After Krista Tippett graduated from seminary, she noticed a hole in the media. There was finally plenty of religion coverage, but the simplicity of the reports drove her to launch a public radio interview show, "Speaking of Faith" (now titled "On Being"). Tippet explains how she helps her guests reveal the complexities of their beliefs and values. Karen Saupe hosts.

Special needs children are labeled for the extra care they require. Observers may wonder how their families would cope with all those responsibilities. Faye Knol, whose son who was born 14 weeks premature and lived into early adulthood with severe disabilities, offers the rest of the picture. The title of her memoir Receiving David: The Gift of a Son Who Taught Us How to Live and Love, says it all. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

For too many students, the hurdles to getting a college diploma are nearly insurmountable. Brandy Johnson, Michigan director of College Access Network, describes the national program designed to support, inform, and encourage students so they have a better chance at career choices and salaries they’d like. Karen Saupe hosts.

When artists create, how much consideration should they give to their audience? And, when viewers approach artwork, is it more important to respond to the piece first or to read the printed artist’s statement? Sheila Wyne, a visual artist from Anchorage, Alaska whose work has been installed permanently in public spaces and in several museum collections, describes how to engage with a piece of art, and how a visually literate community fosters the evolution of art. Karen Saupe hosts.

What is your tendency when you see conflict coming--run and hide? Tackle it head-on? Bob Hall, founder of Learning to Live with Conflict, Inc., looks beyond winning and losing to suggest ways the very presence of conflict can help us learn and grow together. Karen Saupe hosts.

When a child has been abandoned by his or her parents, it leaves a wound that is hard to heal. Those nearby may feel there is nothing they can do. Rob Mitchell, author of Castaway Kid: One Man’s Search for Hope and Home, describes how several people made a significant difference during his childhood in an orphanage. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

When Katrina Browne was 28 years old and in seminary, she learned that her ancestors were the largest slave-trading family in U.S. history. And, they were not from the South; they had lived in Rhode Island. Katrina wrote to 200 family members, inviting them to explore their family's past. The result: an award-winning documentary, Traces of the Trade, made with co-producer Juanita Brown, who helped plan a journey to Africa for the group and facilitate painful conversations about their discoveries. Karen Saupe hosts.

According to several surveys, more than ninety percent of Americans in their early 20s are having sex before marriage. Mark Regnerus of the University of Texas at Austin sociology department, and co-author of the book Premarital Sex in America: How Young Americans Meet, Mate, and Think about Marrying, explains the choices and values of emerging adults today. Shirley Hoogstra hosts.

You may long for the latest gadget or fashion, more because of the image it projects than for any other reason. Where do those images come from? Calvin College philosophy professor Jamie Smith, author of Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation, says our idea of “the good life” reveals a lot about us. Karen Saupe hosts.

Every so often, there is a swell of complaints that America has strayed from its Christian roots. But others question whether the U.S. was ever designed to be a Christian nation. Notre Dame historians Mark Noll and George Marsden, authors of many works on early American history and on evangelical Christianity, consider current interpretations of the founding fathers. Skot Welch is guest host.