Thanksgiving Special 2017

Pilgrims and Natives: Thanking Different Gods

When the Puritans arrived on the shores of Massachusetts in the early 1600s, they brought with them a concept of God totally alien to their new neighbors, the Wampanoag people. For the Puritans, the divine was an all-powerful Father figure. For the Wampanoag, God was a multi-dimensional force of nature, found in the trees, rocks and fields. This Thanksgiving, we explore the faith of the early Native Americans with two guests: a direct descendant of the Wampanoag Nation, and an historian of Native American religious traditions. Ramona Peters is director of historic preservation for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and
Clara Sue Kidwell is a former director of the American Indian Center at UNC Chapel Hill and pioneer in the field of Native American studies.

Bless This Food

Have you ever seen anyone pray before eating their burger combo? Maybe not. But our guest Adrian Butash says, maybe it would be a good idea. The simple act of giving thanks before a meal is one of the most universal prayers, found all over the world and stretching back thousands of years. So before you polish off your Thanksgiving feast, we thought we’d pause and reflect on this small act of gratitude.  Adrian Butash, author of Bless This Food: Ancient and Contemporary Graces from Around the World.

Toxic Charity: The Darker Side of One-Way Giving

Charity always feels good for the giver – but what about for the receiver? Before you donate that can to a food drive, Bob Lupton wants you to know that handouts can leave people feeling powerless, dependent and degraded.  Bob Lupton is the author of Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help (And How to Reverse it).


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