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Inspired
Inspired is the nation's leading public radio show about faith, ethics and spirituality. Each week we offer you analyses of the big headlines alongside lesser-told stories – those of Orthodox Jewish artists and African-American atheists, Muslim feminists and spiritual seekers. Through these stories, a rough sketch of our country’s religious landscape begins to emerge. It’s a marketplace of beliefs and ideas too complex for sound bites, and too important to ignore.
From Underground to Co-existence with the Communist Government
In a new installment of our God and Government series, we visit the country of Cuba to see how it is navigating a changing relationship between church and state. The country has gone from breaking with the Catholic Church following the Cuban revolution, to a careful co-existence between the church and the government in the midst of post-Cold War economic troubles. We feature Felix Contreras, the host of NPR’s Alt.Latino about how the spirituality of many Afro Cubans is reflected in the fusion of the practice of Santeria and music. We also talk to Maria de los Angeles Torres, professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago and Michael Bustamante, a historian from Florida International University.
Cubans Look to Faith as they Prepare for a Post-Castro Nation
Cuba was once officially atheist, but today enjoys a degree of religious freedom. But the country is heading into uncharted territory, as President Raul Castro, who took over from his brother Fidel 10 years ago, is stepping down. He’ll name a successor on April 19. So where are Cubans putting their faith now? BBC reporter Will Grant covered Fidel Castro’s funeral, and he’ll be on hand when Raul retires. And NPR’s Alt.Latino host Felix Contreras brings us another piece of Cuban music.
Evangelical Christianity in Once-Athiest Cuba
Though religion was once pushed underground in Cuba, the government tolerated its re-emergence in the uncertainty following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Cuban government has been quietly tolerating many forms of religious expression — as long as religious practice doesn’t veer into political dissent. And a new faith movement is picking up a bit of the slack as the country’s social welfare system comes under strain — the fast-growing Evangelical Christian tradition. Plus, Mikaela Lefrak, arts and culture reporter from WAMU discusses how people of faith in Washington DC, like those across the country, reflected on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.
