Common Threads: An Interfaith Dialogue

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 that he does have some 1st hand experience. You see, Fr. Francouer is a married Catholic priest.

This is a really great couple of conversations. I hope you enjoy. Oh, I'm not 100% sure when we aired these, but 2001 is a good guess. Theme music "Nigal."

These episodes, from 2008, are conversations with Morgan Atkinson. He wrote the book & TV special "Soul Searching," an in-depth discovery of Thomas Merton and his pioneering spiritual work.

Sometimes for the heck of it, I tune into EWTN, the hardcore conservative Catholic radio network. Recently on a call-in show someone asked a priest about Fr. Merton. One might guess that his take on Merton was less than favorable. While he is often regarded as a "patron saint" of the Catholic contemplative movement, there are many in the Church who would wish him to be excommunicated posthumously. But as you'll hear here, this was a flawed, but deeply spiritual giant. Theme music "Nigal."

Ray Suarez is one of my most favorite guests. I've been a major fan since he hosted "Talk of the Nation" on NPR back in the 90s. Is this interview dated? In a way, yes, because it was recorded in 2006. But how prescient it is. When it was broadcast GW Bush was in the White House. We did have to deal with the absurd religiosity that prompted him to make the decisions he did. But now we are still in the throes of some of the most dangerous theocratic movements we'll ever see in the post-Trump era.

I often enjoy reading or listening to accounts of the past just to see how right or wrong the authors were in their assessments of situations. This is an excellent example. Theme music "Nigal."

These episodes are from 2008. Here I interview Dr. Rodney Stark from Baylor University. Interesting chap. One gets the impression that he doesn't suffer fools gladly...or easily. How much you wanna bet that his students call him Dr. Snark? Anyway, I did think he was quite engaging. A bit biased toward Christianity, but still, I enjoyed my time with him. We discuss his book "Discovering God." Theme music "Nigal."

Holy Moses! I had thought that I'd digitized all the cassette tapes of old Common Threads programs a few months ago. Now, I discover a whole shoe box filled to the brim with more. Now we start the process all over again.

This little gem comes from 2007. IDA had partnered with a new org here in Grand Rapids called Grand Dialogue. Their mission is focused on the intersection of faith & science. Now both GD & IDA are affiliate orgs under the umbrella of Kaufman Interfaith Institute. These episodes are conversations with that year's keynote speaker. Philip Clayton, a professor with ties to Harvard, Cambridge and Claremont. His talk is on "Emergence."

I hope I don't have to tell you to ignore any mentions of the conference itself, which happened over a decade ago. But the discussion is still worthwhile.

Theme music "Nigal."

There is no question that one of the major game changer of the 20th century was Desmond Tutu. While I'd love to tell you that these episodes feature The Man himself, I am pleased to offer you a wonderful conversation with someone he mentored for decades. Rev. Michael Battles has patterned his life after this living saint. He is the author of a deeply moving spiritual biography of Bishop Tutu. Enjoy. Theme music "Nigal."

The Pew Survey on Religion in the USA is out now. I thought that I'd reach out to someone who could provide context & perspective on this. I happened upon an article online by Rev. Wes Granberg-Michaelson, who has roots here in West Michigan, that focuses on today's Christian population. He graciously agreed to join us in June of 2020. Soon up: Judaism in America. Theme music "Nigal."

In all of the years of Common Threads it seems like we have never really given The Devil his due. I mean, where would religion be without him? Our interview here in these 2021 episodes try to accomplish 2 things: We want to get a better understanding of the various versions of Satan/Lucifer that are exposed in the Bible. And then there is the rise of "devil worship" in modern American. Keep in mind that those who supposedly worship Satan don't really believe in him, but enjoy the furrowed brows of those religionists who do.

This is really an excellent conversation. Join us. Theme music "Nigal."

I've known Kavita Pallod Sekhsaria for several years now. As long as I've known her she was working toward her PhD in Psychology, with the goal of focusing her efforts on offering treatment to those in her own spiritual community.

One thing we can be proud of here in the west is that we have come such a long way over the years in allowing those who suffer from depression and other mental challenges to live with much less of a stigma than before. We're not perfect, but better. Well, the same cannot be said for Asian communities. One of Kavita's goals is to reverse that.

Aired in 2021.

Impressive ambition. Listen. Theme music "Nigal."

One of the things I love to do from time to time is take advantage of the opportunity to promote some of the great programming that we air on our sister station WGVU-TV, our areas PBS affiliate. In May of 2021 PBS stations across the country aired a remarkable documentary on the life of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, one of the most influential clergymen and academics of the 20th century. If you'd not heard of him, or know little of his story, do give this a listen. And look for showings of the documentary in your area.

Our guest is Martin Doblmeier, the founder of Journey Films Inc, a film and television production company focused creating content on religion, faith and spirituality. Martin holds degrees in Religious Studies, Broadcast Journalism and honorary degrees in Fine Arts and Humane Letters. Since 1984 he has produced and directed more than 30 films focused on religion, faith and spirituality. His films include Bonhoffer (2003) The Power of Forgiveness (2007), An American Conscience: The Reinhold Niebuhr Story (2017), and Backs Against The Wall: The Howard Thurman Story (2019). Theme music "Nigal."