Rep. Keith Ellison, America’s First Muslim Congressman

Don’t Call Him “The Muslim Congressman.”  He Prefers “Keith”

Rep. Keith Ellison is a the Representative of Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District and author of My Country ‘Tis of Thee.   Ellison is one of those “breakthrough” figures: the first Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Congress— that was in 2006–and the first African American to be elected to the U.S. House from his state, Minnesota. You may be hearing a lot more of him soon. Backed by Bernie Sanders, he’s in the running to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee—which would make him the face of the liberal opposition to President Donald Trump. In this 2014 interview, he joins us to reflect on the odd questions he’s been asked (‘Does your wife wear a burqa?’) and the way his faith intersects with his policy choices.

Marketing Shamanism

Want to sell a book in the religion section? Add the word “shaman,” and you’ll do fine. Add the word “power” or “power animal” and you’ll do even better. These days you can diet with the Shamanic Juice Fast, wear shaman-chic couture, join a Meetup group like “Tribe of Beltway Shamans,” and spend $2,000 on a shamanic healing trip to the Amazon. Two experts from the South American shamanic tradition join us to explain what Shamanism is–and isn’t–and why it’s enjoying a cultural revival. Don Oscar Miro-Quesada is the author of Lessons in Courage: Peruvian Shamanic Wisdom for Everyday Life.
Stephan Beyer is the author of Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon.

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