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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.
It’s another thought-provoking hour of theology as Interfaith Voices covers the issues that matter most in world religions. On today’s installment:
Hinduism’s Hold on The Life of a Beloved Author
J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is the 9th best-selling book of all time. But the most serious commitment in Salinger’s life wasn’t writing – it was his devotion to Vedanta Hinduism. A new biography of Salinger says the literary silence in the last half of his life can be explained by the Vedantic call to renounce the world.
Twenty-Five Years of Polling America’s Catholics
Every six years since 1987, a team of sociologists has been polling America’s Catholics. Now, the latest results are in, revealing profound changes in everything from ethnic makeup to attitudes towards the hierarchy. These changes are strongest among a core demographic: women.
Why the Language of Prayer Matters
Many Catholic parishes now include two or more languages in one Mass, to make room for the church’s growing diversity. Take St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Milwaukee, for instance. When they say the Lord’s Prayer during the all-parish Mass, they speak six languages at the same time, from German to an Asian dialect called Hmong.
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.
Featured speakers/guests:
Shane Salerno, co-author (with David Shields) of Salinger, director of a companion documentary; Michele Dillon and Mary L. Gautier, co-authors, (with William V. D’Antonio, Interfaith Voices board member) of American Catholics in Transition; Amy Kiley, reporting for WUWM; Debbie Blue, author of Consider the Birds.
