Is Yoga a Religion? The Birds of the Bible and More

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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.

This week on Interfaith Voices:

Candy Gunther Brown: The Hidden Religion in Yoga

If you’ve ever taken a yoga class, been treated with acupuncture, visited a chiropractor or relaxed with a shiatsu massage, then you actually practiced a certain kind of religion, even if you weren’t aware of it. At least, that’s according to Candy Gunther Brown. She says metaphysical ideas behind popular health therapies – like the idea that our bodies are ruled by a ‘life force’ –  might be challenging your world view for the worse. From December 2013.

Erik Davis: Yoga Is ‘Spiritual But Not Religious’

Though the roots of yoga may be in Hinduism, today its link with religion is blurry. Erik Davis says the yoga we practice today is a modern American creation, not an ancient path that’s been handed down for centuries. “Sometimes it’s very religious, and you have gods and you have chanting,” he says. “And sometimes it’s very secular. You have Jane Fonda in Spandex doing yoga on VHS tapes.” From December 2013.

On Vulture’s Wings: The Birds of the Bible

A raven feeds the prophet Elijah in the desert. The Holy Spirit is famously depicted as a dove. Birds appear throughout the Bible, from the creation story to the Book of Revelation. For many of us, they’re never more than supporting characters. But a new book brings them to center stage and argues that a better understanding of the Bible’s feathered creatures can enrich our reading of Biblical texts. From September 2013.

Featured speakers/guests:

Erik Davis, journalist and cultural critic

Debbie Blue, author of Consider the Birds
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