Lighthouse Faith

It doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or any other religion; having a working knowledge of the Bible stories is a must when studying English Literature and many other subjects like European History, the American Civil war, the list goes on.  From Shakespeare to Chaucer, Jane Austen and Robert Louis Stevenson, many,  if not all have as their cultural spark an understanding of biblical thought. Studies show a great swath of people are sorely lacking in biblical literacy. So a new global program aims to change that. It's called Teaching the Bible Academically. Chuck Stetson is the brains behind the effort. We talk about the necessity and the struggles of such a project.

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It doesn't matter if you're Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or any other religion; having a working knowledge of the Bible stories is a must when studying English Literature and many other subjects like European History, the American Civil war, the list goes on.  From Shakespeare to Chaucer, Jane Austen and Robert Louis Stevenson, many,  if not all have as their cultural spark an understanding of biblical thought. Studies show a great swath of people are sorely lacking in biblical literacy. So a new global program aims to change that. It's called Teaching the Bible Academically. Chuck Stetson is the brains behind the effort. We talk about the necessity and the struggles of such a project.

It seems that if there's a word that describes the mood of modern times, it's anxiety. If you've got a job, you're worried about keeping it or moving forward in it. If you're single you worry about whether you'll ever find the right mate. If you're married, some of you are unhappy or worried about keeping him or her. And if you have children, you may be anxious about their struggles. It really doesn't matter what it is, there's a level of anxiety that seems to be creeping into our lives more and more, and is there any relief? Pastor Max Lucado is a master at breaking down our problems and giving them a spiritual solution. His book, "Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World," shows how what we believe about God is directly tied to our level of anxiety. If God is real, then the answer to 'finding calm' is found in Him.

It seems that if there's a word that describes the mood of modern times, it's anxiety. If you've got a job, you're worried about keeping it or moving forward in it. If you're single you worry about whether you'll ever find the right mate. If you're married, some of you are unhappy or worried about keeping him or her. And if you have children, you may be anxious about their struggles. It really doesn't matter what it is, there's a level of anxiety that seems to be creeping into our lives more and more, and is there any relief? Pastor Max Lucado is a master at breaking down our problems and giving them a spiritual solution. His book, "Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World," shows how what we believe about God is directly tied to our level of anxiety. If God is real, then the answer to 'finding calm' is found in Him.

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This week I covered the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Fall General Meeting in Baltimore. In this podcast, hear my reflections on the abrupt change of plans, when Pope Francis told the Bishops not to take action on two crucial issues concerning the clergy abuse crisis. It was frustrating for Bishops because they wanted to at least appear to be taking charge and moving forward on finding solutions. Many felt the pope had essentially hog tied them, crippling their efforts to take decisive action. But now all eyes will focus on Rome, when the heads of all the bishops' conference around the world will meet with the Holy Father, to find global solutions to what has become a global problem.

This week I covered the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Fall General Meeting in Baltimore. In this podcast, hear my reflections on the abrupt change of plans, when Pope Francis told the Bishops not to take action on two crucial issues concerning the clergy abuse crisis. It was frustrating for Bishops because they wanted to at least appear to be taking charge and moving forward on finding solutions. Many felt the pope had essentially hog tied them, crippling their efforts to take decisive action. But now all eyes will focus on Rome, when the heads of all the bishops' conference around the world will meet with the Holy Father, to find global solutions to what has become a global problem.

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No matter our religious beliefs, we can all celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. But there's far more benefit to giving thanks than we ever imagined. Even scientists have discovered the good that being grateful brings to our minds, our bodies and our spirit. Diana Butler Bass, the author of "Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks", talks about the healing we can have personally when we give thanks, but also, how we can heal a divided world by becoming a "thankful society."

No matter our religious beliefs, we can all celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. But there's far more benefit to giving thanks than we ever imagined. Even scientists have discovered the good that being grateful brings to our minds, our bodies and our spirit. Diana Butler Bass, the author of "Grateful: The Transformative Power of Giving Thanks", talks about the healing we can have personally when we give thanks, but also, how we can heal a divided world by becoming a "thankful society."

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The Catholic Church is in crisis mode as it looks to solve the clergy sex abuse scandals. It's become a global problem. But art historian Elizabeth Lev, a provocative and intellectually gifted academic professor based in Rome, has a solution: Art. It's what helped keep the faith alive following the Protestant Reformation more than 500 years ago. And many experts are drawing parallels between then and now. We discuss her amazing book, "How Catholic Art Saved the Faith: The Triumph of Beauty and Truth in Counter Reformation Art."  The title is a mouthful, but Lev breaks it down for the untrained mind, and makes art history sound like an action film. Some of the incredible works Lev discusses and includes in her book are:

The Ecstasy of St. Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The Entombment of Christ by Caravaggio

The Catholic Church is in crisis mode as it looks to solve the clergy sex abuse scandals. It's become a global problem. But art historian Elizabeth Lev, a provocative and intellectually gifted academic professor based in Rome, has a solution: Art. It's what helped keep the faith alive following the Protestant Reformation more than 500 years ago. And many experts are drawing parallels between then and now. We discuss her amazing book, "How Catholic Art Saved the Faith: The Triumph of Beauty and Truth in Counter Reformation Art."  The title is a mouthful, but Lev breaks it down for the untrained mind, and makes art history sound like an action film. Some of the incredible works Lev discusses and includes in her book are:

The Ecstasy of St. Teresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini

The Entombment of Christ by Caravaggio

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