, and the province of Kivu has seen broad conflict and the UN’s largest and most expensive peacekeeping mission that's been in operation since 2010. 

When government and social systems fail, it's often the church that steps in to save the people. This is an example in one of the world's poorest places. 

Host Bill Baker met Bishop Djomo in New York to learn about the role the Catholic Church plays in supporting the stability of Congo. 

Our guest this week serves in an unexpected ministry – volunteer chaplain at a reproductive health clinic. Scholar, activist, and Presbyterian minister Reverend Marvin Ellison is professor emeritus in Christian Ethics at Bangor Theological Seminary.  He has spent a career working for a more nuanced understanding of of the awesome power of human reproduction.  

Beliefs producer Jay Woodward met with Rev. Ellison at his home in Portland, Maine.